John 10:19-21
One thing Jesus did was divide people. After his words about the shepherd and his flock, some thought his words “opened the eyes of the blind” and believed in him. Others thought He was demon-possessed and raving mad. How often in today’s world do Christians get that treatment? Sometimes it is the attitude of the world towards anyone who professes to be a Christian. There are plenty of TV shows and movies that ridicule Christians. Other times it is people in churches who speak God’s word and are rejected and ridiculed by fellow Christians. Sometimes it is members of one denomination believing members of another denomination are wrong. Why did the people who called Jesus demon-possessed not believe Him? The Bible gives many clues. Mainly it is because God has not drawn the person to Jesus (John 6:34). There also seems to be an element of choice where the person who chooses to do God’s will is able to accept Jesus’ teaching (John 7:16-19). In the case of the Jewish ruling council, they had a lot to lose. If they had made a choice to listen to God and accept Jesus’ teaching they would have had to give up a lot. They would not have been able to enjoy their comfortable existence and the special treatment they got if they had accepted Jesus.

We need to be careful that we do not allow the comfort of our existence to cause us to choose not to follow Jesus.

John 10:7-18.
This reading sits very well on this day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Jesus gives one of his great “I am” statements. I am the gate for the sheep. He expands on his previous discussion of being the shepherd and now he is the way for the sheep to go. He talks of false prophets and leaders whose commitment is not to God. These people do not give life, all they do is lead the people astray. Jesus is the only way to be saved. But there is more to Jesus than that. He points out that He is the good shepherd. The good shepherd is the one who willingly dies for his sheep. Only the good shepherd cares enough for his sheep to be willing to die for them. The good shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. Jesus likened this to how His Father knew Him and He knew the Father. In this same intimate way our amazing Saviour, Jesus Christ, knows us and allows us to know Him. How do we do that? Jesus, our good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. Jesus' sheep include people from within the Jewish faith and outside of it. This was a clear statement of His salvation being for everyone, not just Jews, in fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3 “all nations will be blessed through you”).

This message is for His sheep to contemplate later, the important message follows. Jesus states that His Father loves Him because He lays down His life only to take it up again. Radical words! I am sure those listening, even those who believed in Him, had no idea what He meant. It is easy for us, with the cross behind us, to understand, but how could anyone listening have comprehended that message! Jesus reiterates that He lays His life down of His own accord. In the time ahead, the Pharisees may have believed they killed Jesus, but He chose to be killed by them. God gave Him the authority to lay down His life and God gave him the authority to take it up again! Wow.

It is so easy to think of the story of Good Friday from the perspective of Jesus as being a victim. Yet He was never a victim. Everything that happened to Him, happened because He allowed it to happen. He allowed Himself to be beaten, flogged, mocked, bullied, tormented, pierced, shamed, abused and hung on a cross. He allowed it because He knew the reward was our salvation. To think that Jesus, our great Saviour, was willing to go through all that for imperfect, sinful, ungrateful people like us! All praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ because when we did not deserve it, He chose to suffer and die on a cross for us. Then He chose to take up His life again and rise from the dead.
May God bless you richly and may words of praise be on your tongue this Easter.
Blessings.

I was looking for a wonderful message from Father Bob Maguire, a lively, now retired, Catholic Priest from Melbourne. He spoke on this morning's Australian Broadcasting Commission's Morning News about Good Friday. I so loved his words that I logged on to the ABC website to see if I could find a transcript of his words. I was not able to find the segment with him but in my search I found this amazing article which can be found in the link at the end of the blog. What I loved about Father Bob's talk was his practical, down to earth, approach to Easter. He considers we get so caught up on the warm fuzzy we get from church that we leave never challenged to change anything about our lives. He also made a reference to there being too many saviours on the cross and it was time we remembered there was only one. I will keep searching for the segment so I can talk about it more. Father Bob is one of those men of God after my own heart. His concern is for us to have a one on one relationship with Jesus. He doesn't think it is complicated, we just have to concentrate on Him and not slip into the complacency of expecting to be comforted and never challenged if we attend church on Sunday.

Until I can find more, below is the link to this amazing message about Easter.

Blessings.

Nan

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3936164.html?WT.svl=theDrum#

John 10:1-6
This is one of my favourite passages in John. I have been praying prayer circles around the area in which I live for some months. I always pray this passage, that the people of the area will hear the voice of their shepherd and follow. It is so beautiful.
In the ancient world of the Old Testament and into Jesus’ time, the shepherd was a symbol for a royal caretaker of God’s people. God was often referred to as the “shepherd of Israel” (Psalm 23:1, 80:1, Isaiah 40:10-11, Ezekiel 34:11-16). God gave the leaders the responsibility of shepherds of Israel. In Isaiah 56:9-12 and Ezekiel 34, God denounced the leaders as false shepherds and instead promised to provide a true Shepherd, the Messiah, who would care for God’s sheep (Ezekial 34:23).
In the time of Jesus, shepherds were often kept in large walled pens with a gate. One person, the watchman, would watch over the sheep pen, thus allowing the shepherds to sleep. When a shepherd came to collect his sheep from the pen, he would call their name. Only his sheep would follow him. He would never take the sheep that were not his. In the world of Jesus’ time, the sheep and shepherd had a strong bond and the sheep would follow their shepherd wherever he went.
I guess the people of that time did not understand all the concepts Jesus spoke of. Maybe they were not aware of Old Testament scriptures? Maybe they were not used to seeing themselves as sheep? For whatever reason they did not understand these words of Jesus. In the verses I will be looking at over the next few blogs, it will be seen that Jesus, as patient as ever, explained what He meant to the people so that they might understand. The time was coming when He spoke plainly to them, without speaking in parables that only some could understand.
We are coming up to Easter. I know that a lot of blog writers will write something about Easter but I won't be doing that. For me, a vital part of Easter is remembering Jesus' time on earth and seeking Him. All these passages in John form a vital part of who Jesus was and provide meaning for Easter. My prayer for you is that on Good Friday, you will remember how Jesus took on your sin and died on the cross for it. On Easter Sunday don't forget to rejoice that Jesus rose from the dead, that because of His great love you are saved.

Hallejuh. Praise the Lord.