John 10

This passage about the sheep and the shepherd is really interesting. Remember the story I told about the 4 different flocks that came to that shelter in the desert in the Middle East. They all came at once and each of them sheltered their sheep in the same pen for the evening. The shepherds slept in the gaps in the walls so that no sheep could get out (or other animal in) without the shepherd's knowledge (think--I am the gate). In the morning, then, the shepherds stood apart from each other and took turns calling the sheep. Then the sheep sorted themselves out by listening to the shepherds' voices and following the one they recognized. The question I have to ask myself is: Am I listening to the The Shepherd enough to recognize His voice when He calls me? In verse 22, we read that Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of Hanukkah ("Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication").