in Good Hands.

Reflection on John 10:27-30
[Jesus said]…“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

I think these are some of the most encouraging words for us. Jesus is using the image here of Himself as the Good Shepherd and his people, his disciples, his followers as His sheep. These are the ones that Jesus loves and cares for.

So, there’s a pretty important question that comes from this then, ‘how do I know if I am one of His sheep?’ Well, Jesus points to at least two things here. First, His sheep ‘hear’ (or listen) to His voice and second they ‘follow’ Him.

Listening to Jesus and following Jesus go hand in hand. We cannot say that we know Him and not do what He says.
1 John 2:4 says “Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him”. If we do not have joy in following Him, we do not know Him.

To ‘hear’ Jesus is to understand who He is. It is to hear him properly; it is to see him properly – to realise who He is.
For following Jesus, the disciples faced all kinds of suffering and trouble, even death itself. It could only be the weight, and value and beauty of Jesus that would allow them to hear His voice and to follow Him even in the face of the complete opposition and rejection that they faced.

Jesus gives His sheep here absolute confidence to face opposition. He says, “I know them’, “I give them eternal life” “they will never perish” “no one will snatch out of my hand” or “out of the Father’s hand” – Jesus and the Father are One.

I don’t know of any truth that holds my heart in greater care than the truth that my Shepherd Jesus saves me, holds me, keeps me, and watches over me and will never let me go.

Jesus says: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11).

Friends, Jesus our Good Shepherd went to the cross and paid for all our wrong, all our sin and shame. He took it on Himself. He suffered and died for it. And He rose again from it.

If you hear His beautiful voice, if you follow Him – the assurance we have is that He and the Father (who are One) hold us, and that no one is able to snatch us from their Hand.

Eternally we will not perish but have eternal life in pastures green by still waters (Psalm 23) because our Good Shepherd loves us and gave Himself for us. Enjoy that friends!