When God says, “I will not leave you alone,” He is not only promising His continuing presence, He is promising holy confrontation when we abandon Him.
What’s Discipline Got to do with It? by Bryan Chapell taken from Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell, copyright 2001, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187, www.crosswaybooks.org. Page 160.
The fact is, there is a “course” that addresses every issue we will ever face. The Teacher loves to meet one-on-one with His students, so that He can tailor the course to our needs. He is willing to hold class every day that we are willing to meet. We already have the Textbook, which was written by the Teacher Himself. Parts of it can be difficult to grasp. But the Teacher is always available – twenty-four hours a day – to help us understand.
A Place of Quiet Rest, Moody, 2000, p. 62.
The Greek word for good used in John 10 is kalos, and it means more than “good” as opposed to “bad.” It has the idea of “beautiful” as well as “good.” So a classical Greek scholar, E.V. Rieu, translated the statement of Christ as, “I am the shepherd, the Shepherd Beautiful.”
The Gift of Eternal Life by Ajith Fernando taken from The Supremacy of Christ by Ajith Fernando, copyright 1995, Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton Illinois 60187, www.crosswaybooks.org, p. 172.
“My sheep know my voice” (John 10:4). Christ’s faithful lambs know His voice because they are used to the sound of it. Because they commune with Him often and hunger for the words that fall from His lips, they recognize the tone and rhythm of His precious words. They can tell at once whether He or a stranger is declaring peace. They know His voice because it speaks good to their souls. His word of peace humbles souls, cleanses from guilt, transforms lives, melts their hearts, and endears Christ to them.
The Enemy Within, P&R Publishing, 1998, p. 139. Get this book!
Jesus left the comforts of heaven and came into our universe, our pasture, to smell like sheep! Jesus sweated like we do. He walked our pathways, braved our wolves, faced our temptations, and shared our struggles. The Holy One of Israel came in Jesus Christ to be our good shepherd (Lynn Anderson).
They Smell Like Sheep, Howard, 1997, p. 15. Used by Permission.|They Smell Like Sheep, Howard, 1997, p. 15. Used by Permission.
It is an amazing thing how many people consider themselves Christians who don’t consult Christ when making choices. So I feel the need to sound this warning: You cannot be saved from sin by the Christ of the Bible if you reject the Christ of the Bible. The Christ of the Bible is an authoritative Adviser as well as an atoning Savior. So if we try to receive Him as an atoning Savior and reject Him as an authoritative Adviser, all we receive is an imaginary Christ, while rejecting the Christ of the Bible. Therefore, since we can’t be saved by the Christ of the Bible if we reject the Christ of the Bible, we will never make it to heaven, nor enjoy the fellowship of God here, if we don’t aim to make the counsel of Christ decisive in the decision making process of our life.
The Goodness of God and the Guidance of Sinners, January 10, 1988, Used by permission. www.DesiringGod.org.
Sheep are defenseless, liable to stray, pitiful when lost, scattered, stubborn and unintelligent. Clearly, they are desperate for a shepherd. They are dependent on someone to feed protect and lead them to safe green pastures. In the Bible the church leader is called a pastor, a shepherd. The transfer is applicable. It is His charge to “shepherd the flock of God among you (1 Peter 5:2). That means he must feed them on the nutrients of God’s Word, protect them from false teachers (spiritual wolves), warn them about potential dangers, lead them to the fields of holiness and grace and correct them when they stray. Ultimately, Jesus Christ does this through them.
The Heart of Christian Leadership, 1 Peter 5:1-4, April 10, 2022.
Jesus, the good shepherd, will not travel at such a rate as to overdrive the lambs. He has tender consideration for the poor and needy. Kings usually look to the interests of the great and the rich, but in the kingdom of our Great Shepherd He cares most for the poor… The weaklings and the sickly of the flock are the special objects of the Savior’s care… You think, dear heart, that you are forgotten, because of your nothingness and weakness and poverty. This is the very reason you are remembered.
Treasury of the Old Testament, III:575-576.
