Joel M Bradshaw

14“I [Jesus] am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”–John 10

1. There should be no mystery about a person’s relationship with Jesus. He knows you and you know Him. You cannot fake that kind of thing. You are either living it or you are not.
2. You can imagine an ancient shepherd facing predators for the sake of his sheep. Jesus laid down his life to protect his “sheep.”
3. Jesus was not a martyr who simply had his life taken from him. Martyrs have graves and people rally around them.
4. Jesus was instead a SACRIFICE in our place. And furthermore, he has no grave where He remains. He rose from the grave. He laid it down his life and took it back up.
5. Jesus mentioned other sheep not of his original pen. His original pen consisted of fellow Jewish people who turned to follow Jesus in faith.
6. I read Jesus predicting Gentiles coming into His pen and knowing Jesus in faith. And rather than there being two distinct groups of sheep, they are both chosen and special in Jesus. Jews and Gentiles united in Jesus rather than being separate.
7. Do you know Jesus in the way Jesus describes? What therefore changes about your life? Do you trust your Shepherd?–JMB