FRIDAY: JESUS SENDS US WITH PURPOSE
KEY PASSAGE
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
DEVOTIONAL
“Feed my sheep” - the directions here can be confusing to modern day Christians. We see Jesus and one of His best friends having an intimate conversation. This conversation is recorded because the very instructions that Jesus is giving to Peter, are written down for us to follow as well.
The directions to “feed my sheep” simply tell us to care for His sheep. This raises two questions:
Who are the sheep?
What do we feed them?
Jesus is known as the “Good Shepherd” and in John 10, we see Jesus define His sheep as those who know His voice. And in terms of “feeding” them, Jesus is telling us to care for those who know His voice. If we think about sheep in the literal sense, they do not know how to care for themselves. They rely on the shepherd to direct, protect, provide. Jesus is calling us to do these things for those who love Him and recognize Him as the Good Shepherd.
CHALLENGE
Next week we will begin to discuss the last aspect of the Red Letter Way: Going.
Jesus gives us a very clear and simple direction to help get us started. Go and care for those in your church, in your small groups, and in your families.
Feeding the sheep could look like this:
Send an encouraging text to someone.
Pray with someone in your life.
Invite someone to coffee this week.
Accept an invitation to spend time with someone.
Here’s the cool thing, when they ask you why you’re doing what you are doing, you get to share with them this simple statement: “I’m just trying to feed Jesus’ sheep like He asked us to do in John 21, I’m walking out the Red Letter Way.”