DAY #161: John 9:35-10:18

Jesus asked this man He had healed if he believed him to be the Messiah. Perhaps the man instantly recognized Jesus by his voice. He expressed immediate desire to believe, which here means not intellectual recognition, but wholehearted trust. The man acted on his newfound belief—he worshiped. He may have just been excommunicated from the synagogue, but he had found true worship. His personal belief is the culmination of the narrative. His belief sharply contrasts with the blindness of the religious leaders.

Christ spoke these words to the healed man in the presence of the Pharisees who were standing there. The blind are those who realize their need for the Savior and humbly come to him for salvation. They will receive sight. But those who think they see are the self-righteous who think they have all the answers and have no need of the Savior. They are blind because they have rejected the “light of the world”.

The Pharisees were spiritually blind, though they claimed to see. Those who admitted blindness could receive the light and see, but those who thought they saw would remain in their darkness. And their guilt remained, whether they felt guilty or not.

At night, the shepherd often would gather the sheep into a fold to protect them from thieves, bad weather, or wild animals. The fold’s single entrance made it easier for a shepherd to guard his flock. Shepherds took turns guarding the entrance. Jesus explained that anyone who tried to get in any other way besides going through the gate would be a thief—that person would be up to no good.

Jesus rebuked those who would claim to lead God’s people without regarding the Messiah (who is in their midst, but unrecognized by them). Such leaders have false ambitions, selfish desires, and evil intentions.

The thief (like false messiahs or Satan himself) has evil intentions. Jesus pictured a heartless individual who began by taking all he could and then killing what he couldn't have. This thief's only desire is to kill, steal and destroy. Kill any desire in the hearts of people for spiritual growth. Steal all joy for spiritual things, Destroy and semblance of a heart for God. By contrast, Jesus gives life in all its fullness to his sheep. This speaks of the gift of divine, eternal life, a life which becomes the possession of every believer for now and for eternity. Jesus would provide his sheep with this eternal life, and it would cost him his own life.

Jesus is the devoted and dedicated Shepherd—the good shepherd. As described in the verses that follow, there are four characteristics that set this Good Shepherd apart from the false or evil shepherds:
He approaches directly—he enters at the gate.
He has God’s authority—the gatekeeper allows him to enter.
He meets real needs—the sheep recognize his voice and follow him.
He has sacrificial love—he is willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
By repeating it four times, Jesus pointed out that the most important trait of the good shepherd is that he lays down his life for the sheep.

What a difference between the good shepherd and the thief and the hired hand! The thief steals, kills, and destroys; the hired hand does the job only for money, but readily flees when danger comes. The good shepherd is committed to the sheep. Jesus is not merely doing a job; He is committed to loving us and even laying down his life for us.

Just as the shepherd calls his sheep and they follow only him, so Jesus knows his people. And his followers, in return, know him to be their Messiah, and they love and trust him. Such knowing and trusting between Jesus and his followers is compared to the relationship between Jesus and the Father: “just as my Father knows me and I know the Father.” And Jesus repeated his point—that he is the Good Shepherd and that he will lay down his life for the sheep.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Lord, give me a heart to be a good shepherd. Give me a heart to lay down my life for my flock. Break me of my selfishness and pride. Break me of my tendency to take care of me first. Lord, make me more like You.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 (NIV)