In one of the great “I am” passages uttered by Jesus, He said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). His own are those identified as His sheep. It is a wonderful blessing to be among the Lord’s flock, and the blessing begins with the relationship we have with the Shepherd. Jesus said, “I know my own and my own know me.” Those who are the true sheep of Christ know Him. Paul recognized the power of knowing Jesus, and he sacrificed all he had for it.
Philippians 3:8 (ESV)
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.
Comparatively speaking, very few people on earth really know Christ. John wrote this about Jesus coming into the world:
John 1:10 (ESV)
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
That’s sad, isn’t it? The very world that Jesus came to save rejected Him because it did not know Him. However, by accepting the Word of God, a remnant of people has come to know Jesus. If you are among them, you should count yourself extremely blessed. However, it is not enough just to say you know Jesus. You must demonstrate evidence. First, if you know Him, you recognize His voice.
John 10:4-5 (ESV)
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
If we are truly sheep in the Lord’s flock, we will not be led astray by impostors. Why? Because we recognize the voice of our Shepherd. We hear our Shepherd’s voice today through His written Word. Our Lord’s sheep are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine because they recognize the doctrine of Christ when they hear it.
Another sign that we are a part of the Lord’s flock is that we follow Him. This points to the obedience of the sheep. Regarding knowing God, John wrote, “And hereby we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). This is just as true with the Son as it is with the Father. Sheep very rarely rebel against their shepherds. He leads and they follow wherever he goes. If you are one of the Lord’s sheep, you do not take whatever path in life you think is right. Instead, you willingly follow Jesus because you trust Him to lead and guide you in the right way.
The real blessing involved in being a part of the Lord’s sheep is that, not only do we know Him, but He knows us. He knows when we stubble and how to restore our balance. He knows when we are discouraged and how to comfort us. He knows when we go astray and how to get us back on course. The words of the 23rd Psalm are certainly applicable to our relationship with Christ.
Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Aren’t you glad that you are a sheep in the Lord’s flock? I know I am. Let us prove that we really are by following Him wherever He leads us.
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.