He Gets Us: Who Did Jesus Say He Was? | Plan 5Sample

He knows your name.

Had any sleepless nights lately? Everyone else is snoozing but you lie awake in the strange stillness with all kinds of anxious thoughts in your head. Usually, nobody wakes up in those in-between hours with joy on their mind. It’s always the bad stuff that keeps us up.

Even in these moments—especially in these moments—Jesus comes close. He taught, “I am the door of the sheep” and his first-century crowd knew exactly what he meant. He was saying, “don’t worry, little lambs. I’ve got you.”

Shepherds guard their sheep. That’s their job. They put themselves between their flock and trouble. At night, shepherds lead their flocks into a safe space, either a walled enclosure or a cave or some place predators can’t easily get to them. And if he or she is a good shepherd, they will lay down across the entrance so neither harm can get in or sheep can get out.

Jesus said, I do that for the sheep in my flock. A shepherd will risk his life for his own flock. He’ll confront a wolf or fight a bear. He’ll provide for his flock. It doesn’t matter if he’s tired, he’ll make sure the sheep have green pastures to graze in and still waters to drink. He’ll take the time to anoint their scrapes and bruises with soothing oil. And even after a long, hot day, if he discovers one is missing, he’ll go back out and search until he finds it. This is what a shepherd does, Jesus says.

And the sheep know it. All the shepherd has to do is call his sheep and they come. They know what’s good for them. They know their shepherd’s voice.

To an outsider, the sheep all look alike, but their shepherd knows each by name. He watches out for “Wooly” who has been walking with a limp lately. And “Sweet Eyes” takes a little longer to eat. And “Davey and Micah” like to butt heads and will wander away if you don’t keep an eye on them. And “Worthy” will wait for others to leave and nuzzle up close for some special attention.

Jesus, this same good shepherd, knows your name, too. And he knows your quirky ways. He knows your history. He knows what you love and what worries you. He knows how you’ve been hurt. He even laid down his life for you, like a good shepherd lays down in front of the door.

Jesus sees you toss and turn in the midnight hours. He knows what’s keeping you up. He knows what you’re afraid of. And he’ll hear your whisper in the darkness—just talk with him.

He’ll stay up and guard the door. You can go back to sleep.