The True Shepherd

In John 10:1-21, Jesus is trying to teach the Pharisees what it means to be a good shepherd.  The Pharisees considered themselves the rightful shepherds of Israel.  But as Jesus pointed out, a true shepherd enters the pen through the gate, with the watchman opening the gate because he knows him.  True shepherds don’t climb in some other way like a common thief. 

The Pharisees were like the robbers, appointing themselves in charge, seeking to rule over the Jews, taking what wasn’t rightfully theirs, while doing everything they could to hinder people from accepting Jesus as the Messiah.  Jesus is the True Shepherd, entering the gate that was opened before him by prophecy, messengers, and God himself.

Also true of a good shepherd is that the sheep recognize his voice and follow him.  With Jesus as our shepherd, we’re to do the same thing.  Know him.  Recognize his voice.  Follow his lead.  This means cultivating a relationship with him, listening, and obeying what he says.  Jesus knows each of us personally and intimately.  He wants us to know him the same way.

True shepherds lead their sheep, they don’t drive them.  Jesus doesn’t ask us to go anywhere he hasn’t first gone himself.  He knows what we’re facing – been there, done that – and cares. 

And true sheep follow.  Although, often times we forget that, or at least I do.  I try to lead myself, and that’s where I get off track staying far away from the fold.  Thankfully Jesus is pursues us and guides us back to the flock, as each and every sheep is precious to him.

True shepherds lay their lives down for their sheep.  Something that a mere hired hand wouldn’t do.  He doesn’t own them, nor does he care about them like the shepherd does.  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

We become true sheep when we accept Christ as our Savior, when we surrender our lives to him as Lord.  With that comes an increasing desire to follow his lead, and an increasing ability to recognize his voice.  That same ability or instinct is also what helps us flee from strangers or other dangers.  Temptations.  Wolves.  Pharisees.

Too bad these guys didn’t understand.  They thought of themselves good shepherds, when in actuality they were thieves and wolves.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Jesus is our true shepherd.  Are you willing to follow?

Expecting Jesus

John 6:16-24 tells of Jesus walking on water, a story I’ve heard so many times, but each time teaches me something new.

Jesus had gone up the mountain for quiet time to pray while the disciples set sail across the sea.  Miles later, it grew dark and Jesus had not yet caught up with them.  Then, as the winds grew strong and the waters rough, there was still no sign of Jesus.  The Sea of Galilee was infamous for sudden, violent storms.  With their little boat no match for the crashing waves, these guys must have feared for their lives.

Suddenly, in their time of greatest need, Jesus appeared miraculously walking on the water.

Yet the disciples were afraid. 

Why were they afraid?  Did they not recognize him?  Had they underestimated his power?  Did they doubt his love, provision and protection?  Did they fear punishment rather than rescue?  Perhaps there’s some truth in each of these, but I think the root cause is that they had lost faith that he’d even show up.  They weren’t expecting him.

So Jesus said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” (John 6:20)

Imagine dark, stormy times.  Times when your instinct takes over and you strive to survive, fix, and problem-solve.  Times when circumstances tempt you to believe that Jesus isn’t really there with you.     

I can totally understand the disciples not recognizing Jesus if they weren’t expecting him to show up.  His appearance caught them by surprise, so the fear that was already building with the storm, gained a second wind so-to-speak.

I think of the times I tried to navigate rough waters on my own, not expecting Jesus, sometimes not even wanting his help.  I think of the times when I let circumstances convince me that Jesus was off doing something else, ignorant to my needs, deaf to my prayers for help.

Except that all the while he was already there and in control.  Jesus is with us in the storms of our lives.  Knowing, caring, praying, rowing, guiding.  We need to keep our faith strong, and to expect him to show up.  It’s that expectation that enables us to recognize him and to not be afraid.

When the disciples were willing to let Jesus in the boat, the boat immediately reached dry land. (John 6:21)  First, we must be willing to invite Jesus into the boat and surrender control to him.  When we do, he will lead us to dry land. 

Jesus doesn’t promise storm-free sailing.  What he does promise is to be with us and not forsake us whatever the weather forecast.  (Hebrews 13:5)

Expect Jesus to show up.  Invite him into your boat.  Allow him to navigate the rough waters.  And see remarkable things happen.

Circumstances vs Faith

Circumstances are what we see around us, real or perceived.  “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)

Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and a crowd followed, not because he was the Son of God, but because he was a miracle worker.  They wanted to see something cool, perhaps be touched or healed by him.  (John 6:1-4) 

With so many people, Jesus asked Philip where to get enough bread to feed them.  Philip was stumped.  Even a half-year’s wages wouldn’t be enough. (John 6:5-7)  Philip saw the circumstances before them, and concluded that feeding so many was impossible.

Andrew tried to problem-solve.  He suggested they use a boy’s offering of bread and fish, but then shot the idea down as fast as it came out of his mouth.  There’s no way that could work. (John 6:8-9)  So Andrew also saw the circumstances, but then tried to navigate them with his own limited thinking and ability.

Neither disciple inquired of Jesus, nor put their faith in him.  They flunked the test.  It happens.  I love how Jesus didn’t scold them or skip performing a miracle due to their lack of faith.  (John 6:10-13)  This was a teaching moment, one which they could draw from in the future. 

In times of challenge, uncertainty, fear, or doubt, it helps to remember the faithfulness of God and how he has come through for us in the past.  Remembering such “faith experiences”, or testimonies, builds our faith, enabling us to see God in our present circumstances, whatever they may be.

Speaking of circumstances, I love how the Bible specifically describes the loaves and fish as “small”.  As if too few wasn’t problem enough, they were small to boot.  I picture the smallness of the loaves and fish in contrast to the largeness of the young boy’s faith.  The boy saw the same circumstances that Philip and Andrew did – thousands of hungry people.  But he must have also had faith that his offering could be used in some way, otherwise he wouldn’t have brought it forward.

Sometimes we think we don’t have anything valuable or worthwhile to offer.  Or we think we don’t have enough for ourselves, let alone all the needs out there.  We let circumstances get the best of us. 

Hebrews 4:1-3 explains how the Israelites didn’t receive the full benefit of God’s Word, His promises, power and presence, because they didn’t have faith.  We should never judge a situation based on the circumstances we see.  Rather, we should look to the Word of God.

So as one of our faith experiences, we should remember this story.  How Jesus was able to multiply so very little, and how the boy’s meager offering went down in eternity as fueling a major miracle of God. 

This teaches that we only need to do what we can, to offer what we have and not what we don’t, and to have faith in God to do the rest.  Don’t talk yourself out of giving or serving because circumstances seem to imply you can’t make a difference.  Because God’s Word tells you otherwise.

I wonder how many miracles Jesus has performed through my meager offerings.  And I wonder how many have been missed because I lacked the faith to give.

Learning to Walk

Remember the Samaritan woman, her encounter with Jesus and the power of her life changed?  Well, here’s another cool story from the book of John. (John 5:1-14)

Imagine the pool of Bethesda.  The cool, clear water on a hot day.  As usual, sick and disabled people were gathered in hope of a cure.  Rumor had it that occasionally an angel would stir the water and when that happened, the first one in would be healed.  So they came in droves, and waited…and waited.  The blind, the lame, and the paralyzed.  Infirmities that remind me of my own sinful condition - my own helplessness, blindness, and uselessness - before I met Christ.

Imagine the stress of waiting, and the desperate scurry of folks trying to be the first one in once the water was stirred.  Those who needed healing the most likely also needed help getting in.  Who would be willing to sit around all day just in case they could help?

Imagine sitting there day after day, an invalid for 38 years.  The fruitless time spent, the longing for freedom, the dashed hopes.  It just drives home the point that we can’t save ourselves, nor can others save us.  Only Christ can.  Like the Samaritan woman coming to the well every day, midday to hide her shame.  Every day the same…until an encounter with Jesus.

Now imagine Jesus enters the scene.  “Do you want to get well?” he asks.  “How can I with no one to help me into the water?” the paralyzed man replies.

“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”  At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked...”  (John 5:8-9)

When the Lord saves, not only must we rise, but we must walk.  Walk in a manner worthy of him.  That’s the incredible power of a life changed – the “change” part.  Reading this made me pause for reflection.  How has my life changed since coming to Christ?  How far have I come?  And how far do I have yet to go?  Jesus gives us the power to make the changes, to live his way, and to keep growing until every area of our life is submitted to him.

Later the man gets hassled by the religious leaders because he was carrying his mat on the Sabbath.  Carrying his mat?  Seriously?  Obviously they missed the point completely.  They were so caught up in religion and rules that they were blind themselves.  Blind to the fact that we’re saved by grace through faith, not by “being good” and “following the rules.” 

The healed man stood up for Jesus saying “the man who healed me told me to do this.”  To me, it sounds like he was implying that anyone who can do what Jesus can should be obeyed.  Simple as that.  And here we see him “walking.”

Later Jesus found the healed man in the temple, likely thanking and praising God.  Maybe even sharing his testimony with people in the courtyard.  So Jesus taught him a little more about this walking thing.  “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” (John 5:14)  In my words, “remember how you have been healed and saved.  With such favor and grace also comes responsibility.  Sin no more.  Walk in the way of the Lord.”  Sin is worse than sickness because it damages our relationship with God, not to mention messes up our lives and the lives of others.

I think of the 30 or so years I waited by the pool, an invalid not even sure what I was waiting for.  Looking back I can see it was meaning, purpose, redemption, and freedom that I couldn’t achieve on my own.  I also think of the 13 or so years I’ve been learning to walk and getting better at it every day, and for that I am grateful.  (Don’t do the math!!)

Like the Samaritan woman, this man was excited to bear witness, through his words and his very life, about Christ who made him well.  That’s the power of a life changed.  I love it!!

Want to go for a walk?

Intentional Jesus

On his way back to Galilee, Jesus had to pass through Samaria, an area and people that Jews pretty much despised.  Tired, hot and thirsty, Jesus was resting at a well when a Samaritan woman “just happened” to stop by for water.  (John 4:1-6) 

There are a lot of reasons why this meeting was an unlikely event – Jews didn’t fraternize with Samaritans, Jesus shouldn’t have been in Samaria in the first place, women don’t typically fetch water mid-day…


All that to say that Jesus was intentional about meeting this particular woman.

Introducing Intentional Jesus.

When Jesus asked for a drink, she was surprised he even spoke to her.  How can you ask me for a drink?  Jesus wondered the same thing, but for a different reason.  If she knew who he was, she would ask him for a drink, and receive the living water that only the Messiah can provide. (John 4:7-10)

Living water?  She was curious…and searching.  Wanting to believe in a better life, wanting hope.  But she was also confused, seeing only the circumstances in front of her.  A physical well.  Real water.  Jesus with no bucket of his own.  (John 4:11-12)

So Jesus continued.  “Everyone who drinks from this well will be thirsty again, but not so with the living water that I can provide.  My water brings eternal life.”  (John 4:13-14)

What the woman lacked in understanding, she made up for with desire.  “Sir, give me this water.”  Although she was still thinking of physical water, glad to save herself from her daily trips to the well.  (John 4:15)

So Jesus told her to go get her husband.  It may seem like an abrupt change of subject, but Jesus was right on track.  “I don’t have a husband”, she replied.  “I know”, Jesus responded, “you’ve had five and now the man you’re with isn’t your husband.”  Jesus wasn’t outing or condemning her.  He was showing how completely he knew her, and pointing out her need for a Savior.  And through this she began to realize this was no ordinary man.  (John 4:16-20)

Introducing Intimate Jesus.

Knowing this was a man of God, she tried to change the subject to more spiritual things, perhaps to impress him, perhaps to take the spotlight of her sins.  So Jesus spoke against the Samaritan religion, teaching that salvation is only found in the God of the Jews and his Word.  She knew that the Jewish religion spoke of a coming Messiah, so Jesus confirmed “I who speak to you am he.” (John 4:21-26)

Wow!  Excited, the woman ran home to tell everyone about whom she just met.  I love how in her zeal she left her water pot behind.  Like a symbol of shedding all those things she filled her life with for comfort, pleasure, and security apart from God.  She also left behind her shame, running to town in broad daylight to boldly share with those also in need of living water.  (John 4:28-29)

Meanwhile, the disciples wondered why Jesus was even talking to this woman when he should have been resting for their journey.  Did they share the same prejudices against the Samaritans?  Did they think one woman, or perhaps this woman, wasn’t worth the time compared to the masses they still had to reach?  (John 4:27)

Introducing Inclusive Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t play favorites.  His will is that all would hear his Word and be saved.  This Samaritan woman shows the power of one life changed.  Far-reaching.  Influencing.  Infectious.  With the ability to multiply to others. 

What if Jesus had skipped over her?  Went the long way around?  Ignored her because of her social status or sin?  What if Christ would have skipped over me?

Jesus desires an intimate relationship with us, and is intentional about meeting us where we are. 

Am I as intentional about my intimacy with him?  Are you?