Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you ever spent much time around farm animals, particularly sheep? Sheep are among the strangest of all animals. They absolutely need a shepherd for they don’t do well without someone watching over them, guiding them to water and food, protecting them from wolves or other predators, and especially protecting them from what I’d call a panicked ‘mob mentality’. They spook easily and then run frantically in any direction even running into barbed wire or running over cliffs to their death.
Did you know that sheep appear in many places in the Bible and several times God draws parallels between sheep and people! Do you wonder why? I’ve not spent much time around sheep, but what little I have and what I’ve read about them, oh yes, we people sure can be like sheep!
Lately we’ve been considering a very powerful message the prophet Isaiah received from God about 2700 years ago and recorded for us in Isaiah 53. Listen to this: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53:6) It’s true, we, all of us humans, are very much like sheep, in so many ways, and one is that we want our own way. From the time we were children, almost all of us have resisted someone else telling us what they think is best for us or telling us what to do, am I right? …just like sheep!
But as infants we desperately needed the care of our mothers; as teens we need the coaching and discipline of our fathers; as young adults we need both our spouse and our parents or our boss or mentor to help keep us on the right path; and as mature adults we rely more and more upon our families and adult kids to help us as we age. Despite all that help, and societies filled with structure including schools and jobs and traffic laws etc., still that verse is so true ‘We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.’
Now let’s pause for a moment and each of us look back over our life path. Can you see how often you have gone astray? Can you see the damage going astray did to you and your important relationships? Some of you may still today be paying the price today of going astray long ago. Left to ourselves almost all of us will, almost all the time, ‘turn to our own way’, even if it’s risky or foolish. Why is that? Well, God says that while we don’t look or smell like sheep, we sure act like them to our own peril! So, let’s see what else God says about this human problem of being like sheep and pursuing our independence and self-reliance, even to our own peril.
Jesus, evidently, was somewhat fascinated by sheep and their behavior, especially their reliance upon their shepherd and their fear of anyone else. One day Jesus was, I believe, standing near a pen full of sheep. As He talked with His disciples, I believe Jesus often pointed to what He was talking about: the one gate into the sheep pen; the gatekeeper; the shepherds who came in and out of the pen; and of course, the sheep. Let’s listen in as Jesus is talking: “The one who enters the sheep pen by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own sheep, he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger, in fact they will run away from the stranger because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.” (John 10:2-5)
Can you picture it my friends? Sheep evidently cannot distinguish one person from another by the clothes they wear or their hair color or if they have a beard or not or even if they are wearing a hat or not. Sheep distinguish one human being from another by the sound of their VOICE and they only really listen for ONE voice, the voice they’ve grown to trust since they were little lambs…the voice of their shepherd.
You remember king David was a shepherd boy for many years and he learned a great deal about the sheep he loved and cared for. As David watched the sheep under his loving and watchful care and considered his role as their shepherd, David then thought about God and the relationship God was developing with David, and so David wrote these famous and powerful words: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He enables me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet water. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for HIS name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me…” (Ps.23:1-4)
Every word and phrase is so powerful as an accurate reflection of how sheep feel when close to a loving shepherd they fully trust. Do these words describe, even in a small way, the relationship you are seeking to develop with Jesus as your shepherd?
Back to that sheep pen and Jesus talking with His disciples. Jesus said: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me…” (John 10:27) I can just see Jesus looking at the sheep in the pen, then looking at His disciples, one at a time. These men had been with Jesus for several months. They understood very clearly what He was saying. It was a challenge for them to consider both IF Jesus considered them “His sheep” and WHY they were following Him? Was it the fun of watching the miracles or perhaps the growing notoriety that came with being among the 12 disciples? Pause a few seconds. Why do you have the relationship with Jesus that you believe you have?
Why are you on this “Walking with Jesus” journey with me and allowing me to try and stimulate that relationship with Jesus to further growth, every day? What are you expecting will be your reward, both short and long term if your relationship with Jesus strengthens? In fact, how do you describe or define the relationship you have with Jesus? How would Jesus describe it?
I think we should pause right here and ponder these words, both Isaiah 53:6 & John 10 and I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow. Now don’t be like a sheep and run away into your busy day… spend a moment or two with Jesus your shepherd! Here’s a song to help you…
Today’s Scriptures: Is. 53:6; John 10:2-5.
Choose below to read or listen.
Is. 53:6
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John 10:2-5
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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