“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” (John 10:16 NLT).
Jesus infuriated the Jewish leaders with His dual claim to be the only Door by which the true sheep of Israel might enter God’s Kingdom, and the “Good Shepherd,” whom only the true sheep of Israel would follow. Jesus called those who claimed to be shepherds of Israel, “hired hands” who only cared for themselves. In contrast, Jesus said, “I AM the Good Shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know Me and I sacrifice My life for the sheep.”
So being born into the Jewish fold wasn’t enough. Jesus was calling out the true sheep from the Jewish fold who would be spiritually born again by believing in Him.
Then, Jesus shocked them further by announcing that He had other sheep not in the Jewish sheepfold. Who are these sheep? They are those who would believe in Jesus among the Gentiles. This is the “mystery” of the Church that the apostle Paul described in Ephesians, saying, “the Gentiles are fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6).
The implications of this were not missed by the Jewish leaders. They had the circumcision, the Torah, the Temple and the traditions, but Jesus was saying it wasn’t sufficient. Their religious works would not save them. Only faith in Him would save. Even the Gentiles who had none of these things would be able to be saved by simply believing in Jesus as the Christ. It was through Jesus that the promise to Abraham would be kept, that “all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his Seed” (Gen.22:18). That Seed, that Shepherd, is Jesus. He is the One who calls His sheep from two folds to become one flock with one Shepherd.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are thankful for Jesus, our Shepherd. For we are members of His flock. We are Your children by His blood. We hear His voice and He knows us by name. Hallelujah! We praise You, Father, for so great a salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.