Welcome to Day 146 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about finding nourishment in the Word of God to get us through the day. In each devotional, I take a variety of scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses each) and build our understanding of what they teach via their context and connecting scripture. My goal is to help you understand how to be the type of human God created you to be.

Today’s passage is John 10:14-15. We’ll look at what it means that Jesus is our true Shepherd.

John 10:14-15

NASB	NLT	VOICE
14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me,	14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,	14 I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me.
15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.	15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.	15 As the Father knows Me, I know the Father; I will give My life for the sheep.

Jesus knows us all, just as a shepherd would know all the sheep. Jesus knows who his people are, and his people know who he is. The relationship we have with Christ is reflective of the relationship he has with his father. As the shepherd lays down his life to protect his sheep, Jesus will do the same for us. Jesus goes and lays down his life for us on the cross to purify us and make us right with God. He is the true Shepherd who will protect, guide, feed, and shelter us through the world’s chaos, much like a shepherd will do for their sheep.

2 Timothy 2:19

NASB	NLT	VOICE
19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His;” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is keep away from wickedness.”	19 But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.”	19 Regardless of what they do or say, God’s foundation is strong and firmly in place, etched, with his seal: “The Lord knows the one who belong to Him,” and, “Everyone who invokes the name of the Lord ought to stop doing what they know to be wrong.

False teachers still share their lies. Some distort the truth. Some dilute it. Some reject it. Some simply reject it by saying God’s truth no longer applies. No matter how many people follow those leaders who twist the scriptures, the truth is that God’s truth never changes, is never shaken, and will never fade. It’s important to watch out for those, Christian and non-Christian, who use God’s teaching to push their own agenda or use it/reference it in a way that solely pushes their own agenda or is for their own personal benefit. Use the power of discernment given by the Holy Spirit to help you understand where God’s truth is in the middle of all that and the courage to reject the spiritual truth of the person speaking or even talk with them about your concern.

Matthew 11:27

NASB	NLT	VOICE
27 All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; no does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son determines to reveal Him.	27 “My Father has entrusted everything to My care. No knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son – and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”	27 The Father has handed over everything to My care. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son – and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal the Father.

Jesus stated the basis for his authority in three ways:

The Father had entrusted everything to him. From eternity, Jesus always knew the Father’s heart and mind. The communion between them shows the core and essence of their relationship – unity. Jesus was in the world’s creation when God created us in their image (referencing the Trinity). Jesus knew how creation should work and was sent down to show us how to live that life. Knowing we’d still get things wrong, Jesus sacrificed himself to make us right with God. Knowing we could never live a perfect life, Christ’s sacrifice perfected us despite our sins. We can maintain our unity with God and work towards a 1% better than we were yesterday.

The Father knows the Son. In the Old Testament, to know someone meant more than to have head knowledge of them; this word implied an intimate relationship. The communion between God the Father and God the Son is the core of their relationship. It provides the basis for Jesus’ claim to be God. The Pharisees grasped the implication and hated Jesus for it. Their intimate relationship needed to be revealed to show his true potential. The Pharisees, though, claimed it as blasphemy and killed him for it. We can watch out for others who try to do the same thing with the word of God and realize that the true God and the words of God are shown through Jesus himself.

For anyone to know Jesus, Jesus revealed himself to that person. How fortunate we are that Jesus has revealed God to us, his truth, and how we can know him. Again, the reminder is that a relationship with Jesus will never be forced upon. It’s something that we can go towards willingly. If we were forced, we’d find more resentment than intentional cooperation. The life we live with Christ is about doing the will of God and loving our neighbors as taught by Jesus Christ.

BREATHE IN:                    Jesus is…

BREATHE OUT:               …the Good Shepherd.

Until next time, stay blessed.