Jesus, Our Good Shepherd, Acknowledges Us Before the Father
The Joy of Being Personally Known by Jesus Christ
Have you ever wondered what it will be like when you finally stand in the presence of Jesus Christ?
Will He know your name? Will He remember your prayers, your struggles, and the times you tried to serve Him faithfully?
And what does the Bible tell us about Jesus acknowledging those who belong to Him before His Heavenly Father?
Yesterday, we considered what happens when we take our final breath and leave this earthly life.
Today, let's consider another wonderful promise Jesus gave His followers.
The Good Shepherd knows His sheep, and He will acknowledge those who belong to Him before His Father.
1. Jesus Knows You Personally
In John 10:14, Jesus declared:
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
Think about those words.
Jesus doesn't simply know that Christians exist. He knows those who belong to Him personally.
He knows our names, our struggles, our disappointments, and our deepest concerns.
He knows the prayers we have whispered when nobody else was listening.
He knows the tears we have shed when nobody else was watching.
And He knows the opportunities He has entrusted to us.
In John 10:27, Jesus said:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Notice the relationship.
His sheep hear His voice.
He knows them.
And they follow Him.
Christianity is not merely belonging to a religious organization or knowing facts about Jesus.
It is a living relationship with our Savior, made possible through God's grace and received by faith.
2. Jesus Will Acknowledge His Followers Before the Father
Now consider one of the most remarkable promises Jesus ever made.
Matthew 10:32:
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
Did you catch that?
Jesus promises to acknowledge those who acknowledge Him.
Imagine the significance of that promise!
The Son of God, who died for our sins and rose again, promises to acknowledge His followers before His Heavenly Father.
Scripture does not describe the precise manner in which this will occur. We should not invent a ceremony or conversation that the Bible does not reveal.
But the promise itself is extraordinary.
The One who knows us completely is not ashamed to acknowledge those who belong to Him.
And consider Hebrews 2:11, which tells us that Jesus is not ashamed to call His people brethren.
What a wonderful expression of His love!
3. We Come to the Father Through Jesus Christ
Jesus said in John 14:6:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
We do not enter God's family through our accomplishments.
We do not earn our acceptance through religious activity.
We come through Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul explains in Ephesians 2:18:
"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father."
Think about what this means.
Through Jesus Christ, believers already have access to their Heavenly Father.
We do not have to wait until death to begin that relationship.
And one day, our faith will give way to sight as we enter the fullness of His presence.
What a glorious hope!
4. The Shepherd Who Knows Our Struggles
Perhaps you have experienced loneliness, rejection, disappointment, or circumstances that made you feel forgotten.
Maybe there have been times when you wondered whether anyone really cared.
But remember what Jesus said.
"I know my sheep."
He has not overlooked you.
He knows the burdens you have carried and the times you have struggled to remain faithful.
And even when we fail, His invitation is to turn back to Him in repentance and trust.
Our confidence is not that we have performed perfectly.
Our confidence is in the Savior who loved us and gave Himself for us.
The Good Shepherd is not looking for an excuse to abandon His sheep.
He gave His life to save them.
5. What About Hearing "Well Done"?
This brings us to a subject that has become especially important in our teachings about preparing for eternity.
In Matthew 25:21, the master said to his faithful servant:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
Those words come from Jesus' Parable of the Talents.
The servants had been entrusted with responsibilities during their master's absence.
When he returned, they gave an account of their stewardship.
And the faithful servants received their master's approval.
This reminds us of 2 Corinthians 5:10, where Paul teaches that believers must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Our salvation is a gift of God's grace.
But how we live after receiving that gift matters.
Our time, abilities, resources, opportunities, and acts of service are entrusted to us for His glory.
We do not serve Jesus to purchase eternal life.
We serve Him because He has already loved us and saved us.
And what greater desire could a believer have than to live in a way that pleases our Savior?
6. Are You Known by the Good Shepherd?
There is also a solemn warning we must not overlook.
In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus warned that not everyone who calls Him Lord truly belongs to Him.
Some will point to impressive religious activities, yet Jesus will declare:
"I never knew you."
That is a sobering statement.
It reminds us that outward religious activity is not the same as a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.
The question is not simply whether we know about Jesus.
The question is whether we have truly trusted Him as our Lord and Savior.
Have you placed your faith in His death and resurrection?
Are you trusting His grace rather than your own good works?
Do you desire to follow Him?
Jesus said in John 6:37:
"Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
What a wonderful invitation!
You can come to Him today.
7. The Joy of Belonging to Jesus
One day, our earthly journey will be complete.
Our struggles, disappointments, and responsibilities in this world will come to an end.
And for those who belong to Jesus Christ, there is the glorious hope of being with Him forever.
We cannot describe every detail of that heavenly reunion.
But we can trust what Jesus has promised.
He knows His sheep.
He gives them eternal life.
He will acknowledge His followers before His Father.
And He has prepared a place for those who belong to Him.
So while we are still living on this earth, let us use the opportunities He has given us to love Him, obey His Word, encourage others, and share His Gospel.
Not to earn His acceptance, but because we have already received His grace.
Remember this wonderful truth:
The most important thing about standing before Jesus is not whether the world remembers your name, but whether you belong to the Savior who knows you personally.
And may our lives reflect the desire to hear those precious words:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Do you know the Good Shepherd—and are you following Him today?
What a wonderful assurance it is to know that Jesus Christ knows each of His sheep personally!
ReplyDeleteWe may never receive recognition or applause from the world, but the approval of our Savior is worth infinitely more.
My prayer is that this teaching will encourage every believer to walk faithfully with Jesus and inspire those who do not yet know Him to place their faith in Him today.
Our greatest hope is not that people on earth will remember us, but that we belong to the Good Shepherd who will never forget His sheep.
Are you living today in anticipation of meeting Him?