How Good Is Your Hearing?

In John 10, Jesus uses an illustration that his original hearers would have understood completely but that modern readers have little experience with—sheep.

Though there are numerous applications to draw from Jesus’ illustration, one prominent aspect is based on the sheep’s hearing. Sheep are not good at doing much. Sheep are also known for their lack of intelligence. But, one thing sheep can do very well is distinguish voices.

In John 10:2-5, Jesus says the following:

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

Notice a few things that make the illustration awesome. First, the shepherd calls the sheep by name. He knows each one individually. I don’t know what someone should name a sheep, but the shepherd knows each sheep by name. The shepherd might say: “Shorty, Curly, Lil’ Ears, and Bob, come with me.”

Jesus, the Great Shepherd, knows each of his sheep by name. If you are a follower of Jesus, he knows your name. He knows your circumstances. He knows your struggles. He knows your joys. He knows you.

Next, the sheep follow the shepherd because they know his voice. The sheep learn quickly the tone and pitch of the voice of the one who protects them and leads them to provision and protection. The sheep know when it is their shepherd speaking to them.

Our Great Shepherd has a distinguishable voice as well. We must learn how it sounds. We must become familiar with his speaking to us. We must hear his voice in God’s Word, the Bible. We must distinguish his call through the Holy Spirit that indwells every believer.

We learn the voice of the Shepherd by seeking him and hearing him over time. Practice listening for his voice and you will become better at hearing it.

One last thing: when you know the voice of the true shepherd, imposters stand out like an off-pitch bass singer in an all-girls choir. When the sheep hear a stranger’s voice, they recognize the danger and run away. We should do the same. When the devilish imposter comes to mimic the Great Shepherd and call us away from the safety of the fold, we must run from the imposter and end up right at the Shepherd’s feet. Danger lurks when we don’t.

Let me encourage you to become so familiar with the voice of the true Shepherd that you recognize the imposter and run to the protection of the One who truly loves you, the Great Shepherd. Hey, sheep…how’s your hearing?