The Tenderness of Christ

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I'm back in the realm of the spoken word! Hallelujah for the time the Lord apportioned to seek His face in a more intentional and focused way. It was precious, and I am so truly grateful to have had these last 40 days.

Now talking, I am awfully struck by how wonderful and terrifying the tongue is. However, I don't want to get in to that right now, so you'll have to just call me or grab me to ask about it (verbally :)).



As I talked about a few posts ago, one of the main things the Lord gave to me during this season was the truth of the power and life of the knowledge of Christ. I have spoken about it before, prayed it before, and even believed it to be true, but having this extended time where all the talk was stripped away and I could simply behold Him in the Word and with the Spirit, I am actually beginning to experience the reality of it.

John 9:39-10:19 has been a wonderful companion and window into His heart. This is the famous portion of Scripture in which Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He is contrasting His way of leadership with the Pharisees/spiritual leadership of that day. Jesus rebukes them because they are those who are acting like hired hands because they are not concerned about the sheep but about the pay, and in rebuking them He reveals how He Himself shepherds and feels toward His sheep.

Jesus directly addresses the Pharisees' sinful leadership over His people as being that with which He has a controversy. The famous "steal, kill and destroy" scripture we so often use to describe Satan is actually (when read in context) directed towards the leaders who attempt to lead His sheep by another way than through the faith and hope in Christ.

He then describes His own leadership, saying that He lays down His life for His sheep because He cares for them. A hired hand isn't concerned about what happens to the sheep as long as they get the job done because he's in it for the pay. But Christ cares only about the sheep. He's not taking care of us and interceeding for us to just check off His task list before the Father. He is concerned about the way we are feeling, what we are thinking, and where we are going. He willingly lays Himself down without regard to the cost, for He knows them and is concerned for them.

It is the same way with Paul and Timothy, as Paul describes in Philippians 2:20-21,

"For I have no one else [speaking of Timothy] of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus."

Although Paul had some of the most mistreated and hard-core disciples under him, there was no one other than Timothy who was doing it with the motivation of Christ's interests, which was solely for the welfare of the Church. They all had their own agenda and sought their own honor, even though they were going harder than probably most Christians of the day.

Jesus (and hence the Father) is not in any way out to kill us, steal from us, or destroy us. Rather, He is wholly consumed with concern for our well-being. Many times, we may feel like He takes this secret pleasure in seeing us suffer and squirm, but He is wholly without guile, and altogether for us (even when circumstances seem contrary). We must approach Him in faith with this posture, for if we come to Him in agreement with the accuser saying that He is harsh, cruel, or just unfeeling, there can never be true trust and love formed in our heart toward Him.

Thank You, Good Shepherd. You gave all the riches of Your house for love, and You truly, utterly scorned the cost of it.