Mission Venture Ministries

My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:27-28) 

Jesus’ death was divinely appointed. It is only through Him that we receive salvation. “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14). Furthermore, Jesus makes it clear that it wasn’t just for the Jews that he laid down His life, but also for the “other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). The “other sheep” clearly refers to the Gentiles. As a result, Jesus is the Good Shepherd over all, both Jew and Gentile, who come to believe upon Him (John 3:16). 

Only the Lord’s true sheep follow and obey Him because they know and recognize His voice as Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). 

Verse 27 expresses personal intimacy between the shepherd and his sheep. In the first century, a single sheep pen held multiple flocks, so it was essential for the sheep to know and recognize their own shepherd’s voice. There had to be an unmistakable familiarity between sheep and shepherd for the sheep to feel safe and know which voice to follow. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14). Knowing the Lord’s voice indicates experiential knowledge through a relationship with Him. 

Hearing Jesus’ voice speaks of those who listen with obedient attention, this kind of listening results in faith. Paul taught the Romans, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). One primary way we hear the Lord’s voice is through the Word of God. By hearing His voice in Scripture, we get to know Him, and knowing Him produces faith, and that faith causes us to follow and obey. 

When Jesus talks about His sheep it also affirms that there are false sheep. True sheep know, listen to, and obey the Good Shepherd’s voice; false sheep pay no mind. My sheep also communicates the reality of our union with Christ because, “whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:17). We belong to our Good Shepherd (John 17:6). 

Of His sheep, Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:28–30). Those who belong to the Good Shepherd belong to God the Father. They are His forever. Jesus laid down His life on the cross to give His followers eternal life, and they are safe in His sheepfold for all eternity (John 6:37, 39; 17:2, 9; 18:9). 

These sheep have heard the call of Christ to enter the sheepfold. By grace, the Good Shepherd has saved them through faith, and now they belong to the family of God forever (Ephesians 2:1–10). They are those who have been saved by His grace through faith in the Lord Jesus and recognize His voice.   

So how do we hear and recognize His voice? We hear His voice when we spend time in Bible study and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time we spend intimately with God and His Word, the easier it is to recognize His voice and His leading in our lives. Employees at a bank are trained to recognize counterfeits by studying genuine money so closely that it is easy to spot a fake. We should be so familiar with God’s Word that when someone speaks error to us, it is clear that it is not of God. 

Therefore, by comparing what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize God’s voice. As the Bible teaches; “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:38). 

The more you know Him through His Word, the easier it becomes to distinguish His voice from your emotions. You can hear His voice. You can recognize His voice. Take the time to check out what you are hearing by the Word and godly counsel from others who know God, and He will shine light on His path for your life! 

“Listen,” Jesus says in the Book of Revelation (3:20), “I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with Me.” We are invited to listen to the voice of our shepherd and to hear His voice, to open the door and to follow Him. And when we do, we discover that there is nothing else that we shall want, when the Lord is our Shepherd. “For His goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6) Amen. 

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