“The Sheep
Follow Him”
“Very truly I
tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but
climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him,
and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads
them out. 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.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but
the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
Therefore
Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate
for the sheep. All who have
come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
I am the gate; whoever enters through me
will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
When you are tuned in, you have a
connection. It could be to another person, a radio, or a good book. When you
are tuned in, it can work two ways. You can say something and someone else will
respond. It is the same with our Lord.
Listening is an important part of
any relationship, especially in our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we
belong to Him, we have the privilege of communing with Him through His Word and
the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We know we are paying attention to
the true Shepherd when His voice leads us to righteousness, love, grace, and
all that is consistent with His character and will.
Just as listening attentively to
your spouse or friend communicates value and work, paying close attention to
the voice of Jesus is one way to affirm His importance in your life. So, let’s
cast aside the distractions of life, tune into His voice, and pray for the
grace to do what He says.
Listening to Jesus is
the first step to following Him.
Our Daily Bread –