The Love of God: The Good Shepherd
John 10 gives us one of the most beautiful pictures of the love of God in all of Scripture.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
And the love of God is this: Christ lays down His life for the sheep.
The shepherd versus the hired hand
Jesus contrasts Himself with false shepherds.
"The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away."
The hired hand works for pay. When danger comes, he flees.
But the shepherd owns the sheep. He loves them. So when danger comes, he stays and dies if necessary.
The love of God is not hired affection. It is covenant commitment that does not abandon us when the wolf comes.
I am the good shepherd
Jesus declares:
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
This is the heart of the gospel.
Jesus does not merely teach us how to live.
He dies so that we might live.
He does not send someone else to save us.
He comes Himself and lays down His own life.
The love of God is self-sacrificial. It gives. It dies. It pays the cost.
The sheep know His voice
Jesus says:
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
This is relationship.
Not ritual. Not duty. Not fear.
The sheep know the shepherd's voice because they have a relationship with him.
And because they know His voice, they follow.
The love of God creates intimacy. Christ does not rule us from a distance. He speaks, and His sheep recognize Him.
I and the Father are one
Jesus makes the staggering claim:
"I and the Father are one."
The Jews pick up stones to kill Him for blasphemy.
But Jesus stands by His claim.
Why does this matter?
Because the love of God revealed in Jesus is not the love of a mere man. It is the love of God Himself.
When Jesus lays down His life, it is God laying down His life.
When Jesus calls us His sheep, it is God claiming us as His own.
The love of God is divine love, eternal love, love that holds all power and yet chooses to die.
Final exhortation
The love of God in John 10 is this:
Christ is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.
He knows you. He calls you. He protects you.
No wolf can snatch you out of His hand.
No danger can separate you from His love.
Listen to His voice.
Follow Him.
Trust Him.
Because the Good Shepherd does not abandon His sheep. He dies for them.
Closing prayer
Father, thank You for sending the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. Thank You that we are safe in His hands, that no one can snatch us away, and that He knows us and calls us by name. Help us to listen to His voice and follow Him faithfully. In Jesus' name, amen.