THE SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP

My sheep HEAR MY VOICE, and I KNOW them, and they FOLLOW ME – John 10: 27

Let’s pause briefly on the Psalm 23 meditation, and veer to the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel. This passage illustrates the LORD JESUS – Jehovah-Rohi – as the Good Shepherd of the sheep. Multitudes milled around Him while He was healing the sick or miraculously producing food to feed thousands of people. They could accept Him as a healer, miracle worker and Teacher, but many could not accept Him as LORD and SAVIOUR. John 10:24-26 says: “Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe…because you are not of My sheep””!

In other words, “If you don’t believe that I am the Messiah, after all the miracles you have seen me perform, there is nothing else I can do to make you believe. You don’t believe simply because you are not one of my sheep”! How can we be sure that we truly are among the sheep belonging to the Shepherd of Israel? There are essentially three identifying “Marks of the Sheep”, namely:

First, His sheep HEAR His Voice (v.27a): sheep respond only to the voice of their shepherd. This distinguishes sheep from one flock to another. The sheep KNOW the voice of their shepherd. 1 John 4: 1-3 warns us that there are “many voices” beckoning to us in this world. If you and I are truly the LORD’S SHEEP there is only one Voice we will attend and respond to – the Voice of our Good Shepherd! The question then is: What does His Voice sound like? Answer: His Voice sounds like the WORD of GOD (2 Tim.3:16-17). His Voice is heard via His Word!

Second, His sheep FOLLOW Him: it stands to reason that if the sheep will only respond to the shepherd’s voice, then He is the only one they will follow. There is a special bond between shepherd and sheep. This is akin to a relationship of LOVE and TRUST. The shepherd loves his sheep and the sheep their shepherd. The sheep depend upon their shepherd for care and nurture. They trust him for protection. Therefore, they follow the shepherd wherever he goes. That is how we ought to FOLLOW JESUS:

• in His Love; willing to lay down our lives for the brethren as He did for us (1 Jh.3:14-16);
• In His Holiness; though “the friend of sinners” He separated Himself from sin (1 Jh.3:5);
• In His Goodness; He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38);
• In His Prayerfulness. If we are truly His sheep, then we ought to give ourselves to much prayer.
• In His Steps, always asking “What would Jesus do in this situation”? (1 Pet.2:21)

Third, the Shepherd KNOWS His sheep: there are many people who “claim” to follow Christ, who are not known by Him! Jesus’ stern warning in Mathew 7: 21-23 is further food for thought. JESUS knows His sheep; those who truly belong to Him.

Do you hear the Voice of the Good Shepherd? Do you know and discern His Voice separate from voices of strangers? Are you following the Good Shepherd? Does the Good Shepherd know you? Is He truly the Shepherd of your soul?