He knows you; do you know him?

John 10:27-30

Jesus said:

1.       ‘The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;

2.       I know them and they follow me.

3.       I give them eternal life;

4.       they will never be lost

5.       and no one will ever steal them from me.

6.       The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,

7.       and no one can steal from the Father.

The Father and I are one.’

Food for thought!

Jesus, in these few words, said seven things about his sheep that need our attention. There are seven great truths that should lift up all those who are bowed down. They are words of assurance. It is as if Jesus said, don't be afraid because THE FATHER AND I ARE ONE. And because I and the Father are one, I am God just as the Father; I mean what I say, and I say what I mean. So, listen to my voice all you that belong to me. And know that I know you all that follow me; I give you eternal life; I will not let you be lost; nobody can and will steal you from me; because the Father gave you all to me; and no one can steal from the Father. Courage.

Jesus is declaring himself openly to be our shepherd. Sometimes we lose this fact; Jesus IS THE ONLY SHEPHERD we have.   As shepherd, Jesus knows us; he understands us; we are not anonymous people; he knows all about you and me. The individual sheep in a flock all look alike to the untrained eye. A good shepherd, however, can tell them apart--often because of their defects and peculiar traits.

A man who was tending a large flock explained this to a Christian friend who expressed surprise at his familiarity with each animal. "See that sheep over there?" he asked. "Notice how it toes in a little. The one behind it has a squint; the next one has a patch of wool off its back; ahead is one with a distinguishing black mark, while the one closest to us has a small piece torn out of its ear."

Observing all of the sheep, the believer thought about Christ, the Chief Shepherd, who also knows the individual Christian. He said, I KNOW THEM. Jesus knows our individual weaknesses and failings; on the outside we may look alike, but inside of us we are all struggling, and Jesus knows about our struggles, our ups and downs, our falling, our rising. And because he knows us so well, he gives us eternal life. For many of us, the more we claim to know someone the more we despise them. Not so with Jesus; the more he knows us the more he loves us and the more he cares for us and watchers over us.

Yes, Jesus knows everything there is to know about you and me - Matt. 10:29-31; Matt. 6:8. He knows every strength and every weakness. He knows every joy and every burden. He knows every mountain and every valley. He knows every victory and every battle and He stands ready to help you in your times of need, Heb. 4:15-16. He is your Good Shepherd and He will look after you - Psa. 23:1-6.

A man was arrested and charged with stealing a sheep. But he claimed emphatically that it was one of his own that had been missing for many days. When the case went to court, the judge was puzzled, not knowing how to decide the matter. At last he asked that the sheep be brought into the courtroom. Then he ordered the plaintiff to step outside and call the animal. The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened. The judge then instructed the defendant to go to the courtyard and call the sheep. When the accused man began to make his distinctive call, the sheep ran toward the man. It was obvious that the sheep recognized the familiar voice of his master. "His sheep knows him," said the judge. "Case dismissed!"

So it is with us. We are like that sheep, being called by all kinds of people and voices. There are many voices which compete for our attention in today's world, including that of Christ. When He calls, are you able to distinguish his voice from others' voices? Does Christ still compete to attract your attention? Are you able to distinguish Christ's voice from the many others yearning for our attention? He knows you; do you know him?

When the shepherd calls forth his sheep, he goes before them and they instinctively follow him. He doesn't have to drive them, that is for goats. He just leads them out and they naturally follow close behind. This is what Jesus is doing: he is leading us to heaven. To him be glory and power and praise, for ever and ever. Amen