Guilty or not guilty? True or false? These questions demand an absolute answer. We may do our best to determine guilt or innocence; however, whatever our conclusion, it does not change the truth. Either the person is guilty or not guilty. The words are either true or false. We may try to justify someone’s guilt as lesser or greater a grievance; yet, the truth is either they are guilty or they are innocent. When the whirling lights of the police car stopped me that December the 4th to tell me my tags had expired, I first protested that they were good through December. The officer quickly pointed out that the tags expired on my birthday which meant they had expired at midnight on December 3-a mere 8 hours prior to his stopping me. There was no argument I could make at that point—I was guilty as charged and received my ticket in silent acceptance. I was not partly guilty, I was guilty.
Many people try to declare that Jesus was a good man, a wise man, or even a prophet; but, not the son of God as he declared himself to be. The truth is there is no in between. There is no partial truth in what Jesus said. Either He spoke truth or He was a lier. Jesus, Himself made that very clear in His own declarations. Either He was the awaited Messiah, the Savior of Mankind, and the Good Shepherd or none of what He said was true. If He was not who He said He was; then He was a liar, thief, and lunatic. There is no in between of half truths. He left no room for there to be any in between. In all that He spoke and in each act that He performed; Jesus Christ left no room for there to be in between. He either is the Lord of Lords or He is not.
As we open the chapter of John 10, Jesus begins to present one of the arguments as to how the people should know that He is God’s Beloved Son, the Good Shepherd that was promised in Isaiah and described in Psalms 22-24. He lays out 4 reasons why they should be able to recognize Him as the Good Shepherd.
1. He comes through the true door. Every prophecy had been fulfilled from His birth in Bethlehem to John the Baptist’s announcement of Him. He had performed miracles of giving sight to the blind and making the lame to walk. He had overturned the tables of the money changers in Jerusalem. All of His life had been the fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies. He had come through the door. He had not tried to climb in from any other way. He had not tried to sneak in with popularity gospels to gain a following. He had spoken the truth even when it made Him unpopular, even when the crowds turned their back, and even when the Pharisees wanted to stone Him. Those whom He called by name had followed Him. The Samaritan woman at the well, the apostles, the blind man, the lame man, and even the prideful, bigoted Nathaniel followed Him. His sheep knew His voice. (John 10:1-5)
2. He is the door for the sheep. No man can come into the fold, but through Him. (John 10:8-10. As He would again say in John 14:6, “ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”
3. He is the good shepherd who came willingly to lay down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11-14). This was what Isaiah had prophesied. The lamb that would take on the sin of the world. “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53).
4. He is the Beloved Son of God who will give His life and then rise from the dead. He told them what was going to happen (John 10:17-18). He proclaimed it very clearly. Some believed and some declared Him as a lunatic. He left no room for anything in between.
So then the question comes, “Who do you say that He is?” Is He the Good Shepherd, the only begotten Son of God who took upon Himself all your sins? Do you know Him as your lord and King? That is a question, I urge you must answer. Your eternity hangs in the balance of your answering this one question. If you do not know Him, then I urge you come to Him, believing that He is all He has proclaimed. If you do know Him, I urge you that whatever circumstance you may be facing today; recognize that He is the Good Shepherd. He loves you with a perfect love. All that He allows into your life is there to bring you ever closer to Joy in Him. “
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
[bctt tweet=”Your whole eternity hangs in the balance. Who do you say that Jesus is? “]
We will certainly go deeper into these truths before the week comes to an end; but, the first question is: “Do you believe that Jesus is the Good Shepherd?”
I leave you with this song by Keith and Kristyn Getty Good Shepherd of my Soul
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.