"I will
cry to the God of heaven who does such wonders for me. He will send down
help from heaven to save me, because of his love and faithfulness."
(Psalm 57:2-3a, TLB)
"Don't
brag about your plans for tomorrow---wait and see what happens."
(Proverbs 27:1, TLB)
“But many
who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns
and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he
had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
So he began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:33-34, NIV)
Jesus and his disciples had time
alone in the boat from everyone else. Now they are about to make a
landing to have more solitary time away from the crowds. However, three
things had already occurred!
Observations:
I asked
myself what three things occurred.
-
But
many who saw them leaving, recognized them
-
But
many who saw them leaving, ran on foot from all the towns
-
But
many who saw them leaving, got there ahead of them.
I asked
myself Jesus’ reaction to the large crowd.
-
Jesus
had compassion on the large crowd.
-
Jesus
saw them as a sheep without a shepherd.
-
Jesus
began teaching them many things.
Interpretation:
I asked
myself the significance of Jesus teaching them many things.
Jesus decided to teach them many
things because of His compassion for them. Jesus did not want them to
stay in the rut they were in for He saw them as sheep scattered without
a shepherd.
This is a sad state they are in
because there were Pharisees and teachers of the law who were supposed
to be teaching them and helping them draw close to God but they were not
helping the crowd. Even if they were teaching them they were teaching
them things that Jesus had to correct them in. Naturally, they come to
hear Jesus after seeing his miracles and learning that He teaches with
authority.
So, when Jesus began teaching
them many things, Jesus decided to become their Shepherd to lead them
and guide them on the right path. Jesus cared for each and every one of
them there which is evident by His compassion for them and His action of
teaching them many things. The sheep needed to be taught and Jesus took
it upon Himself to become their Shepherd to do the teaching. This
reminded me of Jesus’ claim, “I AM the Good
Shepherd”
I am reminded of John 9 and
John 10:11 where Jesus addressed the Pharisees and those around Him.
Jesus stated to them who He was. As I looked back at Mark 6:33-34, I am
reminded that Jesus began teaching them many things but we do not know
what He taught them. It is possible when Jesus saw them as a sheep
without a shepherd He could have told them what is recorded in John 10
that only the Gospel of John records. We are not told the content of the
teaching from Mark 6:34 but I am inferring it is about Jesus being their
Good Shepherd.
“I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John
10:11, NIV)
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 now 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 God
told Moses, 'I AM.'
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 Jehovah Tsidkenu, 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 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 I believe 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 the
One 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. Three 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.
Implications:
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.
Last night at Bible Miners, one
of my pastors' Thinagar Sitther from the Asian Indian Christian Church
of Pittsburgh (www.aiccp.org) had a
Bible discussion with us on the Beatitudes that Jesus shared during the
Sermon on the Mount and its application for our own lives. Especially,
the part about persecution and hardship stuck out to me.
During prayer requests, I shared
the lies Satan puts in me to look at my life from that point of view. I
cast that thought aside but sometimes it creeps back in when I struggle
or things do not seem to go as I want. As a sheep, sometimes my mind
wanders away and gets lost without Jesus leading me back to Him.
One of those thoughts Satan put
in me was “Ramesh, if you were still a Hindu, you could have gone into
Harvard Law School and gotten a prestigious law degree as you originally
wanted. Then, it would have been so easy to find a Hindu bride to get
married to and live your life. But, look at you now, you are not married
nor doing a prestigious job.”
Those are lies, lies, lies.
Satan wants to keep people from coming to Jesus and when they do come
into the arms of the Savior, then Satan tries to make them jump away
from the Savior with lies, lies, lies.
It is possible that I could have
gone into law school but even as a follower of Christ I could have gone
into law school if I wanted to. But, I was happy and at peace having a
mission of counseling broken hearts with the love of Christ as I got my
Psychology degree. As I saw the need on campus, I felt I should join
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and ministered there for six years. I
would not trade those years for a law degree.
Come to Jesus! Do not let the
enemy deceive you. I would not trade in 20 years of my life being a
born-again Christian for any earthly gain whatever my situation in
career, academics, relationships etc is and will be.
"For me to
live is Christ and to die is gain!" (Philippians 1:21, NIV)
Dying to myself and my old
ways and coming to know the Good Shepherd is the best thing that has
happened in my life. I need not have a prestigious job to be married for
I am in the Hands of Jehovah Rohi, my Good Shepherd. When He chooses for
me to be married, I know Jehovah Jireh, my Provider will provide a
wonderful born-again Christian bride for me from my home country or from
the states who is a born-again Indian Christian.
I was lost as a sheep and when
Jesus chose me and held me in His arms taking care of me, I became the
first born-again Christian child in my family lineage who have all be
Hindus as far as I can know! My mom is the first one to become a
born-again Christian and I followed. Later, all of my brothers gave
their life to Christ.
With that in mind, I wanted to
dedicate my life to God’s ministry and reaching out to souls with the
love of Jesus Christ. So, I went on to do campus ministry with a
Christian fellowship and decided to get a full-time job in restaurant
management where I would still have opportunities to reach out to
hundreds of students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now the Lord has
also provided me with an online newspaper to be used to reach souls with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
If I were to die tonight I would
be at peace where I am and have been in the arms of my Lord and Personal
Savior! I would not trade one of those years to go back and be a Hindu
for any reason.
"Jesus
also said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! No man comes to
the Father except through me." (John 14:6, NIV)
Being in ministry is a path I
have chosen and wanted to dedicate myself to the ministry. This does not
mean all Hindus or people of any religion who become a Christian
will not have prestigious jobs, etc. I know of wonderful Indian
born-again Christians who are contributing to the Kingdom of God in the
profession they are in. For me the company pays for most classes I
want to take so I continue to learn knowledge and use that also as a
means to reach souls for Christ!
Whatever happens, our decision
to come to the Good Shepherd should not be based on what we can get out
of Jesus. The main reason to come to Jesus Christ is for the Salvation
He alone offers humanity. No gods can save except Jesus Christ because
of what He did on the cross for you and me. Read the Gospels and you
will come to know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.
The Word of God asks us a potent
question, “What does it a profit a man if he gains
the whole world and yet forfeits his soul.”
It is a good thing before
telling others that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, Jesus warned them about
Satan that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus has come to
be their Good Shepherd who came to lay His life down for the sheep.
Satan’s aim is to steal, kill, and destroy not only our lives but our
soul. Only Jesus Christ can redeem it for you and me!
I have a peace about staying
where I am at and will depend on Jesus in all aspects of my life
including marriage. I would not be at the job I am at if I did not think
being on campus was making a difference but the Lord has shown me time
after time how He wants to use me.
Just today, a high school
student wanted to interview me for his reflective essay and I was able
to share with him why I love to do what I love to do. Jesus' name
definitely came up!!!
Jesus reminds me of the verse,
“Do not be afraid, just believe.” I intend
to do that after all my Good Shepherd did for me and will do for me.
Through it all, I want His will and not my own so if He chooses to send
me to another job, I shall go!
Jesus took the gashes and He had
so much flesh torn from His body for our sake so we could be protected
as His sheep. His blood was shed so our blood need not be shed. He paid
the price to redeem us but not only us but entire humanity. The ‘Passion
of the Christ’ depicts Jesus’ sacrifice so well to see what Jesus went
through for us. I have the DVD if you want to borrow it.
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! We can
put an end to Satan’s deceptive lies in our lives. We can cover Satan’s
lies with the Word of God.
"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, NIV)
I ask you
now dear friends, who is your Shepherd?
Friend, Jesus wants to be your
Good Shepherd now and always. He can be 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 friend.
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.
Do not let academics,
relationships, careers, etc crowd out your time with the Lord but make
time for Jesus too in your life. Trust in Him, delight in Him, and
commit everything to the Lord. I know God wants to give us rest in all
areas of your life so let us be in His arms of love and leave the
results in His precious loving care.
He who created you will take care of you! May you find rest in the arms
of your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ! Amen!
I wrote two prayer songs today
and wanted to share it with you all.
Jehovah-Rohi
By Ramesh C. Reddy
Jehovah-Rohi, my Good
Shepherd
Jehovah-Rohi, my Good Shepherd
You are all I need
You are all I need
Your Holy voice I heed
Your Holy voice I heed
You pick me up and lead
You pick me up and lead
Upon your pastures I feed
Upon your pastures I feed
Jehovah-Rohi, my Good
Shepherd
Jehovah-Rohi, my Good Shepherd
You are all I need
You are all I need
Amen!
His Voice
By Ramesh C. Reddy
You can to listen to the
Shepherd’s voice
You can be a sheep that will
rejoice
You can now turn off Satan’s
noise
You can have Jesus your
loving choice
Whether you are girls or
boys!
Amen!
“Savior's
Help Encourages People's Hearts Eternally, Redeeming Diligently!” (S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D)/”Who
is your Shepherd?”
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. 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. 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 and rejoice in you. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal
Savior as we surrender our lives to you. I want to do that Lord as I
confess my sins to you and repent of them. Thank you for delivering me
from the life I had and giving me new life in you Lord. Thank you for
not forsaking me once in the twenty years you have been shepherding me.
I still need you to shepherd me. Thank you for cleansing be with your
cleansing blood. I thank you for holding me still in your arms of love
drawing me close to you, never letting me go! I pray right now for the
one who needs you to hold them in your arms of love and comfort them
what they are going through. You know what they are going through and
can cuddle them in your arms of love. Thank you so much Jesus. We rest
in you Lord and depend on you! Thank you that you have heard my prayer
and answered me. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!
