No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded. John 10:18
There are few people in this world who I would take a bullet for, but if such a situation arose, I would, without a doubt, take a bullet for my niece and nephew. This is because I know and love them fiercely. But for a stranger or someone who has wronged me? I would absolutely not take a bullet for that person. Would you? Scripture teaches us that the incredible, amazing thing is that while we were dead in our sin and enemies of God, Jesus willingly, purposefully died for us.
In John 10, Jesus was talking to a group of people when He made the proclamation, "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep" (verse 11). He went on to say that He would willingly lay His life down for the sins of humanity, as no one would force Him to give His life (verses 17-18). Everything He said in these verses was to foreshadow what was to come. You see, His mission in coming to earth was to come, live a perfect life, die an innocent death on a cross, and rise from the dead so that sinful humanity could be rescued from their sin and have eternal life with Him. He knew His mission and chose to fulfill His mission willingly. Reflecting on Jesus' death and resurrection, the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:7-8, "Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." In these verses, Paul is reflecting on the truth that we did not deserve salvation, but Jesus willingly came to earth and died anyway. What grace and what love He has for us!
When Jesus willingly and purposefully died on the cross for the sins of the world, He proved how much He loves you. He spared no expense when it came to purchasing your salvation. My friend, you are dearly, dearly loved. There is nothing God would not do in order to offer you eternal life and salvation with Him forever.
When is the last time you spent time reflecting on the fact that Jesus willingly, purposefully, died for you? He did not have to. He chose to. In your journal or notebook, spend time reflecting and meditating on this beautiful truth that when you were dead in your sin and an enemy of God, Jesus died for you because He loves you. Praise God for His grace in giving us what we do not deserve: salvation and eternal life!
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
When he said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
