Tue, 20 December, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

John 10:1-18

¹ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵ A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ¹¹ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

There is much we can learn from what Jesus says in this chapter. Jesus says He is the good shepherd who will die for His sheep, speaking of the atonement. He also says He is the door through which His sheep must pass, speaking of how He is the only way to the Father.

But today I’ll take a few minutes to consider Jesus’ statement that I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

What do we learn from this?

Jesus is completely in control of what happens to Him. Though it seems that the Jewish leaders finally get their way and arrange for Jesus to be crucified, even that is under His control.

We see that there are a number of times in the gospels where Jesus says something that so infuriates the people that they decide to kill Him. At the end of this chapter, the Jewish leaders are so angry at Jesus they begin to gather stones to throw at Him in order to kill Him because He said what they take to be blasphemy. But they don’t stone Him. Then, John tells us that they attempt to arrest Him, but are unable. As in all their other attempts to take His life, they can’t do anything to Jesus until He allows them.

Jesus Christ came for a purpose, and the people could do nothing to Him that ran contrary to His intended purpose.

Where is Christ in this passage?

Jesus Christ’s purpose in His first coming was to accomplish the redemption of His people. As the good shepherd, He is going to lay down His life for His sheep. He is going to be the door through which all His sheep will enter into salvation.

In order to win the salvation of His people, He needed to do two things: Earn the perfect righteousness that they lack, and pay the penalty for the sins they have committed. His mission was under His control, and no one could interfere with His purpose. Though there were times when people wanted to kill Him, they could do nothing because it was not the time He had appointed. He was in control of when He would lay down His life and when He would take it up again.