John 10:11-18
It
was talent night at a church. After some good and some not-so good performances,
the Emcee called a man onto the stage and the man announced he would recite the
23rd Psalm. The man was an actor well versed in speech technique and drama. He
performed a dramatic rendition of Psalm 23. As soon as he finished, the
audience stood up, clapped and shouted ‘encore’
and ‘once more’ and they talked among
themselves about the magnificent presentation. Then the Emcee came on the stage
and called then next man to the stage. That second man announced that he would also
recite Psalm 23. When he was done, there was no clapping or cheering. Instead,
people sat quiet - in a mood of deep devotion and reflection. Then the actor came
back on the stage and said, “I would
like to make a statement. You heard us both recite the same psalm but the
difference is this: I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.”
Jesus
calls himself the Good Shepherd and is concerned about the welfare and the care
of His sheep. He doesn’t call himself a
king. He doesn’t claim any other grand earthly title for himself. He is the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords but He calls himself a shepherd. Under the Old Testament law, sheep were
offered to God, but now the Good Shepherd, God Himself, offered himself for
sins of his sheep! As Ezekiel 34:23 teaches,
“ … he shall feed them and be their shepherd.”
So
the question is, how well do you and I know the shepherd? Or do we only know
the psalm? Please ponder.
So
let’s get to know Jesus as He knows each of us. We shall not want.
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