He Rises Again
John 10:9-11 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”
Throughout the Gospels we can see the recurring theme of Christ’s loving compassion upon people. He heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, opens the ears of the deaf, raises the dead, but even more than this, He shares with them how to find abundant life in Him. His love for us leads Him to become incarnate in the flesh, fully God and fully Man, and to suffer with us, heal us, teach us, and offer Himself up for us.
It is the epitome of a true love story of someone who could so selflessly deny themselves and give everything for the person they love. But the evil thief hates God and the God’s creation so much, he will steal, kill, and destroy just to watch the world burn. The evil thief is so devoid of love, that his pleasure is to inflict pain on the sheep and the Shepherd. The evil thief attempts to scatter the sheep dividing the church, breaking up the unity, destroying the families, and severing our loving relationship with God. So we find ourselves beset with trials and temptations and it may seem like it is only us going through these trials, but the thief is attacking all people on all fronts to destroy their lives and any hope of a loving relationship with Christ and with their fellow man.
The Good Shepherd sees this, He has compassion on them, He yearns to bring the sheep to him, the chicks under His wings, to gather us up, to save us from the destroyer. He loves us so much and seeing His creation suffer, Jesus allows His own human nature to suffer with them. Seeing His creation tempted, He allows Himself to be the target of temptations too. He feels the pain of His creation, and He shares in that pain with us. He observes the injustice, and He too allows Himself to experience the most cruel injustice against His all perfect goodness.
He is the good shepherd who doesn’t stop there. He lays down His life for His sheep. He loves His sheep so much that He dies for them. Fully experiencing our trials, our suffering, our emotional anguish, and with His love, He gives of Himself completely for us. He yearns for us to be gathered up under His wings and not harassed by the thief or led astray.
And in the darkest of nights when it would seem all hope is lost because the Good Shepherd was crucified, He rises again.