“…And he calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5)
The tenth chapter of John is to the New Testament what the Twenty-Third Psalm is to the Old Testament.
A tour bus was taking sight-seers through sites in and around Jerusalem when they came upon a large number of sheep. Obviously there was more than one herd of sheep. Several herds with their shepherds had come to a place of water. Someone in the group of sight-seers asked, “How will the shepherds divide the sheep when they get ready to leave, since all the sheep look the same. There are no brands or markings on them?” They decided to wait and see. Soon the individual shepherds started moving away from the watering hole. As they moved, without looking back, they each started chanting what sounded like a little song. Each shepherd was calling the names of his sheep. One by one the sheep of each shepherd lined up behind his shepherd and followed him.
True to Biblical teaching each shepherd called his own sheep by name. Each sheep followed the proper shepherd and would not follow a stranger. Each sheep knew his shepherd’s voice. Later, in this tenth chapter of John, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (v. 27)
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