Jesus Our Shepherd

[The Scottish Knight]

Jesus Our Shepherd
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(What's In A Name, A 3 Part Study)
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What a joy it is, for us who are followers of Jesus, to know that we are resting firmly within His protective arms.
He is our refuge and our shelter.

A few months back, I had the privilage to deliver a short devotional based on the 23rd Psalm.
In that devotional, God impressed upon me the fact that God is the ultimate caregiver and protector.
Ps 23:1 (A Psalm of David)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

In this first verse we have the assurance that God is constantly watching over us.
The LORD is my shepherd.
God has not outsourced our care and protection to one of the angels or to anyone on this earth.
God, Himself, watches over each and every one of us, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

God provides us with everything we need.
We want for nothing that is vital for our lives and our well - being.

Part One: Our Shepherd Gives Us Life.
(John 10:7-10 )
Let us dig into these verses for a minute okay.
From the book of:
John ch 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
John 10:8 All that ever come before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

A. Jesus, the sacrificial lamb of God, is OUR Good Shepherd.
1. Jesus not only saves us, He walks with us.
2. Again, Psalm 23 shows how Old Testiment followers of God understood how God literally was the shepherd of their lives.
"I shall not want: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters."
3. The simple truth is, our shepherd provides for our every need.
a. Physical needs.
b. Material needs.
c. Spiritual needs.

B. The "I am" Jesus never leaves our sides.
1. I am the door of the sheep.
a. Jesus is our access to God.
b. Access to the throne of grace.
c. Access to heaven and to eternal life.

2. Others may try to tempt us into false beliefs.
a. Satanic spirits will always try to lure us into destruction.
b. The world tempts us with wealth and power.
c. False religions tempt us with false security.

3. Only Jesus offers us assurance, security, peace and joy.

Please join me tommorrow when we will review:
Part two - OUR SHEPHERD SACRIFICED HIMSELF FOR US.
(From the book of John 10:11-13)  

[The Scottish Knight]

Greetings my fellow believers in Jesus Christ our Risen Lord and Savior.
As promised, today we will engaged in part three of our study.
It is the final and most in depth part of our study. Please bear with me as we proceed.
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Part Three - OUR SHEPHERD KNOWS US.
(taken from the KJV of the book of John 10:14-16)

John 10:14
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and I am known of mine.
John 10:15
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
John 10:16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and of one shepherd.

A. Just how close is the relationship between the shepherd and His sheep?
1. The shepherd, again, knows his sheep.
2. The sheep know the shepherd.
3. Let's fast forward from these verses to John 10:27: Jesus had this to say.
John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
4. Jesus goes on to say that as He knows His sheep and they know Him,
He also knows the Father, and God knows His son.
5. Our good shepherd, was the Lamb of God.
(See Revelation 13:8. )
Let's look at this verse.
Rev. 13:8 'And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

B. How well do we know our Shepherd?
1. Do we hear His voice?
a. Any sheepherder knows that a sheep recognizes the voice of the shepherd.
b. The sheep listen for the shepherd's voice, the tone of his voice, and the phrasing that call the sheep to feed, lead the sheep to water, and warn the flock of danger.

2. Jesus walks with us always and speaks to our spirits lovingly.
a. How well do we listen?
b. Are we really obedient to His call?

3. Are we aware that Jesus has called each of us, and is calling to others for one purpose.
Let's read John 10:28-30.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

4. Back in Jerusalem, the religious leaders of that time thought this was blasphemy and sought to stone Jesus.

C. Who were the "other sheep" Jesus spoke of?
1. Since Jesus was speaking to Jews, it's safe to assume that Jesus was speaking of Gentiles. (non-Jewish people)
a. As the Pharisees were turning their backs on Jesus and refusing His teachings, Jesus would offer His teachings to non-Jews.
b. God is never taken by surprise, and we can see from the Acts of the Apostles and from the epistles that there was already a plan to offer the "good news" to all who would listen.

2. We can't ignore John 3:16.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

3. Have we become saved, sanctified and obedient laborers in the fields that are ready for harvest?
Do we, daily, obey God's commission?
(See Matthew 28:19-20. )
Matt.28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matt.28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

4. We need to also look at the book of Luke 24:46-48,
Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name amoung all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Like 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd knows us and enables us to know Him personally.
The call of the Lord is to ALL peoples.
The people of God are called to extend the Lord's message to every person around us, from where we live, to all across the globe.

Our prayer should be: Lord you are my shepherd. I neither want or need any other. Thank you for walking daily with me. I will follow where you lead.

It seems quite simple that are mission field begins when we walk out our own doors into our own towns and citys and in our own neighborhoods.

May the Lord continue to watch over you and guide you and direct your footsteps in the paths that He has choosen for you.

Your brother in Christ,
T.S.K. - Sir Aaron D. III