O LORD, you are my God…You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.” Isaiah 25:1a,4a
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Do you feel the storms of life bearing down on you? Are the winds and rains of this world putting a damper on your life? Then praise the LORD, because He is our shelter from the storm. When things get tough, we can always run to Him! Every Tuesday and Saturday we facilitate a bible study for the men at Pleasant Valley Shelter. We trust that this devotion will encourage and strengthen your walk with Christ…

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Willing To Die

Jesus Offers His Life – John 10

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Read John 10: 14-24
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“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 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.” At these words the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

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Jesus and Scripture

Isn’t always fascinating to see how much Scripture Jesus knew and how much He incorporated into His ministry? We are all familiar with how He withstood Satan’s attacks using Scripture, and how He baffled audiences with the authority by which He spoke. This passage in John 10 is another example of Jesus knowing earlier Scriptures and using them in context to draw men to Himself. Here Jesus is very near the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. Now the Feast of Dedication was also known as Hanukkah to the Jews. Hanukkah, as is celebrated today, revolves around the celebration of God’s miraculous provision of oil for lighting the menorah in the Holy of Holies. Around the time of the performance of this miracle, the Jews were suffering terrible persecuation at the hands of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and there was a Maccabean to resist the abominations that he was doing within the temple of God. After a success revolt, the Jews eventually regained control of the temple. But within this process, many Jews lost their lives and never got to celebrate God’s miracle of lighting the menorah.
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Now, it is within this context that Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd. He is not only this Shepherd, but He is willing to lay down His life for His sheep. While this might seem ‘nice’ to the average reader, to the Jews in that time (only about 150 years from the first Hanukkah) they would have been moved by Jesus’ sacrifice. That is why the room was divided when he said what he had to say. _
But what does this mean to us? How do believers in the 21st century apply these teachings to our lives? The first thing we need to understand is the importance of God’s word. All of it is important. While we may read “Feast of Dedication”, understanding that this means Hanukkah and then knowing all of the historial context of Hanukkah helps give us a broader picture of God’s purpose and plan for the world and our lives. Secondly, we need to know that if Christ was willing to lay down His life, how are we to live? Shouldn’t we be willing to lay down our lives as living sacrifices? (Romans 12:1) So, the next time you read the word of God, dig a little deeper to see the context to which God is speaking and all that He wants to say, remembering that any revelation of God’s word must come from God Himself!
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Prayer

Lord Jesus, You laid Your life down for me. How could you ever love me that much? Thank You so much for Your protection of me. As Your sheep, help me to learn and walk in Your ways. Teach me about you and help me follow all that you say. I love you and am committed to Your every word. AMEN