John 10:11 (NKJV) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.Life is precious. There may be those who are willing to donate an organ or part of an organ to another. More often than not, we hear of people breaking their promises, walking away from commitments, unable to continue to commit to love because it is no longer convenient or there are no more advantages in the relationship or for various other reasons. We seldom hear of sacrificial love especially when someone is willing to lay down his life for another.
Many question the goodness of God when they are suffering. It is understandable because stress will bring out the best or the worst in a person. However, knowing the goodness of God helps us in our suffering because it brings comfort, peace and warmth through His love for us. We may not know or understand why certain things happen but it helps us rest in His love and to trust the heart of God.
Sometimes it can be confusing when reading the Old and the New Testaments. We wonder whether if there are any consistencies about God. Do we have an angry God in the Old Testament and a loving God in the New Testament? God’s attributes remain the same regardless whether it is the Old or New Testament. He is definitely a holy, just and righteous God. The original sin issue committed by Adam and Eve separated us from God. For God, there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. In the Old Testament, there was an annual sacrificial system, on the Day of Atonement, that could only take away sin temporarily. This was because the blood of animal sacrifices was only able to cover sin but it could not take way sin forever. The law and the sacrificial system pushed us to seek the grace of God and this could only be found in Jesus Christ.
Fortunately, the annual sacrifices were a foreshadow of the good thing to come and God in His love, prepared a body for His only begotten Son to be the ultimate sacrifice for sin that would satisfy His wrath and judgment towards the sin issue that separated us from God.
Hebrews 10:5-7 (NKJV) Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’”
Even though we read in the Old Testament about the strict requirements of an unblemished lamb, God took no pleasure in the sacrifices of animals. Jesus is the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. He was sinless when He was ministering and living on earth. It is the will of God for Jesus, the Good Shepherd to lay down His life for us.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (emphasis added)
Sermon Series: Who Is Shepherding You?
好牧人为羊舍命
约翰福音 10:11 我是好牧人；好牧人为羊舍命。
生命是宝贵的. 有人会愿意为他人捐赠器官或器官的一部分. 然而更多时候, 我们听到的是人们违背承诺, 临阵脱逃, 无法坚守爱的承诺仅仅因为它不再便利或在人际关系方面不再具备优势等等诸如此类的各种借口. 我们很少听到牺牲的爱, 尤其是当一个人愿意为另一个人舍命。
许多人在遇到苦难时会去怀疑神的良善.这是情有可原的，因为压力会榨出人性中的至善与至恶。但是, 认识神的良善可以帮助我们应对苦难, 因为籍着祂对我们的爱, 这带来安慰, 平安和温暖.我们或许不知道或不理解某件事发生的原因, 但认识神的良善将帮助我们在祂的爱里得安息并信靠神的心意.
有时候, 在阅读旧约和新约时, 我们会感到困惑. 我们会纳闷：这是在讲同一个神吗？ 难道旧约中的那个神是烈怒之神，而新约中的那个神是慈爱之神? 其实无论是旧约还是新约, 神的属性恒久不变. 祂始终如：圣洁, 公正, 和公义. 亚当和夏娃所犯下的原罪使我们与神隔绝. 对神而言, 没有流血, 罪就无法得赦免. 在旧约中有一个一年一度的献祭制度，只在赎罪日那天献祭，但也只能暂时除罪。这是因为, 献祭动物的血只能遮盖罪, 但无法永远地除去罪. 律法和献祭驱使我们寻求神的恩典, 而这只能在耶稣基督里面找到.
幸运的是, 这一年一度的献祭预表的是将来的美事， 神籍着祂的爱, 为祂的独生爱子预备了一个身体，作为终极的赎罪祭来平息祂的烈怒，并且满足祂对罪的审判，就是那使我们与神隔绝的罪。
希伯来书 10:5-7 所以基督到世上来的时候，就说：神啊，祭物和礼物是你不愿意的；你曾给我预备了身体。6燔祭和赎罪祭是你不喜欢的。7那时我说： 神啊，我来了，为要照你的旨意行；我的事在经卷上已经记载了。
尽管从旧约中我们得知对献祭羔羊的规定非常之严苛，这牲畜之祭却并不讨神的喜悦。主耶稣才是那除去世人的罪的羔羊。当祂在地上生活并服事时, 祂没有犯罪. 好牧人为我们舍命，这是神对耶稣的旨意.
哥林多后书 5:21 神使那无罪，替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。
讲章系列：谁在牧养你？