First Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Reflection:
The context of this Sunday’s first reading was the earliest days of the Church, after the Ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The apostles Peter and John had healed a crippled man at the gate of the temple and preached to the people in Jerusalem about Jesus. While they were speaking to the people, the Jewish leaders came and arrested them for preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. This Sunday’s reading recounts Peter’s speech at their trial. His message was focused on the identity of Jesus, explaining that it was by the power of Jesus the crippled man was healed and saved. Despite being rejected by most of the Jewish leaders, Jesus is the cornerstone of the New Temple of the people of God, which is the Church. As Peter said, “There is no salvation through anyone else.” Central to our faith is the message that Jesus is the only means by which we can be saved from our sins. Jesus expressed this when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Reflection:
We heard in the first reading that Jesus is the only means to salvation. But what is the result of receiving salvation? In this second reading we hear that salvation offered to us out of love results in us becoming children of God. By grace God adopts us and makes us true inheritors of His kingdom. Salvation through Christ takes us from being ostracized from God as a result of sin to being part of His family. Yet, being children of God often ostracizes us from the world around us (“the world does not know us”). That’s okay! Jesus was also ostracized and even crucified by the world. The goal of the Christian life is to be like Christ and, therefore, we should expect to be treated like Christ was. But that is not the end of the story. As children of God we will inherit the kingdom of God (i.e. heaven) and see God face to face in perfect, unending communion with Him. We will be perfectly like Christ. That is what we have to look forward to if we remain faithful to Him!
Gospel Reading: John 10:11-18
Reflection:
In identifying Himself as “the good shepherd,” Jesus alluded to the Old Testament understanding of God as the shepherd of His people, Israel. God at times appointed leaders to shepherd His people on His behalf, like Joshua or David. However, the intention was always that God would Himself shepherd His people. Here Jesus, as God in the flesh, reveals how this will come to fruition. Jesus is the “one shepherd” who will look after the “one flock,” which is the Church. He knows His sheep intimately and they know Him. As a good shepherd, He will not abandon His flock. Rather, Jesus is willing to die to protect His sheep. In fact, Jesus did die on the cross for His flock. He laid down His life so that we, His sheep, might be able to live. But even in death Jesus did not abandon us. He is still with us (His sheep) as our good shepherd, leading us to where we need to be. Therefore, let us follow our good shepherd wherever He leads us.
Application:
- A sheep will recognize the voice of the shepherd out of all other voices that may be calling. Do you recognize Jesus’ voice out of the many other things calling after you in this world? Are you listening? Do you follow Him as the good shepherd of your life? He will never lead you astray.
- Knowing that Jesus is the only means to salvation, how does that change the way you live? What priorities do you need to change to more faithfully seek after Jesus as your Savior?
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