The soft wool of our traveler’s vest brushes against his cheek as he tightens his collar against the cold night air. The bleating of a far off flock reaches his ear and he recalls the words of the Messiah. Words he had been told by another who had been blessed to hear the words first hand.
John 10:11-15 ESV
[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.
Our traveler smiles. What beautiful words. What a comfort to know that the King is willing to become a shepherd so that His lost and frightened and confused flock, will hear His voice and follow Him.
Jesus referred to Himself as the ‘good shepherd.’ He often used sheep and shepherds as His metaphor. Being from Bethlehem, and most likely returning there for the census from time to time, Jesus would have seen lots of sheep. In this He saw their simple and wayward ways and how they were like His people. He saw how the shepherd would take on injury and hardship for the sake of his sheep, and how the shepherds were like Himself in this manner. Many will come and claim to care about us, but when true hardships come they abandon us. They are not our shepherd. Some may stay by our side, but they are not the shepherd either. They might even fight for us. But they are still not Him. No, the shepherd is the one who dies for His sheep. All of them. Even the ones who run away. Even the ones who spit at him and kick him. Even the ones who nail Hin to a cross. The shepherd loves His sheep and will never leave them alone.
Tag: safe
Hold my hand
What is it about holding someone’s hand that makes us feel stronger, safer, steadier? Why does that simple touch, the warmth of their fingers around yours make such a big difference? Its a symbolic gesture, a way of saying “I’m here for you” similar to a hug. My aunt has two little boys and they both constantly want to hold your hand when out walking. I can not begin to tell you how many times I have been holding one of their hands and something has happened to cause them to trip, the only thing keeping that kid from pain was my hand. The minuet I feel them start to go down I tighten my grip and hold them up, lifting them back to their feet. In the exact same way Jesus is holding our hands. As we go through life His powerful fingers are intertwined with ours and when we trip He holds us up and lifts us back to our feet. He even gave us other people to help hold us up. When we pray together how often do we hold hands? It’s a symbol of you’ve got me and I’ve got you. Sometimes we try to pull away from that constant loving hand and it will let us go until we come back and accept it again. I’m going to end with a word picture. I can imagine Jesus, strong and gentle, standing on hill top overlooking whatever veiw makes you happiest. Now place yourself running up to see Him so excited or maybe scared and you trip expecting to hit the ground. Suddenly a hand reaches out. Its scarred and battered from years of work but you grasp it instinctively. Strong arms lift you back to your feet and you look up into those laughing, dancing eyes now filled with tender concern. He asks if you are alright as you nod your head embarrassed. Then your savior takes a tighter grip on your hand and leads you to the best spot to see the veiw. Even though you move across vines and rocks you do not stumble again because that constant hand keeps you secure on your feet. Don’t let go of Jesus and He won’t ever let go of you.
Credit to owner for image
Carried in the cross 