Meditation John 10: 11-19
1. Jesus said he is the good shepherd and he gives his life for the sheep. (V11)
2. But the hireling, who is not the shepherd and the sheep are not his own, sees the wolf coming and flees from the sheep. The wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. (V12)
3. The hireling flees from the sheep because he is an hireling and does not care for his sheep. (V13)
4. Jesus said he is the good shepherd and he knows his sheep and the sheep knows him. (V14)
5. The father knows Christ and Christ knows the father and he lays down his life for the sheep. (V15)
6. Jesus said there are some other sheep outside that fold which are his. They shall hear his voice and them also he should bring in that there will be one fold and one shepherd. (V16)
7. Jesus said his father loves him because he lay down his own life that he might take it back again. (V17)
8. Jesus said no man takes his life from him, but he lay it down himself. For he has the
power to lay it down and to take it again. This commandment Christ has received from the father. (V18)
9. The Jews got divided because of these sayings. (V19)
LIFE APPLICATION:
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John:10:11
But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
John:10:12
In this passage, we see three personalities in the scene. Let us go through their nature one by one.
1. The RAVENOUS beast:
We have a devourer who comes to steal, kill and destroy and that is the devil. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy every blessing that God has for us.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John:10:10
B. We have an adversary, the devil who go about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
1 Peter:5:8
C. The lion roars against the multitudes of the voices of the shepherds and is not afraid of them.
For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Isaiah:31:4
Dear Child of God,
This is how the enemy comes looking out for our souls. Are we safe from his hands? Let go further down and know more.
2. THE HIRELING:
The hireling is a shepherd who does not take responsibility for the sheep, as he was hired to work and the sheep are not his own.
A. They do not feed the flock but they feed themselves:
Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
Ezekiel:34:3
B. With cruelty, they rule over the sheep.
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.
Ezekiel:34:4
C. They scatter the sheep but not gather them, that they become meat to the beasts of the field.
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
Ezekiel:34:5
Dear children of God!
It is our responsibility to identify the hirelings from the true shepherds.
Hirelings rule over God's flock. They never work on keeping the flock of God together neither take responsibility for their souls. Hirelings save themselves at the cost of the flock.
Let us pray that as the flocks of the most high God, God will give us Christ-like shepherds to guide us and lead us in the ways of God.
3. Christ our good shepherd:
A. As a good shepherd, God searches for us and seeks us.
For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
Ezekiel:34:11
He will deliver us out of all the places wherever we may be scattered, though it may be dark and cloudy.
As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Ezekiel:34:12
B. He will gather us to be his holy people.
And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
Ezekiel:34:13
C. He will feed us with good pastures.
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel:34:14
D. He makes us to lie down and gives us rest.
I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel:34:15
E. He seeks the lost, binds our brokenness and heals our sickness.
I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
Ezekiel:34:16
F. He carries us in his bosom and gently lead us.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah:40:11
G. He will have compassion over us.
But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Matthew:9:36
H. He is the bishop of our souls.
For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 Peter:2:25
I. More than anything the good shepherd lays his life to save from the enemy, that by his blood we can live.
I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John:10:11
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Hebrews:13:20
Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews:13:21
The wolf scatters the sheep from the flock and isolates them. Today, you may be a victim of the darts of the enemy.
He uses weapons like unforgiveness, shame, guilt, ego, self-centeredness, bitterness, misunderstandings, to scatter us from the very flock of God. He isolates us and once he succeeds we become a meat to him.
We may be like the sheep gone astray. We may be trusting on to hirelings, be it money, friends, job and so on... for a false sense of comfort.
But today is the day, let us come back to our shepherd who will bind our wounds and make us whole. When he gave his himself to die on the cross he will make sure he will perfect everything that concerns us too.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah:53:6
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans:8:32
To GOD BE THE GLORY.... amen.
