1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
John 10:1-6
Do you know his voice?
In high school my friend Mike and I used to love doing impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger. As children of the ’80s/’90s, his over-the-top persona, unique accent, and commanding voice were fun to recreate. Before cell phones, we and our friends would grab a camcorder and make movies, and Arnold made his way into many of our creations.
I stumbled on an old VHS of our films years later. I gleefully popped it into the dusty VCR and sat back, only to be dismayed by what I heard. That was not Arnold; that was some silly, higher-pitched dim facsimile of the action hero. How had I not realized how off my impression was?
A good impressionist doesn’t guess, but watches and listens to the subject of their recreation repeatedly. They come to know the sound of that persons voice so completely that they understand the tones, inflections, and nuances that make it unique; and then, they can convey that voice accurately.
Meanwhile, I was trying to capture Arnold on a surface level, attempting to replicate the accent and intensity but never double-checking to make sure I was accurately conveying him. I should have watched a few movies and listened to some interviews before venturing to represent him.
We can be quick to misrepresent God’s voice as well.
In John 10 Jesus talks about the power of knowing a voice so deeply you cannot mistake it; “his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Strangers — thieves and robbers even — attempt to lead them astray, but they will only follow the one voice. Their shepherd isn’t just anyone; their shepherd has cared for them, protected them, and guided them, and in that space a deep bond was forged.
How can we come to know God in this way, especially when there are many voices calling us astray? How do we discern the voice of the Good Shepherd amidst the voices of thieves and robbers?
“Call to me, and I will answer you”
Jeremiah 33:3
Do you believe that God still speaks, and that He speaks to you? If we do not believe, we will not listen. However, if we do believe but are not in a posture of listening and responding, the result is the same:
The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
John 10:24-30
Jesus makes it clear how to believe and hear: become his sheep. There were many that did not want to belong to Jesus, and as a result they could not receive the Truth and Good News he shared.
If we are not intentional in knowing God, we will make the same mistake I made with Arnold, taking elements of who he is and convincing myself I was representing him well. Throughout the history of man, many have taken elements of who God is and convinced themselves they represented Him well, like the Pharisees who killed His son. God does not want us to pick and choose elements, but know Him fully, and it is a learning journey that requires the whole of our lives.
It begins with knowing His son.
