Wednesday, May 18, 2011
John 10:1-2 I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.
THE SHEPHERD'S ENEMIES
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, but there are those who work against Him and present a danger to the sheep. Christ showed that not everyone who enters the sheep pen and tries to lead the sheep is the true shepherd. The false shepherds, however, show themselves to be false by sneaking in another way -- like a thief comes through a back window or climbs over a wall in the middle of the night.
When Jesus used this illustration, He was drawing a distinction between Himself and the other spiritual leaders of His day, particularly the Jewish religious leaders. Ever since His ministry had begun, even in His own hometown, the Lord had been scorned by the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. They insisted that He could not possibly be the Messiah they had been waiting for. They said that He could not possibly be the chosen One sent from God.
But it was not so. Rather they were the "thieves and robbers" who had wormed their way into the sheep pen by their sneaky spiritual talk. Discrediting Christ and giving credit to themselves, they talked as though they were good shepherds, yet their religion, in which a person earned salvation by doing good works, was not going to shepherd anyone to eternal life.
How do the sheep avoid the false shepherds and follow the right Shepherd instead? How do they avoid getting led astray by the "thieves and robbers"? It is by the voice of the Lord. The true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. His voice overcomes the efforts of the false shepherds. Jesus' sheep hear Him and find rest. To Christ's sheep, His voice is not the voice of a stranger, but it is that of a loving Friend who invites them to find peace and happiness with Him.
