Thursday, May 19, 2011
John 10:4-5 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.
THE VOICE OF THE TRUE SHEPHERD
It is said that newborn babies, from their very earliest hours outside the womb, will show reactions to the voices of their parents. Already before they are born those sounds have become familiar to them, so at such an early age they can recognize them and distinguish them from other voices without any trouble.
We follow our true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, because we know His voice. There are other voices around us who claim to be shepherds. There is Mohammed, the prophet of Allah. There is the Watchtower Society of the Jehovah's Witnesses. There is Joseph Smith of the Latter Day Saints. There are the shepherds of secular humanism who preach that man does not need Christ but is essentially his own god. There are shepherds who insist there is no God at all. Yet we follow Jesus.
Jesus' voice is different from the others. His voice says, "Come to me and I will give you rest." It does not say, "Follow me and if you're good enough I will give you rest." His voice says, "Your sins are paid for in full by my death and resurrection -- repent and believe the good news!" It does not say, "If you manage to do enough right, I might be able to overlook the evil you've done."
In these last days it is more important than ever to listen to the voice of Jesus, for only by His distinctive voice will we be led to heavenly glory.
