Meditation John chapter 10:1-10
1. Jesus said surely the one that does not enter through the door into the sheepfold but climbs the other way is a thief and a robber. (V1)
2. But the shepherd of the sheep enters through the door. ( V2)
3. The porter opens to the shepherd. The sheep hears his voice. He calls his own sheep by its name and leads them out. (V3)
4. And when he puts forth his sheep he leads them and they follow him, because his own sheep knows the shepherd's voice. (V4)
5. The sheep's do not follow the stranger but flees from them because they do not know the voice of the strangers. (V5)
6. Jesus spoke to them this parable but they did not understand the things that were spoken to them. (V6)
7. Jesus said to them that surely he is the door of the sheep. (V7)
8. All those who came before him are thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not hear them. (V8)
9. Jesus said that he is the door and through him if any man enters in, he shall be saved and he shall go in and out and find his pastures. (V9)
10. Jesus said that the thief comes only to steal, to kill and to destroy. But Christ came to give them life and life in abundance. (V10)
LIFE APPLICATION:
This passage portrays a beautiful parable of how CHRIST is for us. Him being our shepherd and we his sheep.
Some of the characters of the good shepherd are listed here.
1. The shepherd enters through the door:
But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
John:10:2
Jesus Christ is our shepherd and the owner of our souls who cares for us each day.
He comes lovingly to the sheepfold and knocks at our heart's door each day.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Revelation:3:20
2. If we are the own sheep of our great shepherd we can hear his voice.
Dear Child of God,
How beautiful it is to hear and respond to the voice of our great shepherd?
It might not be a loud shout, but Sure, it is so gentle, mild and soothing and assuring.
Our soul and the very spirit of ours move as we hear our own shepherd's voice.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
John:10:3
Oh! How secure we feel as the shepherd calls each of us by our own names and he leads us out...
Now let me give you an illustration... most of us can hear the voice of our shepherd. But we become too lazy, busy or hardened to rise up to open the door.
I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
Song of Solomon:5:2
How many times we reply to him that we have wound up already and we cannot rise up again to meet Him?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
Song of Solomon:5:3
This is when our good shepherd still puts his fingers through the door and our bowels are moved for him.
My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
Song of Solomon:5:4
Dear Child of the most high God,
Is your bowels moved as you hear the shepherd's voice calling you today... ? Let us tell him... Lord! Here I am.... and he will lead us through beautifully.
3. The shepherd goes before the sheep and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
John:10:4
So where does the shepherd leads us if we follow him hearing his voice?
A. The shepherd leads us into a land of plenty....where all of physical, emotional and spiritual WANTS are met, remember, not NEEDS but all our WANTS are met.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm:23:1
B. He feeds our body, soul and spirit to the full, so we never go hungry and drained.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
Psalm:23:2
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
John:6:10
When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
John:6:12
C. He calms our souls, by leading us beside the still waters of the word of God and the Holy Spirit.
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm:23:2
D. He heals our every emotional hurts, our broken hearts and he restores our soul.
He restoreth my soul.
Psalm:23:3
E. He leads us in the righteous path and teaches us the way we got to go.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Psalm:23:3
F. He comforts us with his rod and his staff that we do not need to fear, even if life takes a bad road.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm:23:4
G. He doesn't end there. He gives us victory amidst our enemies and anoint our heads with an oil of gladness and joy.... till our cups overflow.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Psalm:23:5
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psalm:45:7
H. Still more is in store... He makes sure that goodness and mercy shall follows all the days we are alive and as we trust in God's mercy,
we will keep flourishing like green Olive trees in the house of God.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Psalm:23:6
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
Psalm:52:8
4. Jesus is our shepherd and he is also our door. Only if we can accept him as our saviour and our Lord... we will reap all the above benefits of being his own sheep and hearing his voice and following him.
Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John:10:7
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John:10:9
Dear Child of God,
If you have not heard the shepherd speak to your innermost... today is the day to ask God for a hearing heart.
This is life and life in abundance as Christ restores in us everything stolen, killed and destroyed by the enemy back in double measure.
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
John:10:10
Learn more from the video on how to hear the voice of God in detail.
