John 10:1-21 – “Distinguishing the Voice of Jesus”
(Nameun Cho)
John 10:1-21 “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.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “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 listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by 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 does not own 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 cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
————————————
Jesus’ proclamation in this passage is a fascinating one because his identity is predicated on a very specific sensory detail. Only those who have heard and can recognize his voice will know that it is he who calls them. Fresh off the heels of a narrative in which Jesus heals a blind man, John strategically juxtaposes Jesus’ next teaching with what we are to do when we are without sight. Naturally, our other senses are heightened; and this creates an opportunity for us as his followers to deepen our intimacy with him through other means. When we think about the phenomenon of the voice in the context of our relationships, a whole new dynamic emerges that helps us appreciate each of those relationships. Consider the pitch, tone, inflections, rate of speech, and many other nuanced facets of hearing someone’s voice. And once you hear it enough, you begin to recognize the different people in your life you’ve grown in intimacy with just by hearing the sound of their voice.
There are many instances in which Sarah and I can be in a setting with a handful of friends- many of whom are also parents with their children present. All of our kids can be off in another portion of the house that we are in, playing boisterously while the adults are deep in conversation. And then inevitably, there will come a cry from that room that causes all adult conversation to pause. Solely depending on the sound of the cry, the parent of whom said cry belongs to can accurately discern that it is their child in distress. We can’t explain how it works, but strangely enough, our intuition serves us correctly. Through the many years and iterations of hearing our children’s voices, we can instantly tell when we are needed. Such intimacy can only come from countless exposure to these unique sounds, and with its recognition also comes a response and action.
A relationship with Jesus also entails this very phenomenon. He certainly knows us deeply, recognizes our voice, and is able to distinguish between cries of joy and those of distress. In turn, with the continued rhythm of fostering this relationship with Him, we also begin to recognize the tender voice of our Lord and Savior. Only through regular exposure to His Word, our communication with him in prayer, and lived experience of sensing his nearness to us, can we distinguish between the voice of God and that of the enemy. The sheep know that in the presence of their own shepherd comes care and safety. As followers of Christ, we learn over time that in the presence of our Good Shepherd comes assurance and salvation. It may not always be an audible voice that we hear, but it grows into a divine intuition knowing that we will not be led astray. Lean into the reality that this kind of intimacy requires constant and regular submission to our humble King. Heed the invitation to become part of the flock of the Good Shepherd who would lay down his life for us so that we might have abundant life.
Weekly Prayer Focus: Outreach to Neighbors
Daily Prayer Request: “Greenfield Community Association (GCA).” Part of the process for zoning approval will involve a meeting with the community representatives with GCA. Our desire is to form good relationships with our neighbors through this group – pray that we would be good neighbors and that we would be well received.