"I have other sheep not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." - John 10:16
In the middle of this great passage about Jesus and His death and resurrection, Jesus utters this mysterious verse. And it is an amazing verse. It speaks to the great nature of our Shepherd, who calls out to a flock greater than our understanding.
Revelation paints a picture of a worship service where every tribe and language will gather together under the throne of God (Revelation 7:9). What does this worship service, and Jesus' words, mean for us today?
We are united by the Shepherd and the Shepherd's voice. Even though we come from different sheep pens and different stages of life, it is the Shepherd who brings us together. In only a few chapters, Jesus will pray for the unity of all believers, all in one flock. Jesus prays that the unity that He experiences with God will be expressed in the Church.
And yet, we don't often seem so united as Christians. Sometimes, it seems that we find our opinions about the Shepherd more important than the Shepherd. On Sunday, we will be taking communion, where we believe that we are united with all believers past and present in the way that Jesus intended. I hope you will join me in prayer for the Church that we will express the unity that we already have in Christ.
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