In Search Of Truth, John Chapter 10- Part 2

The Gospel Of John Chapter 10, Part 2



Last week we took a close look at verses 34-38, so this week we'll zoom back out and look at the chapter as a whole.


In the first half, Jesus talks about the nature of Jesus as the "Good Shepherd". This isn't the first time the Shepherd metaphor is used in scripture. God was called the "Shepherd of Israel" in Psalm 80:1, and some of Israel's bad leaders were defective "shepherds" mentioned in Isaiah 56:9-12. Jesus makes the statement that everyone who has led the people of Israel (not including God's prophets since they served the "Shepherd of Israel" rather than doing the shepherding by themselves) were thieves and robbers. This especially rang true of the false religious leaders who lined their pockets with money given to the temple.


We shouldn't rush to make judgment, but this is undoubtedly still happening in many churches today. Although they may start out with all humility, attractive and likeable preachers can be greatly tempted by power if they don't submit themselves to the authority of God and to others around them. Left unchecked, high-powered church leaders can become "false shepherds", like the hired hand that Jesus describes.


Good leaders will lead by holding others to the standards of God's Word, but they will also be self-sacrificing as they learn to be more like Jesus. Ultimately, false leaders will sacrifice what is best for their congregation in favor of their own interests. It's important to make sure that we are involved only in churches where the Word of God is preached and taught, and the teaching isn't consisting of a human's personal thoughts and ideas.


Jesus emphasizes "life" here by saying that the sheep who follow him will "find pasture", referring to sustanance. Jesus didn't come to make life boring and sterile. He came so that we can have life "to the full"!


By following the teachings of Jesus, and trusting him with the eternal state of our souls, we can learn to have a hugely fulfilling life on earth that is in anticipation of a life beyond comprehension in eternity!


We also learn some things about people who are real believers in Jesus. He says that his sheep "will never follow a stranger" in verse 5. In fact, in verses 28 and 29, we see that real believers will never fall away from Jesus as a result of a friend, a family member, a movie or a t.v. show changing the way they think. So if someone who seems to have been a believer in Christ falls away from belief in him, they likely never really "knew" him outside of an intellectual knowledge. Jesus says, in verse 14, that his sheep "know" him, using a word in the orginal language that means to know "through experience". So the real followers of Jesus are not those who simply have a head knowledge of him, but are those that live life "experiencing him" through prayer and imitation of his life.


Although humans cannot ultimately know objectively whether other humans are real believers in Jesus or not, it's undoubtedly true that many people that attend church their entire lives are simply "doing religion" and have not really made the choice to trust in and have a real relationship with Jesus.


Have you ever thought about where you sit in relationship to Jesus? When it comes down to it, what do you REALLY believe about him? If you think of yourself as a Christian, do you really try to "know" Jesus through the way you live your life and spend your time? 


Question for commenting-



Although we can't ultimately know what is in a person's heart, what do you think should be true of someone that really believes in and follows Jesus?





See you next week with Chapter 11!





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