Jesus Is All We Need: 10 Devotions to Experience the Rescuing Love of GodSample

Jesus's Rescue Leads Us to Safety

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." JOHN 10:11 ESV

I hope this doesn't sound sacrilegious, but Jesus had a pretty good life in heaven before He chose to come to earth! Think about it. He had already created the universe and everything in it, and He was holding everything together by His power. At the same time, He was enjoying eternal, perfect fellowship with God the Father and God the Spirit.

Instead, Jesus willingly left all that behind and came to earth for us humans, the very people who were going to persecute and reject Him!

Ever since sin entered the world, we have been like lost sheep in need of a shepherd. Today's verse shows us that Jesus wasn't plugging His ears in heaven while humanity suffered. He knew we were wandering toward our own destruction, and only a perfect Shepherd could save us.

On earth, Jesus felt every emotion we feel. Joy, hope, and laughter, yes, but also fear, anxiety, and doubt. Through all of that, He stayed the course. As our good Shepherd, He knew He would need to make the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf if we were ever to be rescued.

A cold, selfish god would have pulled the plug on the rescue along the way, letting us suffer so that he could return to divine safety. But Jesus went all the way for us. When He chose to carry the exact cross on which He would be tortured and killed, it was the ultimate act of selflessness.

This leaves me in awe every time I contemplate it. Jesus, our good Shepherd, and our Rescuer, put His life on the line without asking anything in return from us, His flock. In doing so, He showed us what real love looks like, and gave us hope and a future.

Takeaway: You are a sheep, and Jesus is the only Shepherd who will rescue you.

Prayer: Jesus, thank You for volunteering to do what I am not capable of doing. Thank You for obediently doing what Your Father asked of You, and shepherding me the way only You could. I love You.