Ramesh C. Reddy
Editor in Chief
Hi everyone :)
May you know Jesus, who wants to be your "I AM" this Christmas season! Amen!
Quiet
Times (Psalm 37,38 and John 10:11, 14-16)
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the
land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He
shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust
also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." (Psalm 37:3-5)
"For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear O Lord my God.” (Psalm 38:15)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
What stuck out to me was ‘good shepherd’ and ‘sheep’!
Once again as Jesus speaks to the Pharisees, he starts out with ‘I AM’. This reminded me of Moses.
What is interesting is that Moses was a shepherd before God introduced Himself to Moses as ‘I AM’ at the burning bush. Moses already had a shepherd’s staff. God decided to use Moses to lead a different flock than he was used too. Rather than shepherding sheep, now he was commissioned to shepherd the flock of Israelites leading them out of Egypt. He was their shepherd. The Pharisees would have known that.
Now Jesus introduces Himself to the Pharisees as ‘I AM’ but goes a step further and states ‘GOOD SHEPHERD’
Just as the Israelites needed deliverance and God used Moses to deliver them, now Jesus is telling His listeners including the Pharisees that they need deliverance and He will be their Good Shepherd to deliver them. That was exciting for me to know!
It is also significant that Jesus used the description good to describe Himself as a Shepherd. This meant to me that there are bad shepherd’s out there. It is very possible that Jesus was letting the Pharisees know that they may think they are shepherds for the people but they are leading them astray.
When Jesus mentions good shepherd, the Pharisees would also know about bad shepherds since they were well versed in the Scriptures.
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2)
“I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:3-4)
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord our Righteousness! (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
If the Pharisees really took to heart what they knew from Scriptures, they would know that they were face to face with ‘The Lord our Righteousness’.
It was so exciting to compare Jeremiah 23 with John 10. In John 10, Jesus promises his listeners exactly what God spoke through Jeremiah as a prophesy regarding shepherd and sheep.
Jesus wants the Pharisees to know that! Jesus not only claims to be the Good Shepherd for the sheep but the Good Shepherd who foreshadows the laying of His life for the sheep. In this instance, we all are the sheep who Jesus gave up His life for to save us. It is so exciting to know we have a Good Shepherd who will look after us!
As I think about that I am also reminded of the Christmas story where shepherds were told by angels about a child born in Bethlehem. They go and get to see baby Jesus. These were not ordinary shepherds but priestly shepherds and their sheep were used as sacrificial lambs at God's altar for the sins of the people.
This is so profound because the angels sent them to see Jesus, the Ultimate Good Shepherd who would become the role model of how shepherds should be. Of course, at that time Jesus was still just a baby. More than that, they got to see who would one day become the Ultimate Sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world.
Thirty years later into Jesus’ ministry. Jesus claims, “I AM the Good Shepherd”. It is very well possible those same shepherds who saw baby Jesus would still be living and shepherding their flocks since it is only 30 years later. People started becoming shepherds at a young age and continued in that profession. Now they get to see Jesus, the Ultimate Good Shepherd in action 30 years later and 3 years later, they would get to see the Ultimate Sacrificial Lamb slain for the sins of the world.
Good Shepherds are needed to rescue sheep from lions and other dangers they face. They need to be good because then they will put the safety of the sheep before their own life. This is what good shepherds did.
I saw important implications for my own life.
Jesus wants to be my Good Shepherd which means Jesus sees me as his tender sheep. This also means there is a lion out there that is waiting to get me and Jesus wants to protect me from the lion. In this case, the lion is Satan.
Scripture tells us that Satan prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Satan intends to go after us and left to ourselves we will be killed spiritually. Jesus does not want that to happen so Jesus intervenes in our life giving His own life to rescue us. This means so much to me. He took the gashes and the torn flesh from His body for my sake so I could be protected as His sheep. His blood was shed so my blood need not be shed. He paid the price to redeem me but not only me but entire humanity.
If it ended there, it would be a sad story but Jesus was also victorious over Satan. Jesus came back to life to save all those who would take His offer of help to be their Good Shepherd.
As we turn to Jesus, He will guide us and lead us for we will get to know Jesus more and more! He promises us that for it is evidenced by:
"I am the good shepherd;I know my sheep and my sheep know me--- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father---and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:14-16)
I ask you now dear friends, will you take Jesus as your Good Shepherd?
Friend, Jesus wants to be your Good Shepherd now and always. He is your Good Shepherd and will lead you on the paths of righteousness. When you are facing hardship, He will be there for you. If you feel lost or wounded, He will be there to bandage your wounds and hold you in His arms of love.
Oh Yes, He will because He loves you so much and wants the best for you! You never have to feel alone or scared because Jesus will be there for you.
Jesus knows everything about you; all your scars, ailments, weaknesses, strengths, etc and will take care of you according to His tender love and mercies.
Even when you feel like, you are being disciplined, it is for your wonderful good so turn to Him always. You can know Him on a daily personal level. Don't allow the circumstances of your life to crowd out the time with your Savior who wants to lead you.
Whether it be finals,
relationships, careers, etc allowing them to crowd out your time with the Lord
can fill you with more stress. Please don't crowd out the Lord from your life.
Trust in Him, delight in Him, and commit everything to the Lord. I know God
wants to give you rest in these times of finals too as you rest in Him, study
your best, and leave the results in His precious loving care.
He who created you will take care of you! May you find rest in these times of
stress in the arms of your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ! Amen!
The Voice By Ramesh C. Reddy
Listen to the
Good Shepherds' voice.
In His loving care you will rejoice.
And can turn off Satan's noise
Allowing God's will to become your loving choice.
Amen!
Savior's Help Encourages People's Hearts Eternally, Redeeming Diligently! (S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D)
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much for how you help us. Thank you for being my Good Shepherd. You are there to protect me from Satan who prowls like a roaring lion to get to me. I need your help Jesus. Lord, this is a time of stress for a lot with finals coming, graduation for others coming, time for job seeking, and the holidays. Oh Lord, as your sheep we need your direction and leadership. Thank you for your promise that we can hear your voice as we seek you and get to know you more and more as you promise us. Lord please protect us from the enemy. I thank you so much you love me so much that even if I were the only one lost, you would have come looking for me to save me and deliver me. Thank you for being there for us. We turn these days over to you and depend on you. Whatever your will is for us give us the willingness and strength to bear it. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior as we surrender our lives to you. I want to that Lord as I confess my sins to you and repent of them. Thank you for cleansing be with your cleansing blood. Thank you for holding me still in your arms of love drawing me close to you, never letting me go! Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
Love in Christ,
Ramesh
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