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Written by Ryan Kallem
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Sunday, 14 March 2010 |
In John 10 Jesus states: “I am the good Shepard; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10: 14 & 27)
The book of John is full of illustrations Jesus uses to describe who he is to the people. Jesus declares himself to be the bread of life in John 6, the light of the world in John 8, and the vine in John 15. Following his healing of the blind man and subsequent talk on spiritual blindness, Jesus uses the analogy of a good Shepard to teach his followers that he will protect them and lead them to where they need to go. His followers, like sheep, know his voice and follow his voice, but they will not follow a stranger’s voice. In fact they will run from the stranger’s voice because they do not recognize the voice. (John 10:5)
The people here could easily relate to what Jesus was talking about. Sheep herding was a common practice and a way of life for many in ancient Israel’s culture. The Shepard, attributing to Eastern culture, would gently lead his sheep to green pastures and still waters (Psalm 23). He would walk ahead of the sheep to make sure the path was suitable and clear of danger and the sheep would follow. The rod and staff comfort because they are used to pull the sheep back in (staff) and drive off predators (rod). This article examines how Jesus is our good Shepard and what it means to be his sheep.
In Western culture it is often assumed that sheep are dull, stupid, animals foolishly willing to follow wherever to their own peril. But this is far from the truth. The scripture presents sheep as intelligent creatures, knowing their masters voice and following him, but not following a stranger’s voice. Here is an amazing story which clearly illustrates this point:
Arab Shepards are well known for knowing their sheep personally. During the Palestinian uprising in the late 1980s the Israeli army decided to punish a village near Bethlehem for not paying its taxes. The officer in command rounded up all the village animals and placed them in a large pen. Later in the week he was approached by a woman who begged him to release her flock, arguing that her husband was dead and her sheep were her only source of livelihood. He pointed to the pen and said it would be impossible to know which animals were hers, however, if she could separate them, she could have her sheep back. The woman called her son who came and played a simple tune on a reed flute. Soon sheep heads began popping up across the pen. The young boy continued playing the music and his flock followed him home. (Gary M. Burge, NIV Application Commentary, Book of John, 2000)
Studies have also been conducted attesting to the sheep intelligence and ingenuity. Research from Cambridge University has shown the following characteristics of sheep:
- Recognition—Able to recognize the faces of fifty other sheep for up to two years.
- Capable of problem solving—Sheep in Yorkshire foiled a cattle grid, which keep them from green plants on the other side. They did this by teaching themselves to roll eight feet across hoof-proof metal grids by lying on their sides and rolling over the grate.
- Overcoming difficult barriers—Sheep have also jumped five foot fences and squeezed through gaps in fence as small as eight inches diameter.
Sheep are clever creatures, capable of learning and retaining information, and they have a “dogged” determination to do what they want to do. They know and remember their Shepard who takes care of them. Jesus is our good Shepard, calling us to follow him every day. Do you listen to his voice every day? In this world there are many stranger’s voices to listen to. You will listen to them if you do not listen to Jesus, and you will be lead astray. How do you listen to Jesus? It all begins with deep, personal study of God’s Word. Not to sound legalistic, but the best time to do this is first thing the morning—before you begin to hear the world’s (strangers’) voices you hear Jesus voice.
As I previously mentioned, in Eastern culture the Shepard would lead the flock from ahead. However, in Western culture the flock is “driven” by the Shepard from behind, usually with a small whip. In Eastern culture the sheep follow the Shepard because they are in love with and trust in the Shepard, but in Western culture the Shepard must “drive” them from behind because they have not been trained to follow. Have you been trained to follow Jesus (out of love for and trust in Jesus)? Or do you feel like you must be “driven” to have a great quiet time in the Word and to pray? It is not Jesus plan to “drive” you to where you need to go. No, you must “follow” Jesus. This is why Jesus said the greatest command is to love God (Matt. 22:37-39). The Western culture mindset is worldly, while the Eastern is from God. As a church we need to continue to remember that instead of forcing commands and responsibilities on one another we need to help each other to have a great relationship with Jesus. We need to teach each other and be examples to one another on how to build upon Jesus as our foundation—listening to his voice, instead of the voice of Satan, who the bible describes as the accuser of our brethren. Of course, we must not neglect godly teaching, rebuking, and correcting in love and righteousness, but our primary focus must always be on Jesus. He is our good Shepard who we can know, love, and trust. We need to listen to and follow his voice every day.
“…Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation, we will recount your praise.” (Psalm 79:13)
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 14 March 2010 )
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