I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
John 10:11
We are purpose driven people. We pursue those things that we idealize. Success often means that we have achieved a goal or part of a goal that is set before us. One of the things that helps us pursue our goals is telling others about what they are. This is sometimes referred to as accountability or positive encouragement. This is also a way another way of letting people gain insight into who we are.
In the passage above, Jesus gave us insight into His character. He had healed a man who was born blind in John 9. This caused an uproar among the blind man's acquaintances, his family, and the religious leaders who accused Jesus of being a sinner. In the end Jesus revealed Himself to the blind man as the Son of God.
It is here where we find Jesus teaching the religious leaders about Himself. He came to His own. These were His people that He had called out of Egypt. These were the ones He had led through the desert. He loved them. And even though they were blind leading the blind, He strove to open their eyes to who He was.
In this instance, He explained to them that His character was love; while their character was acting like wolves in both hurting and harming others. His love was His purpose. He came to save others. He came to give His life so that His people could truly experience His presence. This is where the difference between Jesus and the religious leaders stands in direct contrast. They were in the pursuit of their own gain, their own profit, and their own purpose. Jesus was in pursuit of the of the salvation of others, of the well-being of others, and the reconciliation of others. He points to His sacrificial death because this is the purest evidence that all that He did was done out of the purpose of Love.
Blessings to you!
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