Monday, 7 January 2019

"WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?" BLOG 3 – "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE"

19:59 Posted by Matthew Beaney No comments


THIS BLOG CONTAINS:

COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY 3
 “I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE” (John 11:25-26;)
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The death and raising of Lazarus is the context that is used by John to teach what is meant byof Jesus’ name, “I am the resurrection and the life”. 
·     Read John 11:1. What does this chapter say about suffering and sickness in this world? 
Jesus’ name “I am the resurrection and the life” is spoken to us, as it was spoken to Martha, in order to give us hope in this world of difficulty, sin, sickness and death. 
·      What do you think are some of the things that are meant by Jesus’ name, “I am the resurrection and the life”? 
·      Jesus claims to be “the resurrection”. Like Jesus, believers will experience a bodily resurrection at the end of history. What does John 5:28-29 & 6:40 say about this?
·      Jesus claims to be “the life”. Read John 5:24, 17:3 and 2 Corinthians 5:17 and discuss what this means. 
·      How does this description of Christ help us when we are worried or upset about death?
RESPONSE
We live in a world that tends to to think that the past is better than the future, and that the future is bleak. Jesus’ name gives us hope. In Christ we are alive, we are loved, and we see the renewal of all things coming. Jesus asks you today, “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that “I am the resurrection and the life”? 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL 
MONDAY– I AM THE RESURRECTION AND LIFE
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The context of these words are the death and raising of Lazarus. Let’s explore what this event teaches us about what it means for Jesus to be the ‘resurrection and the life’. 
We are in an age of suffering
We read that ‘Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.’ Even so, suffering came to this family. Martha was confused as we often are when suffering strikes, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 
Jesus gives resurrection and life
Jesus’ statement, “I am the resurrection and the life” is designed to fill us with hope beyond suffering and death. It means,
•     Believers will experience future, bodily resurrection, “they will live even though they die.” This links with what we saw when we looked at Jesus as the bread of life,
Jn. 6:40My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
•     Christians die physically but remain alive spiritually, “whoever lives by believing in me will never die”. 
All of this is illustrated in this miraculous sign of raising Lazarus from death. At the end of history, all Christians will rise from death, in a resurrection body, never to suffer or die. 

RESPONSE
Resurrection-life is promised to all Christians. He reassured Martha in her mourning. Perhaps you need your vision extended to our glorious hope. 
1 Cor. 15:20-24Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come… 

TUESDAY – YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS NOW
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus said these words to Mary after the death of her brother, Lazarus. This terrible incident was permitted by God in order to teach them, and every generation of Christians, about Jesus. Prior to this we read, 
John 11:4When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 
We often don’t listen to Jesus about resurrection and hope until we are in moments of suffering. Jesus wants to be ‘glorified’ in your heart and mind; He wants you to understand and live in the good of what it means for Him to be “I am the resurrection and the life”; He wants to teach you this before you face the suffering that comes to all of us. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 
(I’ve broken this up with my own comments) 
Verse 13. Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 
As Jesus gave hope to Martha at the death of Lazarus, so He wants us to be hopeful. God wants you to grieve, but grieve differently because you have hope beyond the grave, and hope of future resurrection. 
Verse 14. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 
Jesus’ resurrection is a demonstration of what will happen to all Christians. A Christian’s death is often termed ‘sleep’; it teaches us that for Christians, like sleep, in death we remain alive, and that death will come to an end in resurrection. 
Verse 15-18. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.Therefore encourage one another with these words.
There is much that could be said about these verses. For the purposes of today’s study, I want to keep us focussed on the hope of Jesus’ return and resurrection – we have a great hope! Paul ends – and this is what I want to urge on you – with the words, ‘Therefore encourage one another with these words.’ Let’s be encouraged, and encourage others, that Jesus is ‘the resurrection and the life’. 
RESPONSE
Is your faith and love for Jesus dependent upon your life going well? Will you reject Jesus if He doesn’t perform how you want? Grieving is a part of life. In this chapter we read of Jesus’ grief,
John 6:33-36 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Let’s face suffering with hope. Jesus loves us and is in control, no matter what happens. Jesus wants you to live in full confidence of eternal life through faith in Him; He also wants you to trust Him for Christian loved ones who have ‘fallen asleep’, that you will be reunited with them. We also need to trust Him about those who have died without faith in Christ – this is not a burden for you to bear!

WEDNESDAY– THE ONE WHO BELIEVES
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus is ‘the resurrection and the life’; but the power of this name does not come into our lives automatically. Any electronic device needs to be plugged into a power socket, or the power that is available remains useless. How does one ‘plug in’ to Jesus’ name? The answer is ‘believing’ or faith, “the one who believes in me will live”. 
Jesus asked that the stone covering the entrance to Lazarus’ tomb be removed. Martha protested, “by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.” Martha had faith that Jesus could have kept her brother from dying (11:21); she had a theoretical faith that Jesus could raise the dead (11:24); but she needs her faith enlarged to believe that Jesus could actually raise her brother from death right now. 
We are all in the process of growth. We all ‘believe’ certain things, but when reality hits, the weakness (or strength) of one’s belief is revealed. 
A father came to Jesus to heal his son. The suffering of loved ones, particularly children, will test and reveal the depth of anyone’s faith. The dad pleads, “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9:22). Jesus responds,
Mark 9:23-24“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
This man is a great example to all of us. He brings his most precious things and pressing troubles to Jesus. But, he also asks for growth in faith. 
RESPONSE
Do you believe Jesus when He says, “I am the resurrection and the life”? If you think that your faith is not mixed with unbelief, it’s simply because you don’t know yourself properly. Belief in life after death, and, more extraordinarily, in future resurrection, is challenging to us. Perhaps the best response is to come to Jesus, like this father, and pray, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

THURSDAY– RESURRECTION AND LIFE NOW 
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus’ name as, “I am the resurrection and the life”, is not just about the future. We have resurrection–life right now. To be a Christian is to be made alive by the Spirit right now. 
John 17:3Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 
2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Let’s think, using Ephesians 2 as a guide, about what it means have Jesus as ‘the resurrection and the life’ right now. 
Ephesians 2:4-6But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
·      God has ‘made us alive’. This is right now. We have the hope of life and resurrection after death, but these are the continuation, and completion, of a new life that has already begun in us. 
·      ‘God raised us up with Christ’ – Somehow, we have participated in the resurrection of Jesus. Christians are united to Christ – His Spirit is in us – and so we share in His life. We will think more on this when we study “I am the vine”, which is a marvellous metaphor of how life flows from the vine into every branch.  
·      We have been ‘Seated with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus’ – Our union with Jesus is so real that Paul can say that we are ‘seated with him…’ Because the Spirit of Christ is in us, we are united to Him and are, in a mysterious way, also in heaven with Him – we have a great victory right now! 
This new life is often called the ‘new birth’ or ‘regeneration’. A Christian’s inner-man has been brought to life by the Spirit. This new life is eternal and, if you are a Christian, it has already begun. 
RESPONSE
Here are two very different scriptures for you to meditate and pray out of. The first is about assurance, the second is about action. Focus and pray on what you feel that you most need.
John 5:24“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Colossians 3:1-3Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

FRIDAY – DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? 
John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
This week we have been meditating on Jesus’ name, “I am the resurrection and the life”. Belief is mentioned three times in this text: “the one who believes… whoever lives by believing…” and it finishes with a personal question to you and me, “do you believe this?” 
Martha answers this question,
John 11:27“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
It’s interesting that Martha Jumps from Jesus’ words about “resurrection…” to Him being the “Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
Messiah (Christ) was a term used for Israel’s long-awaited Saviour King (See also Matthew 16:13-17). He had been promised to come from the line of David, and to come into the world as their great deliverer. As ‘Son of God’ she was declaring that Jesus was God who has come into the world.  
Martha’ confession is in harmony with John’s expressed purpose in writing this gospel,
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believethat Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
At His birth the angels declared to the shepherds, 
Luke 2:10-12“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Martha said of Jesus “I believe…” She has personal faith. We often remember Martha by comparing her unfavourably to Mary, who sat at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:38-42). Surely, she should principally be remembered for her outstanding faith whilst mourning for the death of her brother! 
RESPONSE
Jesus asks you today, “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that “I am the resurrection and the life”? 
What is your identity and what is God’s attitude to you as you say “Yes, I believe”? Let’s finish with a parable told by Jesus in order to show us His attitude to those who come to Him in faith.
Luke 15:18-24   I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

"WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?" BLOG 2 – “I AM THE GATE AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD” (John 10:9-14)

19:54 Posted by Matthew Beaney No comments


THIS BLOG CONTAINS:



COMMUNITY GROUP/FAMILY STUDY 2
“I AM THE GATE AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD”  

John 10:9-10 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:11-14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The 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. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me
Previously we have seen that Jesus uses the metaphors of bread and light to teach us about Himself; He now uses the illustration of shepherding sheep – our relationship with Jesus is to be like that between a good shepherd and His sheep. The following account from the travels of Sir George Adam Smith helps to illustrate what is means for Jesus to be ‘the gate’ and ‘the good shepherd, 
“He was one day travelling with a guide, and came across a shepherd and his sheep. He fell into conversation with him. The man showed him the fold into which the sheep were led at night. It consisted of four walls, with a way in.  Sir George said to him, ’That is where they go at night?’ ‘Yes,’ said the shepherd, ‘and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe.’ ‘But there is no door,‘ said Sir George. ‘I am the door,’ said the shepherd. He was not a Christian man, he was not speaking in the language of the New Testament. He was speaking from the Arab shepherd’s standpoint. Sir George looked at him and said, ‘What do you mean by the door?’ Said the shepherd, ‘when the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in that open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door.’
·      What do these two metaphors (gate and shepherd) tell us about our salvation, how we are attacked, and our protection? 
·      How does one enter the ‘gate of the sheep’ through whom we are saved? (See 10:9 and 3:16-17)
·      What other things can we, and are we, tempted to trust in as our ‘gate’ of salvation and ‘good shepherd’ of protection? 
·      The aim of our enemy (the devil) is to ‘steal, kill and destroy; and to ‘scatter the flock’. The key to our protection and flourishing is to stay close to Jesus. How does one stay close to Jesus personally, and why is community so vital for this? 
·      Jesus promises ‘life to the full’ or ‘abundantly’ (10:10) for those who will come to Him. What are the range of things that this means? In what ways are you, and are you not experiencing this? What could you do to enter more fully into the abundant life that Jesus wants for you? 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL 
MONDAY – WHAT IS YOUR GATE OF SALVATION?
John 10:9-10 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Here we have a picture of Jesus, as a shepherd, sat, guarding the doorway to the sheepfold; no danger can enter and no sheep can wander out into darkness and danger. 
Jesus, declaring Himself to be the ‘gate of the sheep’ (10:7) is something that we are to choose to believe and live in the good of. 
We can make other things our ‘gate of salvation’, such as:
·     False teachers and leaders other than Christ – In Jesus’ context it was the religious leaders. For us it might be self-help gurus, liberal ungodly teachers etc. Do you you make solid Christian teaching your main interest? If not, why not? 
·     Entertainment – We can make entertainment of any kind our ‘salvation’. We seek peace through escapism. 
·     A False Jesus – A Jesus who is not derived from the bible. In particular, we make Jesus into a ‘shepherd’ who accepts anybody into His sheepfold (universalism). Jesus – the true gate – is shut against anyone who has not received Him as Lord and Saviour. 
·     Myself as the gate – We are all tempted toward religion that is about climbing the wall – being good – in order to earn God’s approval. 
Jesus also promises that we ‘will come in and go out, and find pasture.’ Those who will ‘enter the gate’ (trust in Christ) will find true spiritual peace and freedom. Psalm 23 says it well,
Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
RESPONSE
What is your gate of salvation? Is Jesus your only door? Have you entered Salvation, rest in God’s love,  through Jesus’ work and death for you? 

TUESDAY – BEWARE OF THIEVES
John 10:9-10 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus warns us of ‘the thief’ (See 10:8 also; this is anyone or anything that distracts or detracts from Jesus.)
How can we detect thieves?
Jesus tells us how we can detect those who want to harm us,
John 10:1Very 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. 
Any teacher, philosophy, lifestyle, relationship… that does not teach and encourage us to enter through ‘the gate’ – through Jesus – will rob from us. 
The thief’s mission
The thief’s mission is in contrast to that of Jesus: Jesus gives life to the full, the thief gives destruction. 
·     The thief steals – false teachers want a following, money, power, sex… to steal focus and confidence in Christ and put our confidence in them, or something other than Jesus. 
·     The thief kills – This is not a warning about losing our salvation. The thief kills in that His message keeps people from Jesus. 
·     The thief destroys– The thief harms our life in every way. And, ultimately, those who follow the ‘thief’ will be destroyed in hell. 
The satanic spirit behind all false teachers loves to distract and detract from entering the gate – through Jesus. Jesus says to the false teachers of His day,  
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies
RESPONSE
Be on your guard! Our spiritual health is under attack. In order to protect yourself, put on the ‘full armour of God’ as we read,
Ephesians 6:11, 14-18Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes…Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions…
All of the pieces of this armour could be summed up as, ‘Put your faith, and keep your faith in Christ no matter what!’ 
In the context of today’s devotional, we could say, keep your confidence in the true gate of salvation, no matter what!’

WEDNESDAY – SEEK LIFE TO THE FULL?
John 10:9-10 “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Some regular responses to why people don’t follow Jesus: 
·     It would be boring – following Him will rob one of joy in some way.
·     It is evil– The bible teaches things that I disagree with in regard to sex, marriage, gender, salvation only through Jesus…
·     It is naïve–Surely educated people know that the bible is wrong and we know better than people did all that time ago…
These are all conclusions that are not based on serious exploration. They are hypothetical, but, ultimately, satanic in origin, and designed to keep us from entering through ‘the gate’ and having ‘life, and having it to the full’. 
RESPONSE
How does one seek life to the full?
1.   Properly define ‘life to the full’
This is not about having an overflowing bank account, good health, being admired… Jesus is not a means to the ‘good life’ as defined by those who don’t know any better! Fullness of life is:
·      Having eternal life – In Jesus, we are forgiven (justified) and will never face death.
·      Having Jesus – Fullness of life is knowing Jesus. Knowing Him for Himself and not as a means to an end of satisfying our greed etc. 
2.   Enter life through the gate
We seek fullness of life by putting our trust in Jesus. Make Him the centre and ultimate pursuit. 
3.   Live in sight of the gate
Once we enter the gate (trust in Christ) for salvation, one needs to keep in sight of the gate; keep celebrating and remembering the gospel; keep our confidence here! 
4.   Refuse the lie
To live in the fullness that Jesus has for us, one must also refuse error, or that which is unbeneficial for keeping our eyes on Jesus. 


THURSDAY – ARE YOU ONE OF JESUS’ SHEEP?
John 10:11-14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The 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. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. 
Not only does Jesus say “I am the gate”, He also defines Himself, “I am the good shepherd. 
Jesus likens Christians to His sheep. One of the attributes of Jesus’ sheep is that they listen and follow Him, 
“The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…his sheep follow him because they know his voice…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… My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me…”
From God’s perspective, before we were Christians, we were lost sheep. He had chosen us, we were His, but we were away from the fold. The proof that we are His sheep is that we listen to His voice and follow the good shepherd. As we read,
John 10:26-30But you (The Pharisees) do not believe because you are not my sheep.  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”
RESPONSE 
Have you heard Jesus’ voice and have you followed Him? Did you hear Him saying “come follow me”? Do you realise that, when you were lost, Jesus spoke to you specifically? A shepherd doesn’t lead and protect all sheep; He leads and protects those who are owned by Him. You belong to Christ if you love His voice. If you are one of His, you can never be lost, will never be rejected. Read the following parable and rejoice that this is about you, and the whole church,
Matthew 18:12-14“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”


FRIDAY – THE GOODNESS OF JESUS
John 10:11-14 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.The 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. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me
‘Good’ can be translated as ‘beautiful’. Jesus is not just the ‘moral shepherd’ – a strict, unpleasant ruler. He is attractive to us. A shepherd is an autocrat, but Jesus is a good Lord. 
Here we come to the greatest revelation of the love of the good shepherd as Jesus lays down His life to save His sheep. Jesus is not setting Himself up as a great example of how you and I are to live; rather, he is the unique good shepherd whose death will save the sheep. 
Any ‘shepherding’ that you and I may do, is principally about bringing people to Jesus – the good shepherd. 
RESPONSE
Our natural inclination is to think that we have to lay our lives down, perform feats of hardship, in order to please or appease God. We set ourselves up as ‘the good shepherd’ feeling that we must ‘lay our lives down for the sheep’. Now, of course, there is a place for selfless-love, but loving others is not, principally, what Jesus wants us to learn when He says “I am the good shepherd”. Firstly, He wants you to see that He is good, He has died for you, you are loved, you are saved, you are safe. 
The incident of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice His son is a good place to end this week’s meditation. You and I are not called upon to offer the sacrifice for our or others’ salvation; This is provided for, as God gave His Son for us, ‘on the mountain’. 
Genesis 22:13-14Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

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