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Friday, May 01, 2009

"I Am"

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[May 01, 2009]   -- I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”-John 10:11

Three times in the Gospel of John Jesus delivers powerful “I Am” statements. In John 8 we learn that Jesus is the light of the world. In John 15 we are taught that Jesus is the true vine and here, in John 10, we learn that Jesus is the good shepherd. It is worth noting that the “I am..” phrasing is important. Remember back in Exodus when Moses is beckoned to the burning bush from which the glory of God is radiating? In that passage Moses asks God for a name, to which God replies, “I am who I am.” This had always been the divine name. But now Jesus is elaborating on “I am who I am.” He offers us these images and none are more powerful than good shepherd.

So, what is so special about this? I mean, it casts you and me as sheep, how great can it be to be compared to sheep? But this is not the point. This image points to the very nature of God. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” He then succinctly defines the image thus, “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Period. Full stop. Jesus, the son of God, the Word of God, the Light of the World, will lay down his life for you and me. It is not something he does, it is who he is and if it is who he is then it is who God is. This is incredible news! And it means several things to us. First, it illustrates God’s love for us. God loves you a lot. Second, it highlights the selfless nature of God. And perhaps its most important meaning is this; that it establishes the value of human life. Human life is pretty cheap these days, but not to God. In God’s mind the value of a human life is the divine life. Think about that for a moment. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Those are some important sheep Maybe being a sheep is not so bad after all.

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Prayer: Holy God, help me to understand how valuable and loved I am. Fill me with joy, hope and peace, that I may know today that you love me. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Text from file received by Phil Blackburn, First Presbyterian Church]

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