John 10:2-5,16 MEV
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. 4 When he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them. And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him. For they do not know the voice of strangers.”
16 I have other sheep who are not of this fold. I must also bring them, and they will hear My voice. There will be one flock and one shepherd.
Visualize this:
- A sheep, his wool grown out, uncared for, matted
- He has gotten trapped in the vines and the thorns of the thicket
- He has struggled to the point of exhaustion
- There is no hope for him.
- He has strayed and wandered, chasing after every pleasant looking patch of green until he became ensnared in this very thicket.
- Now exhausted and so entwined that, not only is there no shepherd in sight, but even if a shepherd came, how could he possibly see him.
- He stops resisting and gives in to his entrapment, knowing that he is defeated and all hope lost.
- He has become a captive of what has ensnared him
- Then suddenly, he hears a gentle voice but he’s so tired, so hopeless he can’t even lift his head.
- He dare not hope.
- Then a gentle hand begins to cut away the vines and the thorns.
- At first he doesn’t feel a difference, but only hears the movement around him.
- A hand touches him for the first time in a very long time and hope springs up.
- The weight of the thicket upon him is diminishing and is put aside as gentle hand lifts him from his trappings.
- The sheep doesn’t recognize this shepherd as his previous caretaker. Yet this shepherd continues His care for this lost and vulnerable sheep, clearing away the thorns and the trappings until he is free to once again move under his own power.
- The sheep trots off a few feet and turns to study this Shepherd who rescued him and cared for him when no other was there to do so.
- The Shepherd, with gentleness in His voice, calls to the lost sheep, “follow Me, let me care for you.”
- The sheep follows this Shepherd and he is cared for like he’s never been cared for before.
- John 15:7-17 MEV If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. “As the Father loved Me, I also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I have heard from My Father have I made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that the Father may give you whatever you ask Him in My name. This I command you: that you love one another.
- Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb…not a powerless gospel.
- Luke 10:19 MEV Look, I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you.
- Psalm 91:13 MEV You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
- Mark 16:17-18 MEV These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
- Matthew 10:1 MEV He called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.
- Many argue that this is not for us, it is. The disciples at this time did not have the Holy Spirit, they had Jesus. Therefore He had to and had the authority to grant them this power that comes to us today through the Holy Spirit.
- John 1:12-13 MEV Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- Acts 1:8 MEV But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
- Romans 13:3-4 MEV Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil works. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from him, for he is the servant of God for your good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him who practices evil.
- John 1:1-5 MEV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created. In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.
- John 1:17 MEV For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
- Matthew 9:35-38 MEV Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they fainted and were scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest.”