Following Like a Sheep

In John 10 Jesus makes a beautiful analogy. He calls Himself the good shepherd, and His people sheep. He is the good shepherd because He loves and intimately knows His sheep and lays His life down for them. In verses 27-28 Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand."

Now sheep are creatures that instinctively follow. Are we different? Earlier in John Jesus said that everyone who has sinned is a slave to sin, so all sinners are following sin. Sheep will also follow what they think will lead them to better pastures. Again, are we so different? Don't we sin because we think we can trust it? Don't we sin because we think it will fulfill us and make us happy? This is a lie, but without spiritually opened eyes we cannot see this. But for all God's people who have had their spiritual eyes opened; for all those for whom the Shepherd has laid down His life, we have been given the gift and the strength to turn from following sin and begin following Christ.

Let us briefly consider the one who we are following. Jesus is completely trustworthy. He has died in our place and nothing can pluck us form His hand. He is good and loves us with a love too great to fathom. He will lead us where we need to go. Considering all these things, why would we ever question Him when He tells us to follow in a specific way? Now I am not talking a feeling that you have or something like that, I am talking about how He tells us to follow Him in His word. If our leader is completely trustworthy, when He commands something, no matter the cost to our lives, we must like sheep, trust and obey.

For the glory of God

Seth