13 April 2011

Psalm 119:145-176; Jer. 25:30-38; Rom. 10:14-21; John 10:1-18

The Lord announces that His judgment is not only against His people, Israel, but against all the inhabitants of the earth. Our creator, the one who lovingly made us in His image, has announced that He will judge us and we will be found wanting. We should have a healthy fear of the Lord, His power is immense and His hatred of sin is complete. As the scribes have always written, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If we do not believe that God will judge us then we should have no fear before Him and therefore we will never gain wisdom. If, however, we believe God at His Word that He will judge all the peoples of earth, and that righteousness matters, we will begin to pursue the knowledge of good and evil from the only one whose opinion matters, the Creator God.

Jesus speaks of the shepherds of Israel, those whom God has condemned through Jeremiah, Zechariah, Ezekiel and other prophets. In comparison with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, these others are nothing more than hirelings who care only for the money they will make and not for the sheep. Clearly in Scripture there is one true Great and Good Shepherd, God promises that He will shepherd His own sheep and now Jesus lays claim to be that Good Shepherd who was promised. In the past few lessons we have heard Jesus make incredible claims for Himself, the Bread of Life, the Light of the World and now the Good Shepherd. The statements are incredibly provocative and if they are not truth there are certainly grounds for a charge of blasphemy or to have Him committed to an asylum. He is indeed judging the shepherds and finds them wanting.

Paul says that in order to hear we need a preacher, we need someone to tell us the Good News. It is important that we all be able to share the Gospel for we are all called to be missionaries to our own culture and sphere of influence, we are to be prepared to tell the Good News whenever the opportunity presents itself to us. There is no promise that all who hear will believe and in fact Paul laments that his own people, the nation of Israel, has rejected the word that was preached to them by Christ Himself. We cannot cause anyone to believe but we must ensure that we are able to share the Gospel in season and out so that others who may never come to a church have the opportunity to hear of the Good Shepherd who has laid down His life for the sheep.

Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed:
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!