On this Christmas day in 2021 I was told to highlight the truth of why Jesus is such an awesome shepherd! The closer we get to the end of this age the more we see chaos pursue but why would we expect anything different? We are told in so many places in the word of God that such things would happen. The beauty of it all is, those who are trusting the good shepherd, we will know where it is he is leading us. Many just want to keep living as if things will go back to so called normal but yet the walls of deception are getting higher around people. Many cannot see the trap that has been laid out in front of them because they are focused on the meat that is hanging above their heads. In other words all the luxuries of this world that has lured us away from God, are the exact things that evil is holding over people’s heads as they do what they are told for fear of losing all this crap. So sad right.
On this Christmas day people should know the reason why the Christ was born! Many understand that he was born and have a vague idea of why but the details are so awesome that we should live this out every day of the year, not just today!
Luke 2:1-20
1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,
5 in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
The shepherds above were not just any shepherds in those days. The sheep that they were watching over were sheep that were tended to 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Those sheep they watched over were the sheep raised for the sacrifice of the people’s sins in Israel. The shepherds who proved themselves to be good shepherds would be blessed to take care of these sheep so that they would remain unblemished as much as possible. Many say that shepherds were outcast in those days and that is right for many but the ones who were considered good shepherds were known to be trustworthy and reliable for their word. This is why they were but in charge of the most important animal Israel had in those days.
The night of the world’s savior’s birth they were watching the same animals that would atone for sins, when all of a sudden they were told of the birth of the Christ (anointed one) by heavenly angels (messengers)! Those same shepherds would wrap the lambs that were born of those special sheep in swaddling clothes. It was a clean special cloth that was used for the lambs to protect them.
King James Version
Luke 2:7
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
In all the years that have passed since the birth of Christ, we still have the one thing that satan could never write over no matter how hard he tried and that is the truth of the Holy Spirit! Those who have always truly been in Christ would have the Holy Spirit in them to guide them just like Jesus told his original disciples! Many people never even got to have a bible so it was word of mouth and the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
See the shepherds who were considered good, always saw the sheep they tended as their treasures. They would fight off anything to protect their treasures. The night they were told that the Christ had been born they knew that the time had come for Israel to be redeemed. They knew the King was born but I am not sure if they knew the process that Yahweh had truly set forth. In order for Christ to become King in the long run it was important that the lamb of Yahweh first establish that he too would be the good shepherd for the whole world. Jesus would not only become the sacrifice for all mankind but he would spiritually shepherd all those who would follow him all the way till even now! This is why the people of Jesus's time knew exactly what he was talking about when he spoke the things he did!
Matthew 6:2
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;
The people saw the love Jesus had for all people and that drew them to him. They knew that this shepherd truly saw them all as treasure in his eyes! So many are taught about the physical things in this world to be treasure but my Lord Jesus has taught me that it is all the people in my life that the Father has blessed me with that is the true treasure! The people I share this good news with is the only treasure that can make it to heaven! All the rest of the things in this world will decay away.
For those who seek and ask in the will of the Father, we are given all the golden nuggets a person could ever ask for! My Lord Jesus was so clear in all that he taught but the minds of mankind is not clear. That is why one truly has to seek the teaching of the Christ in order to be taught that which Jesus truly meant!
John 10:1-18
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
2 “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
3 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
12 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Most miss the fact that Jesus tells us there is a doorkeeper! The doorkeeper is Yahweh (God) in which Jesus calls his Father! Jesus is explaining that the thieves are those men who hold the truth of Yahweh in unrighteousness only to lead the sheep astray. The ultimate thief is satan himself but Jesus was clear in John chapter 8 on who serves satan as well!
John 8:44
44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
See Jesus tells them that he is not only just the good shepherd, but he is the door that will allow you to become one of his sheep! It is an open invitation to all mankind but it is the doorkeeper who calls the sheep over!
John 6:43-46
43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.
44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught of God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.
46 “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.
Acts 5:30
30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross.
This Christmas day we celebrate the birth of the only good shepherd that the world will ever know. The details that are given throughout time are so accurate and detailed that we should understand this is all by the grace of Yahweh. Read John 12-18 again in the above text and understand this about Jesus. Jesus has never left his true flock, people have left him for the lies of religion. Jesus states that he will call the gentiles as well in time in verse 16. Jesus never intended for people to follow the ones who were thieves and he warned us to beware of the wolves that would come along as well!
Matthew 7:15
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
I urge all those who read these words to share the truth with others while we still have time. The promise of the good shepherd who would be the Christ (anointed one) of Yahweh, was just the first part of God’s divine plan. There are hundreds of prophecies forth telling this truth! Prophecy really means "forth telling" not "for telling"! Men of God have only spoken what God has told them sending forth the word of God! To "for tell" is to attempt to predict things and with Yahweh there is no predictions, it is only what is ordained to happen!
Isaiah 53:11
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
Peter would confirm this later after Jesus ascended to the Father when Peter addressed the people in his sermon!
Acts 3:11-20
11 While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
14 “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
16 “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also.
18 “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
See the same loving shepherd will soon be back to round up his sheep. Then at the wedding feast the sheep will crown him King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Then this good shepherd will be the one who ends all this evil. No person alive now can ever do this and if you have put someone in place of Jesus in your heart, I would repent (change your mind and heart) now! Jesus is the Son of the living God that has set all things straight with Yahweh! If you have a hard time believing this then I dare you to hit your knees with an open heart and ask that God reveal himself to you! You better be ready to respond because if your heart is true about this, then God will send you the truth about the good shepherd He has already arranged! The door has been put in place for all mankind! This is why evil wants to make the world believe there is more than one door! The evil knows that its day is running out and that is why you see all the chaos, all the lies, and all the brokenness because we have all fallen for the lies of evil at some point. Just because darkness has come over us doesn’t mean we have to stay there. Does a lightbulb light itself up?
John 8:12
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
John 9:5
5 “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
Yahweh (God) the Father of all creation is the source that makes the light shine! Jesus knew this and was very clear in teaching his disciples this message! All who have followed in Christ should know that we too can be lit by the Father but we have to be taken there by Jesus! That is why Jesus told us these words!
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
John 8:31-32
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
This gets me so excited that is why I use so many exclamation points when I write! To make us free is a constant process that can only be done by following the good shepherd! We have to trust in the finished work of Jesus and have no “but’s” in our faith. Jesus and His Father are looking for the faith that the centurion had! They want us to be truly repentive in our lives as we are taught the truth in all things. If I do not cling to the truth in all things then how do I expect the spirit of truth to guide me? It can seem hard when we attempt to tackle this but that is why we trust the good shepherd to lead us! Jesus will never lead us astray but we can choose to go astray if we do not seek him! Let the world know who your good shepherd is and don’t for one second back down from telling anyone. The enemy will only succeed when we agree with him and choose to go astray! In the end, my Lord Jesus has already won! May Yahweh bless you all and His Christ guide your hearts and steps in this crazy year to come!