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Response
One of the most enlightening portrayals of Jesus in the Bible is as the Good Shepherd. Central to this depiction is His role as the leader of the flock. Jesus conveys this role by stating, “My sheep hear My voice.” Only His genuine sheep adhere and comply with Him because they are familiar with and distinguish His voice. Jesus declared, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” «My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: », (John 10:27).
In John 10:1–30, as Jesus encounters increasing opposition from His adversaries, He draws His followers nearer by revealing to them the compassionate and nurturing leader He embodies—the Good Shepherd. Jesus desires His disciples to realize that He differs from the oppressive religious authorities who were in constant contention with Him and His ministry. He demonstrates to them that they should trail behind Him as sheep trail behind their shepherd.
In this analogy, the sheepfold symbolizes a place of safety, a secure refuge within the family of God. Only through the Good Shepherd can one enter the enclosure (John 10:7-9). He alone decides who is permitted to enter. He safeguards His sheep, guides them, and even sacrifices His life for them (verse 11). Only genuine sheep heed His guidance: “After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice” «And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. », (John 10:4, NLT). Christ leads through example. His life exemplifies how we should live. He does not need to push or urge us to follow Him but leads us by going before us. And His sheep recognize His voice, meaning we discern His voice and
Recognize Him as our leader.
The simple statement “My sheep hear My voice” is filled with Christian doctrine. It signifies personal closeness between the shepherd and his sheep. In ancient times, a single sheepfold contained many flocks, so it was crucial for the sheep to be familiar with and distinguish their own shepherd’s voice. There needed to be a clear bond between sheep and shepherd for the sheep to feel secure and recognize which voice to follow. Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” «I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. », (John 10:14). Recognizing the Lord’s voice signifies experiential understanding gained through a relationship with Him.
“My sheep hear My voice” also emphasizes the summons of Jesus Christ that leads believers into a fresh and abundant life of communion with Him (Romans 8:28-30). Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, calls us individually (John 10:3;Isaiah 45:3-4), and He knows us by name «And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. », (Exodus 33:17).
“My sheep hear My voice” refers to those who listen with obedient attentiveness—this type of listening leads to faith. Paul instructed the Romans, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” «So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. », (Romans 10:17). One primary way we hear the Lord’s voice is through the Word of God. By listening to His voice in Scripture, we come to know Him, and knowing Him produces faith, and that faith causes us to follow and obey.
First John 2:3–6 explains that to know God is to obey Him: “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.” True sheep know the Lord’s voice and prove it by obeying His commands. They live as Jesus did.
“My sheep” affirms that there are true sheep and false sheep. True sheep know, listen to, and obey the Good Shepherd’s voice; false sheep pay no mind. “My sheep” also communicates the reality of our union with Christ: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit” «But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. », (1 Corinthians 6:17). We belong to our Good Shepherd «I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. », (John 17:6).
Of His sheep, Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:28-30). Those who belong to the Good Shepherd belong to God the Father. They are His forever. Jesus laid down His life on the cross to give His followers eternal life, and they are safe in His sheepfold for all eternity (John 6:37,39;17:2,9;18:9).
The Good Shepherd says, “My sheep hear
My voice.” These sheep have heard the call of Christ to enter the sheepfold. By grace, the Good Shepherd has saved them through faith, and now they belong to the family of God forever (Ephesians 2:1-10).
