Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words sheep and shepherd.
Reading
John 10:7–18—Life more Abundantly
Optional Reading
Eccles 1:1-11
Keys for kids
- The Bible calls us sheep.
- Jesus protects and provides for his sheep.
- We should follow Jesus.
Questions
- What does Jesus do as the door of the sheep-pen?
- What does the thief do?
- What does Jesus offer instead?
Notes
In contrast with the discouraging brevity and emptiness of life that the Preacher in Ecclesiastes speaks of—and in contrast with the destructive work of the thief here—Jesus offers abundance! He offers this as the Good Shepherd. We don’t know much about sheep in our lives these days, but it is an image used all throughout the Bible. Sheep need a shepherd. Sheep need to be led.
Jesus, as the good shepherd, identifies himself as the door to the sheep-pen. As the door, Jesus offers protection for the sheep as no one can come in except coming through him. He also offers provision as he leads the sheep out of the pen.
In addition to that great claim of protection and provision, Jesus also offers abundance. Not like the Pharisees who tied up heavy burdens for any who would follow them and who rejected Jesus’s healing work as Sabbath-breaking rather than as gospel evidence. They could only steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus, by contrast, gives abundant life. Hughes notes that Scripture portrays the great shepherd leading his sheep into green pastures beside still waters, pursuing the strays, keeping them away from the poisonous plants, taking them to the good water, making sure they have life and abundance, providing everything for their health. All this, for dumb sheep, as we follow our good shepherd.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 23b, 34a
Prayer
- Delight in Jesus’ provision and protection as our good shepherd.
- Pray for a specific application from yesterday's sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.