[1] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. [2] But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”(John 10:1–5)
Jesus is referring to himself in this passage. Jesus is our “Good Shepherd.” Which raises the question: How do we know for certain we are hearing his voice today?
- How do we know what we are being told about our relationship with God is from Jesus?
- How do we know moral instructions that we receive are from Jesus?
- How do we know what we are learning about the End Times is actually Jesus’ teaching?
We recognize whether such teaching or instruction is from Jesus by knowing Jesus through the Scriptures. This is most readily done by having thorough knowledge of the Gospels. In Gospels we see and hear Jesus.
Yet we also know Jesus through the Old Testament. Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament. Jesus coming’ to us is predicted in the Old Testament.
And we know Jesus through the remainder of the New Testament. We blessed to having Jesus’ life and teaching repeated, clarified, and interpreted in the New Testament.
The more deeply we know God’s Word, the more accurately we can discern whether what we hear today is from Jesus. The Scriptures are such a tremendous blessing, to grant us such confidence in knowing the Good Shepherd today.
(A Second Look devotions are written for the congregations of the Ohio District LCMS.)
Kevin Wilson 360 