Making Connections Dec 19
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December 19
Ezekiel 34, John 10:1-18
Making Connections:
Each name or image given to the Messiah reveals something about His character. Though shepherds are sort of far-removed from most of our western cultures today, God gives shepherds an importance in Scripture that helps bridge the gap in our understanding. From David the shepherd king to the 23rd Psalm to the shepherds who get the good news of Jesus' birth, God gives this lowly occupation significance.
Both Ezekiel & John give such a personal picture of what our Good Shepherd looks like: He is a personal shepherd whose sheep know His voice. He knows the sheep & cares for them, enough to lay down His life.
Jesus also calls Himself the door in John 10:9. Similar to calling Himself the way (John 14:6), Jesus is both the shepherd who leads us & also the gate through which we must pass. In laying down his life for the sheep, He becomes the way & the door. Without that work on the cross, we would have no way to gain access to God. Jesus comes as not only the Passover Lamb, but the shepherd who leads us into real, abundant life.
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