Sheep of Christ
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:10-15
Here are some quick facts about sheep:
- There are about 900 different breeds of sheep
- Sheep have poor eyesight, but excellent hearing
- Sheep are timid, nervous, and easily frightened
- Sheep tend to wander easily
This verse in John describes the perfect metaphor of sheep and their shepherd and Jesus and us. Like sheep we can so easily wander away from the shepherd. Sin can tempt us to walk away from what we know is best for us, staying close and guarded by the shepherd.
And also like sheep we have a shepherd that has laid down His life for us. This verse talks about the shepherd knowing his sheep and we know that Jesus knows each and every one of us. We also know that Jesus laid down His life for us, dying on the cross giving us the greatest gift of all.
The longer sheep are with their shepherd the more they grow to trust him. Sheep have excellent hearing and can hear the voice of their shepherd when they are called. The more time we spend with Jesus the more we will learn about what life is like to live filled with His Spirit. Jesus laid down his life for each of us so that we might have life abundantly and He knows each of us personally and still calls us back to Him even when we wander.
If you feel like you have wandered, turn back around to Jesus calling your name and offering you the gift of abundant life. Even when we feel weak and helpless, like the sheep, God promises us that His grace is powerful enough to protect us from the wolf.