Here is a
question. When the Scripture below says
"feed My lambs", "tend My sheep", and "feed My
sheep"; who exactly are Jesus' sheep?
Is it a general every single person in the world because "God loves
everybody" type of thing? Or is it
referring to a specific group of people?
John 21:15-19(NKJV)
So when they had
eaten breakfast, Jesus
said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said
to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My
lambs.”
He said to him again
a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to
him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the
third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Most assuredly, I
say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you
wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will
gird you and carry you where you do
not wish.”
This He spoke,
signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He
said to him, “Follow
Me.”
As I've mentioned
before I think sometimes Scripture is applied with too broad of a brush. I'll use this Scripture to make my
point. There are many who seem to think
that because God loves everyone that that means that everyone is entitled to
the benefits of believing in Jesus, whether they actually believe in Him or
not. I don't believe that is true.
So here is some
Scripture that I believe is clearly singling out a specific group of people
that Jesus is telling Peter to look after.
In the Scripture above I think the fact that My is capitalized signifies
that Jesus is referring specifically those who follow Jesus, to the exclusion
of the rest.
Why do I think
that? Because Jesus has clearly said in
other Scripture who exactly His sheep are.
Take a look.
John 10:27(NKJV)
My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them, and
they follow Me.
"…and they
follow me.". Therefore logic
dictates that those who don't follow Jesus and have rejected Him, are not His
sheep. They are not entitled to the
benefits of being one of Jesus' sheep.
Make sense?
No comments:
Post a Comment