“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” (John 10:11-18, NRSV)
We hear this verse every year on week 3 after Easter.
We hear about the Good Shepherd.
But this time I was not drawn to the Good Shepherd or the hired hand.
I was drawn to what God is still up to.
Jesus tells the disciples and those listening here that He is going to lay His life down. So that is yet to come, but even more than His prediction of His death and resurrection here, we see something else God is up to.
There are other sheep that are not here yet. And Jesus must bring these sheep along with those who are here.
You see we are all not here yet, and so God is not done yet.
God is still working to make His flock complete, and He is using us to do that. He is working through us, in our every day lives to bring more sheep into the fold. We can help them hear His voice and know He is the Good Shepherd.
So know that God is not done yet, and He needs you to go and show His love, grace and mercy to all of the world!
aSacredRebel 