They know his voice.

John 10:1-21 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. ² But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. ³ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.⁴ When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” ⁶ This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

⁷ So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.¹² He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, ¹⁵ even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock withone shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. ¹⁸ No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

¹⁹ A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. ²⁰ Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?”²¹ Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”

In today’s text Jesus says:  “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”   In Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus says:  “See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.”    It is important to note that Jesus says that the deceivers will say that Jesus is the Christ, yet they will mislead many. How can this be, that those who would come in Jesus name and say that He is the Christ, would mislead many?  Many today proclaim a new updated Christ, one who tolerates and embraces sin. Some even declare that Jesus Himself was a sinner who participated in immoral acts. This is contrary to all scriptural accounts and to what Jesus Himself said. Hebrews 4:15 says:  We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  In Matthew 5:18-20 Jesus says:  “Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”   In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says:  “If a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”   How then could Jesus, if He were a sinner or if He annulled the commandments of God, save sinners or Himself enter the kingdom of heaven?   Again, in today’s text it says:  “The sheep follow him because they know his voice.  A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”   Sadly today there are many who don’t know the voice of the Lord and so they are susceptible to the voice and the lies of strangers and theives.  Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

We can certainly see the destruction and death that is being caused by the thieves and deceivers in the world today. The tolerance and embracing of sin is bringing death to our families. The lie of choice over life brings death to about 900,000 unborn babies per year. The lie that separation of church and state means that God must be excluded from schools and public places has resulted in our schools and cities becoming war zones. Suicide rates and addiction are at all time highs, because our culture has believed the lie that there is no God and that there is no sin, and so the hopelessness of a life without the God of hope destroys people. Here is the good news though, in today’s text Jesus says:   “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,  even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”  Romans 5:8 says:  God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Jesus died while we were sinners. Even for those today, who are yet caught in the lies and deceit of sin, Jesus laid down His life in love, so that they too could become His. Jesus says:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”     The world has told the lie that truth is subjective and relative; that it is whatever you believe.  In John 14:6 Jesus says:  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”   Truth is more than a concept which is subject to change at the whim of people, culture and society. Truth is Jesus Christ, the unchanging King of Kings and Lord of Lords; the Almighty who laid down His life and died so that we could live and have an abundant life.

Thank You heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit that Your voice is true. Among all the lying and deceitful voices in the world may I always follow Your voice, the voice of truth. Because You are the Good Shepherd, like the psalmist I say:  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.