Chapter 1 · Encounter 1 of 48
Knowing the Shepherd
Prepare
Jesus describes a shepherd who calls his sheep by name and sheep who recognize his voice. As you read, pay attention to the relationships Jesus describes and what distinguishes the shepherd from everyone else who approaches the sheep.
Read Scripture
Open each passage here without leaving this Encounter.
John 10:1-18
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Ponder
- What seems to make the Shepherd's voice recognizable to his sheep? As you consider the relationship Jesus describes, how does it compare with the way you've understood recognizing God's voice?
- Notice how Jesus contrasts the shepherd with strangers, thieves, and hired hands. What do these differences reveal about his character, and which of them most challenges or deepens your picture of God?
Look Again
Did you catch how Jesus describes knowing his sheep in verses 14–15? He compares that relationship to the way he knows the Father and the Father knows him.
What might that comparison add to your understanding of what it means to know the Shepherd?
Practice
Throughout today, pay attention to the voices shaping your thoughts, decisions, and expectations—whether from other people, the culture around you, or your own inner dialogue.
Choose one of those influences and consider how it compares with the character of the Shepherd you've encountered in John 10. Return to his words as you seek to become more familiar with his voice.
Prayer
Talk with Jesus about your desire to know him. Ask him to make you increasingly attentive to his character and ways.