The Stranger Uses the Sheep
Devotions this week are based on Week 4 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
Ezekiel 34:7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.
As Jesus teaches about himself as the Good Shepherd, he stands in contrast to all the bad shepherds that preceded him. Kings and priests in the nation of Israel were entrusted with the safety and spiritual care of the people. But yet, these individuals in these positions were not often using the position to care for and lead the sheep, but rather to use them for their own purposes.
The Lord sent Ezekiel to confront them and remove them for their sinful activity.
By the time Jesus arrived on the scene hundreds of years later, the condition wasn’t much different. The spiritual shepherds were not leading people closer to Jesus as the Messiah, but rather deeper into the deception that their personal righteousness would earn them a spot in heaven. They sounded good, but it was not the voice of the Good Shepherd.
So Jesus gave the warning: Not every voice comes from the Good Shepherd. “The one who does not enter by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).
That same stranger voice still exists today. It sounds like this. You are what you produce. You are what you achieve.
It shows up in the pressure to perform, to prove, to measure your worth by success. It tells you that your value rises and falls with your output.
At first, it can feel motivating. It pushes you to work harder and do more. But over time, it becomes exhausting. You are never enough because there is always more to prove.
Jesus offers something completely different. He does not use the sheep. He knows them.
When Jesus calls His sheep by name, He is not looking at what they produce. He is calling them personally. Their identity comes from belonging, not performing.
Think about a job where your value is tied only to results. If you perform well, you are praised. If you fail, you are forgotten. Now contrast that with a relationship where you are known and valued regardless of performance. One uses you. The other loves you.
That is the difference between the stranger and the Shepherd. Our relationship with God is not built on what we achieve, but on what Christ has done.
Reflect: Where am I listening to a voice that tells me I must prove my worth? How does Jesus’ voice speak differently to me?
Prayer: Jesus, free me from the need to prove myself. Help me rest in the truth that I am known and loved by You. Amen.
Truth Is Recognized Through Relationship
Devotions this week are based on Week 4 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 10:1-10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
The picture almost feels too simple for such a big question, “How do I know what’s true?” One could lay out quantifiable elements to discern truth. One could spend hours of research across primary and secondary sources. One could interview multiple people…all in the search for the truth.
But Jesus lays out the simple reality. Sheep recognize truth because they recognize the voice of their shepherd. They do not analyze every sound. They do not debate which voice is best. They follow the one they know.
“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:3–4).
This is how Jesus answers the question of truth. Truth is not first something you figure out. It is someone you learn to recognize.
We often approach truth like a puzzle. We gather opinions, compare ideas, and try to come to the right conclusion. But Jesus shifts the focus from information to relationship. The sheep follow because they know the shepherd.
Think about how you recognize a familiar voice in a crowded place. You do not need to stop and think about it. You simply know. That recognition comes from time spent together.
The same is true with Jesus. The more time you spend with Him, the more clearly you recognize what sounds like Him and what does not. His voice becomes familiar through Scripture, prayer, and walking daily with Him..
In John 10:14, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” This is deeply personal. You are not just learning about Him. You are being known by Him.
That changes how we pursue truth. It means the goal is not to master every argument. The goal is to stay close to the Shepherd.
Application for today is simple. Do not try to solve everything at once. Instead, spend time listening. Open Scripture. Sit quietly in prayer. Ask Jesus to help you recognize His voice. The more you stay near Him, the clearer truth becomes.
Reflect: Where am I trying to figure things out instead of staying close to Jesus? What would it look like to listen before deciding?
Prayer: Jesus, help me to know Your voice. Draw me closer so that I recognize You above all others. Lead me step by step in Your truth. Amen.
When Jesus Calls You Forward
Devotions this week are based on Week 3 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 21:18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
After restoring Peter, Jesus does something unexpected. He speaks about Peter’s future. He describes a future when Peter will follow Him with faithfulness, even to the point of death.
This stands in contrast to the Peter who once denied Him out of fear.
Jesus is not just addressing Peter’s past. He is redefining his future.
Then He gives a simple command. “Follow me.”
This is the same call Peter heard at the beginning, but now it carries deeper meaning. It is not based on Peter’s strength, but on Jesus’ grace. What Jesus began a few years earlier in Peter, he was going to see to completion. The work God created for Peter was one of Gospel blessings but also persecution for that same Gospel message.
Yet Jesus calls him forward. Peter doesn’t object. He doesn’t run. He doesn’t negotiate. He is ready to follow.
Jesus did not leave Peter defined by his failure. He calls him into a future shaped by faithfulness. The same is true for us. Grace does not just forgive. It sends. It calls us to move forward, to live differently, to follow Jesus with renewed purpose.
It won’t be easy. We may not face upside down crucifixion as Peter did, but our faith will be challenged, our connection to Christ strained, and our loyalty tested. But as Jesus’ grace calls AND equips Peter for the task, so will the Lord Jesus do for you.
Our past does not cancel your calling. Rather Jesus redeems our past and calls us into our future. He speaks over your life and invites you to follow Him, living in and proclaiming his message of grace!
Follow him!
Reflect: What might Jesus be calling you to step into right now? What is holding you back from fully following Him?
Prayer: Lord, thank you that my past does not define my future. Give me the courage to follow you wherever you lead. Help me to trust your call and walk in the purpose you have for my life. Amen.
When Grace Feels Personal
Devotions this week are based on Week 3 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 21:9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”
11 Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
One of the most striking details in this passage is what Jesus does before He speaks to Peter. He prepares breakfast. Bread and fish are already waiting when the disciples arrive.
This moment reveals something about the heart of Jesus. He does not begin with correction. He begins with care. He meets physical needs before addressing spiritual ones. He creates space for relationship before moving into restoration.
Grace is not abstract. It is personal. It looks like presence. It looks like provision. It looks like an invitation to come and sit with Him.
“Come and have breakfast.”
This is the same heart we see in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus meets us where we are, not where we think we should be.
For Peter, this meal is not just about food. It is about reassurance. It is about being with Jesus again without fear. It is about experiencing grace before hearing hard truth.
In our own lives, we often expect God to meet us with disappointment. We assume that coming back to Him will feel like facing judgment. But this moment reminds us that Jesus welcomes us with grace.
He knows everything about us, and still invites us to come closer.
Grace is not distant. It is present. It is given to you personally.
Reflect:
Do you tend to expect grace or judgment when you come to God?
How might your relationship with Him change if you recognize His grace more fully?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for meeting me with grace. Thank you for inviting me into your presence, even when I feel unworthy. Help me to receive your love personally and to rest in the relationship you offer. Amen.
When Failure Feels Final
Devotions this week are based on Week 3 How Would You Answer (WATCH HERE)
John 21:15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
After the miraculous catch, the disciples come to shore and find Jesus waiting with a fire and a meal. It is a quiet, gracious moment. But beneath the surface, there is unresolved tension, especially for Peter.
The last time Peter stood near a fire, he denied Jesus three times. Now, Jesus brings Peter back to a similar setting. This is not to shame him, but to restore him.
Three times Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” Each question corresponds to one of Peter’s denials. But Jesus does not ask Peter to explain his failure. He does not demand an apology speech. He simply draws Peter back to the core of the relationship.
“Do you love me?”
That question goes deeper than behavior. It goes to the heart.
Peter responds each time, and each time Jesus gives him a calling. “Feed my sheep.” In other words, Jesus is not only forgiving Peter, he is reinstating him.
Jesus wanted Peter to understand his death was for him. He wants Peter to grasp this truth, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1) He wanted Peter to experience Psalm 103:12, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
We often believe that our worst moments define us. We carry them quietly, assuming they disqualify us from being used by God. But Jesus does not define Peter by his denial. He restores him through it.
Failure is real, but it is not final. In the hands of Jesus, it becomes a place of transformation.
The same is true for us. The areas where we feel most ashamed are often the areas where Jesus wants to meet us most personally. He does not avoid them. He redeems them. He assures us we are fully forgiven and then commissions us to feed this same Gospel truth to the sheep and lamps around us!
Reflect: What failure do you tend to believe defines you?
How would your life change if you truly believed Jesus has restored you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that my failures do not have the final word. You see me fully and still call me your own. Restore what has been broken in me and help me to live in the freedom of your grace. Amen.