EASTER • 3

What does it mean that we are part of the flock of God?

This week’s passage invites us to consider what does being part of the flock of God looks like.

To accompany your lectionary readings, listen to this songs while you meditate on the word:

Bethel Music's collective of worship leaders aim to write and record songs that carry the culture of heaven and the heart of God. We exist to pursue the hear...

CD: You Are In Control / Touching The Father's Heart #33 ℗ 1997 Vineyard MusicReleased: Feb 01, 1997. Recorded live at VCF Goteborg in Sweden, Anaheim Vineya...

reading for: 21 April

John 10:11-18

Knowing the shepherd and his voice

  • READ

Jesus is explaining the parable which he gave earlier in John 10:1-6. In John 10:7-10, Jesus explains that he is the door, and that eternal life is only through him. Today’s reading picks up the explanation from John 10:11 where Jesus proclaims that “I am the good shepherd”.

Jesus is the good shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus is not like the hired hand who sees the wolf coming and flees leaving the sheep in danger. Jesus is the good shepherd that does not abandon his sheep and is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. (V 11-13)

Jesus is the good Shepherd that knows his sheep and that his sheep will know him. What does knowing the shepherd look like? Jesus makes the comparison that this is like the knowledge that he has with the Father and that the Father has with him. (V14-15). Jesus writes that he is loved by the Father because of the Jesus’s obedience to the voice of the Father which culminates in the laying down of his life. (V17) It may be difficult to comprehend exactly what Jesus’s knowledge of the Father and vice versa looks like, but we know that it is a deep knowledge and relationship that they have for each other, a relationship where Jesus is obedient to the voice of his Father.

Taking it from a more down to earth perspective also tells us that knowing the shepherd is deeper than just knowing about the shepherd. For the sheep to know the shepherd, the sheep must experience life with the shepherd in the sheep pen, hearing and obeying the voice of the shepherd. The sheep must experience the shepherd protecting the sheep from the wolves. In a similar way, Jesus as the shepherd calls us to be his sheep, to be part of the flock of God. He calls us to be part of the flock that knows him and his voice. (V16)

  • REFLECT

    Will we be part of the flock of God? Will we be willing to know him and his voice? This is the call that Jesus the shepherd is calling us to. Pray that God will give us willing hearts to be part of the flock of God, to know him and his voice.

    What is Jesus the shepherd saying to us this week? What is Jesus calling us to obey him in this week?  Reflect and pray that we will have the strength to obey him in what Jesus is calling us to do.

reading for: 22 April

Acts 4:5-12

Living in the name of the shepherd

  • READ

    In chapter 3, Peter and John were entering the temple to pray and as they were entering the temple, a lame beggar asked them for money. Peter immediately commanded him to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus, and they entered the temple together praising God. (Acts 3:1-10) Peter then preached the gospel to the crowd gathered in the temple, and they were arrested for it. (Acts 3:11 – 4:4)

    Our passage starts with Peter and John before the rulers, elders, and scribes in Jerusalem. In this exchange we see true shepherding from Peter and John versus a failure to shepherd by the religious rulers.  As true shepherds who were concerned for the lame beggar, the disciples healed him, allowing him to participate in temple worship. The religious leaders on the other hand, instead of behaving like good shepherds, they not only failed to serve the beggar, they attacked Peter and John, when they were forced them to give a defence for the good deed that they had done. (V 5-7) The disciples were queried by what name did they do this good deed of healing. Peter seizing the opportunity and filled by the Holy Spirit replied that they were doing this in the name of Jesus Christ. This is the Jesus that the rulers and elders crucified on the cross and whom God raised from the dead. (V8-10) This is the Jesus that they rejected, who has become the cornerstone. Salvation is only found in the name of Jesus and no one else. (V12)

    All throughout this passage and the passages before it, Peter and John were focused on being faithful representatives of Christ the True Shepherd, declaring His name to Israel.  They did not do the healing in their own name, nor did they give the defence in their own name, but their lives were shaped by the name of the shepherd, who had given his life for his sheep and took it up again. (John 11:18) Like their chief shepherd, they were willing to lay down their own lives for the lost sheep of Israel.

  • REFLECT

    Do we represent Christ our Shepherd like Peter and John? When we do good deeds do we seek our own name and glory? When we are in trouble for our good deeds, do we rely on the name of Christ? Peter and John show us what it looks like to live in the name of the shepherd. Reflect and pray that we will learn to live life in the name of the shepherd, that we will learn not to seek our own glory and wisdom but instead seek the name of the shepherd.

reading for: 23 April

1 John 3:16-24

Doing the good deeds that the shepherd commands

  • READ

    We saw in yesterday passage that Peter and John did good deeds in the name of the shepherd. In today’s passage, John is exhorting us to do the same, to do good deeds in the name of the shepherd. Let us look in more detail at what John is saying.

    John starts in verse 16 by speaking of the shepherd showing his love for us by laying down his life for the sheep. (1 John 3:16, John 10:11) He then commands his readers to do the same, to lay down their lives for each other.

    What does that look like in the daily life? John tells us what does laying down our lives look like, by telling us that we should provide and care for the brothers and sisters that are less fortunate. We should show our love for one another not only in words but also in deeds. (V17-18,23) John also tells us that the people who live in this way, doing the good deeds that the shepherd commands us to do are the people who abides in God, this are the people who have a relationship with God by the power of the Spirit. (V24) On the other hand, if we do not love one another, are not willing to provide and care for the less fortunate brothers and sisters, then the love of God does not abide in us. (V17)

  • REFLECT

    Do we care for the less fortunate brothers and sisters in our LG? If they are in need, do we provide for them.  Are we willing to help them, or will we close our hearts to them? Take this to the Lord in prayer and ask the Lord to give us the strength to care and help others, even in the times that we are down. Pray that we will be able to love not only in word but in action.

    Share with those in your LG, what deeds can we do for each other to show that we do not love only in word or talk but in deed and truth?

reading for: 24 April

Psalm 23

Being in the presence of the shepherd

  • READ

    Psalm 23 is an incredibly famous psalm in the modern world, and many people can memorise this psalm. But its popularity in the world, can lead us to think that we already know this psalm, and ignore the message that God is trying to tell us through this psalm.

    The psalm starts of with the declaration that Jesus is the shepherd, not just a shepherd, but my shepherd. (Psalm 23:1, John 10:11) Jesus is the shepherd that causes us not to want(V1), that makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters. (V2) He leads us in paths of righteousness for the sake of his name. (V3) Even when the times are bad, he is with us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. (V4) The psalm ends off by the psalmist declaring his desire to dwell in the presence of the shepherd, to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.(V6)

    The psalmist constantly tells us how Jesus our shepherd will lead us and be with us. We are the sheep that is in the presence of our shepherd and we live life with our shepherd. Jesus is our shepherd that delights to spend time with us, that delights to lead us through life.

  • REFLECT

    Jesus is our shepherd that delights to lead us and be with us, do we want to be in the presence of him? Do we see him as our provider and leader? When times are bad, do we recognise that he is with us? Pray and spend time with our shepherd, pray that we will learn to spend time with him, that we will learn to be led by him.

Easter Season Worship Playlist

Season of EasterCNL