Abundant Life- 10/23/2022

Jesus was explaining to a group of Pharisees how to identify a God-appointed spiritual leader. He was using an illustration of a shepherd coming to a sheepfold and calling his sheep, but those listening to Him did not understand what He was saying for some reason. At one level, His meaning was easily understood. Shepherds calling their sheep out of a sheepfold was a common occurrence in that day. However, it was obvious that Jesus meant His words to be interpreted as a parable (vs. 6). Each element contained a deeper meaning, so Jesus began to explain the critical aspects of His teaching. But as He did so, He added new details to His parable and moved on from talking about the requirements for good shepherds to talking about the requirement to become one of His sheep. Jesus is the door of the sheep. He lays down His life so that we can have eternal life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He protects His sheep with His life and does not run away when the wolf comes. Finally, God provides us abundant life through our relationship with the Good Shephard.