Life as A Sheep

Jesus loved to use common things of culture to communicate. Sheep and shepherds were part of every aspect of life back then but not so much today. If we look into sheep and shepherds we would understand that sheep are defenseless animals and they need a shepherd in order to survive. Jesus offers to be our shepherd in so many ways...

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." Matt 9:35-36

-If we bring our wounds and pains to Jesus, He will give us compassion.
We can clearly see in this passage that Jesus sees all of our pain, sickness, selfishness, and more. He is deeply moved with love towards us. Let's move towards Him and share our hurts and let's receive His personal loving attention.

-If we get off course or lost, Jesus knows where we are and will bring us back.
When Adam and Eve were hiding in the garden, God asked, "Where are you?" Did He really not know where they were? Of course, He was helping them see where they were and what condition they were in. This is part of Jesus' way of rescuing us; helping us see how far off course we have gotten. Remember Jesus parable about the shepherd leaving 99 sheep to find the one lost...

-If we fall or fail, Jesus is right there to heal and help us get back up.
Jesus wanted to confront religious "do's" and "don'ts" by saying He is available 24/7. "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep!" Matt 12:11

-If we ask Jesus to rescue us, Jesus will adopt us into His eternal family.
As much as we try, we can not save ourselves, that is God's job. Jesus explained, "I give (My sheep) eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand." John 10:28 

Are you experiencing Jesus as your shepherd?
In what ways do you need to talk with Jesus about your life?

So grateful for Jesus' compassion and strength,
Pastor Chris

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