As I typed those words out just now, I found myself shaking my head and asking…”how many times have we read that verse…are familiar with it and yet…so totally miss out on all that is packed in that one line?”
Do yourself a favor…and go read that again right now…
“My sheep…”
You do realize that not everyone out there whom you see, know, interact with, run into and even attend church with…are ‘God’s sheep’, yes?
Jesus sounded very specific here…when He said...’My sheep’.
I mean, if we want to get technical here…not everyone are ‘sheep’, period. There are a few goats running around the mix as well. I’ve shot a few ag events over the years where kids raise and then show them in competition…everything from rabbits to steer. Now I am not a ‘farm/ag’ guy and was never raised in that environment, but I do know the difference between a rabbit and a steer. I’m also pretty good about spotting a pig as well.
But it’s the sheep and the goats I always have to do a double take on. Now I know those who raise them are going to laugh at me here…but I see a lot of similarity between those two animals. They are about the same size and when shaved of their wool they seem to have the same body form and such. And they make the same bleating noises as well. I mean…’sheep and goats’…kind of just ‘fit together’ when you use them in a sentence.
Jesus did that one time as well, use them in the same sentence, that is. You can read there in Matt. 25 where He was explaining what that day will be like when He comes and all the nations will be gathered before Him, and “He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats”. (32). He was using a word picture here to illustrate a very sobering reality if you want to know the truth.
So you have all these people…and He likens them to ‘sheep and goats’ (animals that have some common characteristics, it would seem like to me). And He separates them.
Do you recall another parable in Matt. 13 where Jesus talked about ‘wheat and tares’ being in the same field? They can sort of look alike, especially in the early stages of growth, but in the end, there is one thing that stands out- wheat produces fruit. In fact, it makes it kind of easy to then tell the difference because the head of that wheat is full of fruit/grain and the weight of it causes it to ‘bend over’, in a sense. Some would call that a posture of humility. But the point of that parable in Matt. 13 is to explain how the owner of the field did not seem to worried that there was tares growing amongst the wheat. A day was coming when he would be sending out ‘reapers’ who were going to ‘first’…gather up the tares. (30). Jesus would later explain in detail…to His disciples, what all He was talking about.
You might go read vs. 36-43 right now if you want in on the meaning. He only reveals the meaning of His word…to His disciples. (Might say that again to yourself. 36-37 and 10-11)
He explains how these ‘reapers’ are bands of angels and they begin to ‘take out’ in sense, to “gather out of His kingdom ALL things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness (sin)” and it seems that they are destroyed. These are the words of Jesus, not mine.
And in that other parable back in Matt. 25 where the shepherd is separating all the ‘sheep and goats’… things do not go well for those who were the goats.
But if you were/are one of His sheep…there is a different outcome, and a good one at that. Which then takes me back to John 10 where Jesus talks about being the good shepherd.
He uses some interesting verbiage here and how he has this ‘sheepfold’ for His sheep and He is the door to this protective area where the sheep can lie down in rest and not fear ‘thieves’ who seek to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’. (10:10). Those who are God’s sheep…know what it is to walk in peace and rest. David said something about that in Psalm 23, which we will come back to later.
Jesus also pointed out having ‘other sheep’ elsewhere. (16) It seems His plan is to gather them or bring them in where there will be one flock and…one shepherd. But it would seem there is a distinguishing feature among those other sheep as well that He is bringing together. You might go underline or make note of that fact…they ‘hear His voice’.
Then, further down, He mentions that line I opened up with here…where not only do they ‘hear His voice’ but ‘He knows them’. Unlike those He would address in Matt. 7:21-23 where there were some who must have thought they were sheep, but were in fact, not. Goats perhaps…that were busy doing…’sheepy things’? Jesus would tell them…”I never knew you.”
But here is the main point in all this…those sheep who heard His voice and were known by Him…they follow Him. Again, one more time…they hear His voice and they follow Him.
Who do? His sheep…the sheep that belong to Jesus, the Great Shepherd…they follow Him. They just don’t sit around telling one another…’I baaaaaaalieve in Him’; they do what He says.
So now look at Psalm 23 where David professes that the “Lord is his shepherd’. (1). He talks of how his shepherd ‘leads him to still waters’ and ‘makes him lie down in green pastures’. This would sound like a place of rest to me, does it not you? And…this shepherd also ‘leads him in the paths of righteousness’ for His name’s sake. (3). I don’t think this is overly complicated, but if one is leading, that implies that others are…following, does it not? As in …doing what they are instructed to do? Did Jesus not ask some…’why do you call me Lord, and not do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46)
Do you know what righteousness is? It’s doing what is right in the eyes of God. John would later write that “whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10). I say, ‘doing what is right in the eyes of God’, because it’s not hard for folks to not be on board for doing what God ask of us so they seek to establish their own standard of righteousness. Paul spoke about that in Rom. 10:2-3.
When Jesus talks about ‘My sheep’, again, it would seem He refers to those who ‘belong to Him’. Not everyone we encounter do belong to Him. In fact, you can easily make the case that there are probably more that do not, than those who do. Jesus told a bunch of religious folks in John 8, who thought they were of God…were indeed children of the devil. Imagine that. (44)
Oh, another mark of those who belong to Christ…is found in Galatians 5:24. “Those who belong to Christ have crucified…(put to death-past tense) the flesh nature with its passions and desires.” His words, not mine.
God’s people not only ‘hear His voice’, but they follow…they do…they obey. Now don’t get me wrong…scripture talks of how many will hear His sayings but fail to act upon them and…they just don’t do well when the floods come and are easily deceived. (James 1:22; Matt.7:26-27)
Which leads us to the book of Hebrews, chapters 3 and 4 to be exact. There is much to feed upon and digest here and it is good stuff. In short (for now) there is a place of ‘rest’ that God has for His people. And not in the great by and by, either. It’s a place where we can enter into, now, today. Something like a ‘sheep fold’ where there is a protective barrier or hedge around you and it keeps wolves and thieves out and you walk in peace and rest. Can I just tell you now this place is what we call ‘abiding In Christ’? To be ‘in Christ’ is to be ‘in the ark’ where you are protected from the floods and storms. And the writer of Hebrews really wants to drive home some important points here regarding this place of peace and rest.
He mentions that we better be careful and even ‘fear’…lest we come short of entering’. (4:1)
Three times, in this portion of text, Paul cites the same verse of warning from writings of old: “Today…if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (3:7-8,15, 4:7)
In the parable of the sower, Jesus was revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to His disciples and in Mark’s version, he draws another line of distinction. He says “to you (disciples) it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside’…(4:11)
He even adds that they seem to have eyes and ears…but fail to see and hear and understand. (12 and Matt. 13:14-15)
So you can be ‘inside’ or ‘in Christ’ (or the ark, for that matter). Or you can be on the outside…maybe even thinking you are in, but are not. Scripture seems to make it very clear as to who is ‘in’ and who is not.
I think we should continue this discussion later.
For those wondering, I was given the ‘day off’ yesterday. I think the Lord saw how I was pretty wiped out enjoying these visiting grandsons and He gave me a long, restful night of sleep yesterday and it did wonders for me :-) See you tomorrow.
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