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“I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD.”
Continuing His conversation with the spiritually blind Pharisees, Jesus doubles down on His protection and care for His sheep. His continuing theme throughout the encounter is His intimate knowledge of the sheep and His sacrificial commitment to them. Prophesying to the future, Jesus declares nobody can take His life, but He has the authority and desire to give His life up for His sheep, empowered by His Father to take it back up again. He couldn’t spell it out more clearly: Everything and everyone before Jesus that has given spiritual guidance that didn’t include Jesus is a liar. A thief. A robber. But have no fear, “The good shepherd” is here.
Their response? They declared, “This man has a demon!” At best some debated over His demonic possession, but both sides of the debate denied His deity. The Pharisees had become all too comfortable being their own shepherd, leading their own lives, and indulging in their own desire while making offerings and following traditions to cover their brokenness.
One evening on a date night, my wife and I were headed to a restaurant we’d been to several times. Now, I’ve been accused on more than one occasion of being directionally challenged. Instead of embracing it, my masculine pride got the better of me and I set out with the spirit of Columbus, ready to prove my nautical prowess. As we started out Anna said, “Do you want to put this in the GPS?” I’m like, “I’ve been to this place many times, I don’t need some AI with a British accent guiding my turns.” Well, turns out I did! After several attempts, my pride was finally shattered and I turned to Siri. Since then, I’ve embraced my navigational deficiencies and gladly embraced a GPS – all it took was me realizing I couldn’t get myself to where I wanted to go.
That’s the good shepherd. Jesus is the guide, the leader, the protector, and the only One who can get us to the destination we desire: intimacy with our God. The only prerequisite? Recognizing I can’t get myself there. We have to have the good shepherd.
About this Plan
Who better to define Jesus than Himself? That’s exactly what He does in His seven “I AM” statements throughout the gospel of John. In this plan readers will gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and the power He brings to the lives of His followers.
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