The Great Sacrifice

John 10:11, 17-18a, 28. I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.... I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 

When Jesus chose to lay down His life for the sheep, His sheep did not understand that it was necessary to fulfill the prophesies. It was necessary that the wages of sin be paid so that we could spend eternity with our Shepherd. He chose to pay the price for us because His love for us is so deep. 

The Lord Jesus has many names. He is called the Bread of Life, the Living Water, the great I Am. But the name that blesses me so much is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep. He calls us by name. He sees our every need and supplies them. We don't always get all of our wants but in Him we have all that we need.  

His word tells us that He is the Light of the world. He knows our thoughts and failures. He knows our dreams. He knows where we can best serve Him. He tells us we are made in His image. He stands as an intercessor between us and our heavenly Father. 

We are all familiar with John 3:16. But when was the last time you sat down and slowly read the words of that verse? We recite it by rote. We have a head knowledge of what it means. But the depth of the sacrifice that is represented here is such that we don't appreciate it nearly enough. It speaks of the love of the Father. It tells of the obedience of the Son. It describes the gift of eternal life and its cost. 
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Our Shepherd knows us. He loves us and was willing to stand for us in God's judgment. He took the strips and the death that we deserve and He did it willingly. He is worthy of all the honor and glory and worship that we can give. He is worthy of the deepest love we can give. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. He loves us.