John 10:22-30

 

Scripture:

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, boys and girls!

Pastor: Sammy, we have more sheep this week in our Gospel reading from John.

Sammy: I know! This passage is great, Pastor! I love that we get to talk about sheep again. I am an expert in sheep. Well, I am a sheep. That’s why I am an expert.

Pastor: Let’s not get carried away, Sammy. When your shepherd calls you, do you know his voice?

Sammy: Of course! My whole family knows the voice of our shepherd. We love him. He takes good care of us and makes sure that we have what we need. And he protects us from danger. We listen to him.

Pastor: That’s great, Sammy. Do you follow your shepherd?

Sammy: We do! We trust him to guide us where we need to go.

Pastor: Boys and girls, what do you think happens if Sammy or her family wander too far away from the shepherd and from the other sheep?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Well, those are really good answers. Sheep can get really hurt if we wander far away. We could get lost. And we may not be able to find enough water. And sometimes we can get stuck in bushes or thorns. Or we could fall off of a cliff or a ledge. Or a wild animal could try to hurt us.

Pastor: It sounds to me like sheep need and rely on their shepherd.

Sammy: Yes we do.

Pastor: You know, Sammy. Jesus is the best shepherd there is. When we become one of his sheep, we belong to him forever. He loves us so much, that he laid down his life for his sheep. He takes good care of us. We are the sheep of Jesus.

Sammy: Jesus is truly the best shepherd out there. You have to be really brave to be willing to die for your sheep. That’s great love.

Pastor: Yes it is. Boys and girls, will you please fold your hands and bow your heads in prayer with me? Dear Jesus, thank you for being our Good Shepherd. Thank you for speaking to us. Thank you for protecting us. Thank you for laying down your life for us. Thank you for loving us. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

“You snakes, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?” (Matthew 23:33)

From Genesis Three of scripture, there is enmity with the serpent, the one who deceived.  Those who cling to the law as the means of salvation are deceived.  How will they escape condemnation?  The law condemns.  One has to overcome the law and there is only One who has.  The One speaking to the “vipers” is the One who has overcome for the sake all who believe.  Avoid the traps of the serpents.  Live out the promise of Christ.

Lord, the lure of doing it on my own is great.  I do not want to think I need help.  I pretend that I am okay with the world when, inside, I know I am often desperate because of the conflict with all of the evil in this world.  Lord, I deserve the sentence of hell, but You offer me a new life through grace.  Bring me out of the self-deception to come to the place where I realize I do need to be saved and You are the One who saves.

Lord Jesus, You were constantly confronted by very religious people who were vested in their own system.  I live in a world filled with people who are vested in their own self-serving beliefs.  Lead me so that I move away from this kind of thinking and into a place where I look to You alone as the source of all that I need.  Save me, Lord, and guide me in the way You know I need to go along the path of salvation. Amen.