What It Means To Live

For the next five days I will be talking about each part of the tagline of this blog.  Today we will be looking at “live”.  Its a long passage, but you will need context for what Jesus is saying.  In John 10:1-18 it says,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
(John 10:1-18 ESV)

ESV Study Bible notes on John10:10

“Jesus promise of abundant life, which beings already in the hear and now, brings to mind OT prophecies about abundant blessing (e.g. Ezek. 34:12-15, 25-31).  Jesus calls his followers, not to a dour, lifeless, miserable existence that squashes human potential, but to a rich, full, joyful life, one overflowing with meaningful activities under the personal favor and blessing of God and in continual fellowship with his people.”

To live is to show in flesh and blood ways that God is a creator God as well as a loving Father.  He creates us knowing what we will be and loves, pursues and chastises us just as a loving father would.  If your life seems lifeless it may very well be, according to the scripture above, because you don’t know Jesus.  Jesus states that the thief comes to kill and destroy.  If things in our life are being killed and destroyed it may very well be because we have listen to the thief and not the Jesus.

Are you and I living our lives abundantly or lifelessly? Which voice are we following? I pray that it be the voice of Jesus.