PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

My Dear Precious Child,
   After Jesus healed the man who had been blind since birth, word spread quickly to everyone, especially to the Jews who did not believe that the man had been blind until they found his parents who attested to the fact that He had been born blind.  The Jews drove the man away, thinking that he was a threat to them because believers in Jesus were increasing rapidly.  Jesus found the man whom He had healed of blindness and asked him if he believed in the Son of Man who had healed him.  The man asked to be told who he was so that he could believe. Jesus identified himself as the One who had healed him.  The man professed his belief and worshiped Jesus. Jesus told the man, "It is for judgment that I came into the world, so that those without sight may see and those who see will turn blind," speaking of becoming spiritually blind, (John 9:1-38)  His judgment was for the devil and the demons.
   Some Pharisees who were present denied that they were spiritually blind.  Jesus quizzed them, saying, "Blind?  If you were physically blind, you would not be found guilty, but since you say that you see spiritually but don't, your guilt remains." (John 9:40-41)  Jesus was speaking about their hypocrisy and their spiritual unbelief that they revealed by not recognizing Him as My Son.
    Then Jesus told them the parable of the shepherd.  He told them that anyone who does not enter through Him, the gate, that person is a thief and a robber; but that anyone who enters through His gate is the shepherd of the flock, speaking of My Holy Spirit.  He said that the gatekeeper lets Him in and the sheep know His voice.  He said that the True Shepherd leads the sheep out one by one because they know His voice.  He said that they never follow a stranger but instead run from a stranger.  The people who were listening did not understand what He was saying, so he elaborated further. (John 10:1-5)
    Jesus went on to say that, truly, He is the gate to the sheepfold and that all others who have come are thieves and robbers, that the sheep took no notice of them.  He repeated that He is the Gate and that anyone who enters through Him will be safe, will go freely in and out, and will find pasture to rest.  He warned the people that the thief comes to steal, to kill and to destroy, speaking of the devil.  Jesus said that He came so that people will have life and have it to the fullest degree.(John 10:6-11) 
   Again Jesus verbally stressed that He is the Good Shepherd who lays His life down for His sheep.  He said that the hired man, speaking of the written religious laws, is not the shepherd and the people do not follow them and so they run away from the hired man because he has no concern for the sheep. (John 10:11-13) Jesus stressed this fact because the Pharisees had confronted Jesus about healing the blind man on the Sabbath, saying it was illegal.  They did not rejoice that a man who had been blind could now see.  They were only concerned about arresting Jesus for breaking the religious and political laws by healing on the Sabbath.
   Jesus said again that He is the Good Shepherd, that His sheep know Him, that just as He knows the Father and the Father knows Him, that He lays down His life for His sheep.  He said that the Father knows Him because He not only lays down His life but He takes it up again.  Jesus said that He would lay down His life willingly, of His own free will, and that He would do it at My command. (John 10:14-18) He was prophesying His crucifixion, His death and His resurrection from the dead.
  The true facts in that parable caused disagreements among the Jews.  Some said that Jesus was possessed by a demon, a raving lunatic.  Others said that he opened the eyes of a blind man, which a man who was crazy could not do. (John 19;19-21)
   The truth in this parable about Jesus being the Gate relates to My children inheriting My kingdom of heaven in their lives on earth.  He was the Gate between the prophesies of old which were given under the old covenant of religious laws and the fulfillment of those prophesies when My kingdom came on earth in the lives of My children who become born of My Spirit and baptized in My Holy Spirit.  It is His sacrifice for their sins that cleanses My children, enabling them to be born of My Spirit and baptized in My Holy Spirit.  (John 20:19-23; Acts 1:1-8) Acts 2:1-4)
   In the truth of the parable of the Good Shepherd Jesus was teaching that My children know My voice of wisdom and knowledge, My voice of revelation, My voice of love and My voice of insight.  My children recognize the voice of their Shepherd because they feel safe and secure in My words.  In saying that My sheep know My voice and they will not follow the voice of a hired hand, Jesus was saying that the religious laws which the devil used to add burdens to My children and condemn My children are not the voice of a good shepherd, that they are the voice of judgment and condemnation. 
   In the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus was revealing My loyalty and My love for My children, and He was revealing the ineffectiveness of the old covenant laws which never led to salvation for anyone.  If they did, there would be no need for the Gate, the Good Shepherd, to come to earth to die for the sins of the world and there would be no need for My Holy Spirit to come to earth to live in My children who seek Me, seek My kingdom and seek My righteousness.
   In the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus was testifying to My love and My loyalty for My children.  The greatest love is that a person will lay His life down for His friends. (John 15:13) Jesus laid His life down for the whole world.  He exemplified the greatest Love known to people when He laid down His life as the Gate so that My children could be born of My Spirit and baptized in My Holy Spirit, thus inheriting My kingdom of heaven in their lives on earth.  Their inheritance of My Holy Spirit enables them to overcome all of the works of the devil in the earth. ( I John 3:8) 
   Your Father of the Workable Plan for Salvation