Beetow
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- Joined
- Apr 19, 2020
- Messages
- 2,538
FAQ: Why is Jesus called the "good" shepherd?
REPLY: I delight to be one of Jesus' sheep because of his all-out determination to
please God; for instance:
"This is the will of the one who sent me; that I should not lose anything of what He
gave me." (John 6:39)
One of the many things that God gives His son is sheep. (John 10:27-30)
Now, whether the sheep like it or not, they're struck with the good shepherd
because Jesus always satisfies his Father's wants.
"My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)
"I always do what is pleasing to Him." (John 8:29)
Were Christ to fail-- in any way at all --accomplishing the will of the one who sent
him; then it would be dishonest of Christ to claim to "always" please God. Christ
might be able to claim pleasing the one who sent him a high percentage of the
time, but certainly not always.
Bottom line: The good shepherd's will trumps the sheep's will. (It would be a pretty
dim-witted wrangler that lets the wants of a herd overrule him; as if animal
husbandry were somehow democratic. HAW!)
"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." (1Cor 6:19-20)
FAQ: What if a sheep decides to leave Jesus' flock and follow somebody else
instead?
REPLY: Assuming the sheep is one of the sheep that God gave His son to keep,
then no soap. Regardless of what the sheep think, feel, say, or do; once they're
brought into the sheepfold, they're stuck.
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me shall be saved." (John 10:9)
Were Christ a so-so shepherd; then he wouldn't dare say "shall be" saved; no, he'd
have to tone it down a bit and say "can be" saved. That would leave him some
room for error. But when Christ says "shall be" he's claiming a 0.0% failure rate.
That's how confident Christ is that he will lose nothing of what his Father has given
him.
Cattle ranchers whose livestock roam on BLM lands, typically brand their stock for
easy identification later on at round-up. Well; God doesn't brand the good
shepherd's sheep but He does mark them.
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13)
The Greek word translated "seal" basically refers to the impression that a signet
ring leaves in wax and/or soft clay.
Well; the good shepherd's sheep might wander far and wide and even attempt to
blend in with another flock, but any and all attempts to escape and/or repudiate
their rightful owner are futile. That seal will always give them away as belonging to
the good shepherd and it's only a matter of time before he comes looking for his
investment.
It's important to know that the sheep's safety isn't based upon their willingness to
comply with the shepherd's wants; no, their safety is based upon the good
shepherd's determination to comply with his Father's wants; a determination
proven by blood.
"I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:15)
Were the good shepherd only human, then I would be inclined to agree with
skeptics that Jesus might fail to keep his sheep safe. But the Bible teaches that
Christ is not only human, but also the divine architect of the entire cosmos with all
of its forms of life, matter, and energy (John 1:1-3, Col 1:16-17). So then, the
good shepherd has at his disposal all the powers and abilities of the supreme being
to utilize in order to succeed at keeping his sheep on the books.
"No one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:27 29)
_
REPLY: I delight to be one of Jesus' sheep because of his all-out determination to
please God; for instance:
"This is the will of the one who sent me; that I should not lose anything of what He
gave me." (John 6:39)
One of the many things that God gives His son is sheep. (John 10:27-30)
Now, whether the sheep like it or not, they're struck with the good shepherd
because Jesus always satisfies his Father's wants.
"My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work." (John 4:34)
"I always do what is pleasing to Him." (John 8:29)
Were Christ to fail-- in any way at all --accomplishing the will of the one who sent
him; then it would be dishonest of Christ to claim to "always" please God. Christ
might be able to claim pleasing the one who sent him a high percentage of the
time, but certainly not always.
Bottom line: The good shepherd's will trumps the sheep's will. (It would be a pretty
dim-witted wrangler that lets the wants of a herd overrule him; as if animal
husbandry were somehow democratic. HAW!)
"You are not your own; you were bought at a price." (1Cor 6:19-20)
FAQ: What if a sheep decides to leave Jesus' flock and follow somebody else
instead?
REPLY: Assuming the sheep is one of the sheep that God gave His son to keep,
then no soap. Regardless of what the sheep think, feel, say, or do; once they're
brought into the sheepfold, they're stuck.
"I am the gate; whoever enters through me shall be saved." (John 10:9)
Were Christ a so-so shepherd; then he wouldn't dare say "shall be" saved; no, he'd
have to tone it down a bit and say "can be" saved. That would leave him some
room for error. But when Christ says "shall be" he's claiming a 0.0% failure rate.
That's how confident Christ is that he will lose nothing of what his Father has given
him.
Cattle ranchers whose livestock roam on BLM lands, typically brand their stock for
easy identification later on at round-up. Well; God doesn't brand the good
shepherd's sheep but He does mark them.
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13)
The Greek word translated "seal" basically refers to the impression that a signet
ring leaves in wax and/or soft clay.
Well; the good shepherd's sheep might wander far and wide and even attempt to
blend in with another flock, but any and all attempts to escape and/or repudiate
their rightful owner are futile. That seal will always give them away as belonging to
the good shepherd and it's only a matter of time before he comes looking for his
investment.
It's important to know that the sheep's safety isn't based upon their willingness to
comply with the shepherd's wants; no, their safety is based upon the good
shepherd's determination to comply with his Father's wants; a determination
proven by blood.
"I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:15)
Were the good shepherd only human, then I would be inclined to agree with
skeptics that Jesus might fail to keep his sheep safe. But the Bible teaches that
Christ is not only human, but also the divine architect of the entire cosmos with all
of its forms of life, matter, and energy (John 1:1-3, Col 1:16-17). So then, the
good shepherd has at his disposal all the powers and abilities of the supreme being
to utilize in order to succeed at keeping his sheep on the books.
"No one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:27 29)
_
