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Listen to Jesus in John chapter 10 I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not know the sheep. So when he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. But I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the father. I lay down my life for the sheep Humans are storytellers. Stories actually play a huge role in the spiritual and moral development of society. The stories we tell as people are attempts to explain and solve the problem of evil in our own way. Every narrative we tell has a similar plot, doesn't it? The princess is captured by a fire breathing dragon, and the shimmering brave knight fearlessly sacrifices his own safety to save her. Aragorn, Frodo, and Gandalf bravely relinquish their comforts to save Middle Earth from Sauron and his evil armies. The Avengers overcome physical, political, and mental barriers to save the world. Like every two years or so. The best storytellers have the ability to tap into the universal longings, fears, and hopes of human beings. They're able to put them on display for people to see and walk us through the process of being saved. And there isn't a more universal experience than a human's longing to be saved. A human's need for a hero. If you look closely at the heroes that have shaped our psyche as a culture, they all have something slightly in common. These heroes have this common thread that's woven into them as if it was done on purpose. Superman was from another planet, another world. He lived life as a commoner in a rural area. Nobody knew about his powers until it was time for him to save the world. In several iterations of the comics, he dies and rises again to save people. Aslan, being holy and without fault, died on behalf of Edmund, who ate some forbidden Turkish delight from a witch. He died on Edmund's behalf, but eventually rose again to join him in battle so that Edmund could rise as a king. Atticus Finch took on the criticism and hatred of an entire town, all so one man could experience justice and compassion. Gandalf sacrificed himself so the lives of his chosen fellowship could live. But he rose again to redeem them just in the nick of time and empower them to become warriors, kings, and the hobbits that they were all called to be. I could go on for literally hours talking about Odysseus from the Odyssey, Maximus from Gladiator, and even Harry Potter, a prophesied hero who bore the scars of evil, but lived to end it once and for all. It was CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien who famously mentioned that stories are fractured reflections of the gospel and that in the heart of every human, we see ourselves as victims, evil as the villain, and are in desperate need of a hero. Every movie, every piece of literature, and every story we tell has the hero at the center of the story. Out of every religion or worldview, there is no greater hero than Jesus. He is the central figure and the hero of scripture. We have to understand that every single hero leading up to Jesus was just a shadow of him. David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, Joshua and Jericho. All these stories are shadows of the gospel stories, ultimately pointing to Jesus as the great hero, redeemer and shepherd. So who are the sheep? Us. Here's the thing about sheep. They're the perfect prey. They have these huge, puffy and conspicuous bodies with their tiny little nubby legs. They have tiny brains and they're easily guided into harmony. They are a wolf's dream. They can't run very fast, they're super huge and noticeable, and they're dumb. God often describes himself as a shepherd, not because it was such a lofty title back then, but because we, as people, as much as we'd hate to admit it, are a lot like sheep. No wonder we're so anxious all the time. We feel unsafe and like we're victims to circumstance, other people and even ourselves. As a result of our anxiety, we are desperate for comfort. We're desperate for a hero. And in the midst of our reeling and desperate search for any sort of safety, we will turn to what Jesus describes as hired hands. Jesus said that the hired hand doesn't really care about the sheep at all. They're just there for a paycheck. So when a wolf comes to scatter the sheep and eat one of the lambs, the hired hand leaves. It's not worth it for him. He doesn't love the sheep. He just needs an income. So he bolts at the first sign of trouble. Jesus draws a comparison here to him and the hired hand. He says that the good shepherd, the one connected to the sheep, will willingly offer his life to protect them. But the one who's just hired to watch the sheep will allow anything to harm them if it means saving his own butt. Here's why so many of us live in a state of anxiety, fear, and inability to rest. We have put our trust in hired hands instead of the good shepherd. We're people in need of a hero, but we've settled for less than a hero. We know that we're operating under the protection of a false hero, someone who claims and promises much. But at the first sign of trouble, bolts. These false heroes, these hired hands that we look for for protection, come in many forms. Codependence with a loved one looking to them as your hero. Maybe it's your job, your income, your 401k. Maybe it's your grades, your abilities, or your talents. Perhaps I'm going to confess that the biggest false hero I have in my life, the number one person that I want to save me from my misfortune but ends up failing time and time again, is myself. I am a hired hand. I continually let myself down, and I continually fall short of what it takes to truly save me. Psalm 23 says this. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. And even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. David knew that even when he walked through the most dire of circumstances, he was able to experience comfort. Because the good shepherd, the true hero, was with him, not a hired hand that would run when things get hard. Can I just stop for a second and let you all know how much Jesus truly loves you? He lays down his life for the sheep. This is Jesus saying, I will do whatever it takes to have them. Jesus sees you and I, these silly little creatures filled with baggage and insecurities, as worth laying his life down. This episode depicted a shepherd that would risk it all just to save one little lamb. How much more so the Creator of the universe, the Creator of the stars, being mindful of you, bending himself down and dying for you. Let that sink in. For those of you that feel like you've been beaten around, there can be these voices of wolves and false heroes and hired hands telling you that you aren't worthy, you've fallen short, and there's some serious things you need to clean up before you're worthy of being in God's presence. But here's the reality. God's presence has come to you. He is the good shepherd. It doesn't matter how far you've strayed away from him. He is going to find you. He is running after you. He died on the cross because you were precious enough to him to lay it all on the line. Romans 8:31 39 says, what shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies who is to condemn. Jesus Christ is the one who died more than that. Who raised who is at the right hand of God. Who indeed is interceding for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword? No. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Let that reality wash over you. You don't need to be the hero of your own story. There's a good shepherd running after you. There's a good shepherd who will fight off the wolves on your behalf. You don't need to be the one who creates something good out of the bad. Jesus can do that, is doing that, and will continue to do that. You don't have to face the wolves on your own. Jesus is standing between you and them, at the ready to defend you at every corner. We aren't conquerors because we have a good attitude. We aren't conquerors because we think things or manifest things into existence. No, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. And in Christ Jesus alone. Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil. And that's not because we're some heroic protagonist in our own story. No, we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, fearing no evil because our Good shepherd is with us. Jesus is the hero. Let that sink in. Being redeemed means a few things for your identity. One, it means you're no longer a victim to sin. Two, it means that you don't have to bear the weight of being the hero, even for others. And three, it means we get to follow in the victory of Jesus. And what does that following look like? It looks like laying your life down for others. It looks like guiding other sheep into the pasture. You see, Jesus says this in verse 16 of John 10 and I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock and one shepherd. This is exciting. Jesus does this incredible redeeming work in our lives, claims victory over our sins, burdens and insecurities. And he brings us into this amazing community with him that we might also bring others into this fold. So here's your exhortation today. You're not the hero, but you're also not the victim. Jesus is the hero, and he has redeemed and saved us. He has redeemed and saved you personally for a purpose. Follow the Good shepherd today for more inspiring stories, daily devotionals and wisdom to last a lifetime. Make sure to download the Pray.com app and continue to follow along this podcast. We have plenty more parables to go. Can't wait to dive into them with you.
