John 10:22-30 (NRSV)
Read John 10:22-30 on biblegateway.com
Verse 22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, Verse 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. Verse 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Verse 25Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; Verse 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. Verse 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. Verse 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. Verse 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. Verse 30The Father and I are one."
Devotion
Jesus is walking in the temple when people demand to know if he is the Messiah. They want certainty, but Jesus doesn’t give it to them. Instead, he points to what he has already done. His many works reveal who he is. “The Father and I are one,” Jesus says. In other words, he is God. God is the one who comes to bring his sheep eternal life.
If Jesus is that God, then we are those sheep. It’s not exactly the most flattering comparison, but it brings good news. Sheep belong to the shepherd, who knows and loves them. They are not kept safe by their own strength or understanding but by the depth of the shepherd’s love. “I give them eternal life,” our shepherd promises. “No one will snatch them out of my hand.” In a world where so much is uncertain, God’s love for you is not.
Prayer
Jesus, our Good Shepherd, help us to hear your call and trust in your promises. Amen.
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