Deciding whether to believe in Jesus is the most decision you can ever make. Divisions often arise in families around Jesus. Is He God or just a man? Society seeks to remove any mention of Jesus during Christmas. People instruct us to say, “Happy Holidays,” instead of “Merry Christmas.” City officials remove nativity scenes from public property. Could the stress we feel during the Christmas season be related to following the false shepherd who “kills, steals and destroys”? The religious establishment wanted Jesus killed when He walked on earth as we will see in John 10.
He who enters by the door is the true shepherd. The sheep hear his voice and He leads them out. The “shepherd goes before them and the sheep follow him because they know His voice.” They won’t follow a stranger because they don’t know his voice (John 10:1-6). Jesus leads the sheep who hear His voice.
Jesus is the door of the sheep. Those who came before Him are thieves and robbers that the sheep didn’t hear. He who enters through Jesus will be saved and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came to give life abundantly as the good shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. He won’t leave when the wolf comes because of His concern for the sheep. Just as the Father knows Jesus and He knows God, Christ knows His sheep and they know Him. He has additional sheep to bring into the fold so they can become one flock with one shepherd. Jesus lays down and raises up His life on His own initiative and authority (John 10:7-18). Jesus lays down His own life to give life abundantly to others.
Many Jews said Jesus had a demon and was insane. Others said He was legitimate because a demon can’t open the eyes of the blind (John 10:19-21). People have strong reactions to believing or not believing in Jesus.
The Jews asked Jesus to tell them plainly if He was the Messiah. He said they should believe in His works since they bore witness of His Father. It’s further proof they weren’t His sheep because they didn’t hear and follow Christ. He gives eternal life to His sheep and no one will snatch them out of His hand. Jesus and the Father are one in essence (John 10:22-30). Jesus’ works bear witness that He is God.
The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because He was making Himself out to be God. He told them to believe His works so they could “understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (John 10:31-39). Everyone must decide if Jesus is God.
Jesus went away and stayed beyond the Jordan where John was first baptizing. Many said that John performed no sign but everything he said about Jesus was true. Many believed in Him there (John 10:40-42). Jesus is patiently calling people to believe in Him.
Have you placed your faith in Jesus? Are you listening to God’s word found in Scripture or Satan’s word who seeks to kill, steal and destroy” you? Don’t let anyone keep you from listening to the good shepherd who lays down His life for you.
