One Flock

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

ONE FLOCK

John 10:14-18

14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I 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. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to 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 authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." 

NIV

That is us; we are the sheep that are not of this sheep pen. Jesus was telling the Jews, the chosen people of God, that he was laying down his life for all the Gentiles as well as the Jews. He was telling them the whole world is the creation of God and that Jesus came to bring salvation to all mankind, not just them. We know all of that, it is not news to us, but it sure was to them. They must have thought they had a monopoly on their God, that he was their God, and nobodies else’s. But then this Jesus is telling them that he and the Father know each other and that he has the authority to lay down his life and take it up again. They just had to be fuming on the inside. They were sure they had the truth about God, and they were the only ones who did, but Jesus was telling them they were wrong about their beliefs, and he was telling the honest to God truth. It would seem we denominational indoctrinated people might fall into the same trap those Pharisees did, thinking we have the truth and all the others are wrong, that is if we actually believe that one denomination has the truth and the others have some sort of truth but have been led astray. Jesus is the shepherd not just of one sheep pen but he has other pens which he is the shepherd of. We are all one flock and have one shepherd. It is true that some people simply do not believe in Jesus. There are religions all over the world that do not include Jesus. There are people within the realm of Christianity who do not believe in Jesus. They live in the cultural of Christianity but refuse to accept him as their Lord and Savior, yet all those people still are a part of the one flock, with one shepherd. There is no other way for any person in the world to gain eternal life except through Jesus. Now the truth of this is still about faith. Those who believe will be saved and those who do not will perish, so in some sense the sheep that are in the flock are those who listen to the voice of their shepherd. Whoever listens to his voice will be in his flock, no matter what pen they once were in. We have to make sure we are not distracted by any other voice, including our own. Jesus is the only one who has the authority over death and life. As he said it about his own, he also has it over ours. No one else can take our life and give it back to us. No one else has that kind of authority. We are his sheep. He has the authority.