God's Prescription For Spiritual Health

In all the Earth’s history there have been the conquerors and the conquered. Among some of the more famous conquerors are these: Genghis Khan, Alexander The Great, Cyrus The Great, Attila the Hun and Julius Caesar.

While these conquerors varied in terms of greatness and success, they shared in common the ability to kill others and take their riches and to convince people underneath them to kill people and take their riches.

They were feared because they were cruel and heartless. They would mow down like stubble anyone who got in their way.

Jesus Christ is the greatest conqueror ever to live . But He conquers with love and mercy, with kindness and goodness. He exercises His control as a Shepherd not as a Slave Master.

They conquered to enslave others, to expand their territory and to enrich themselves at the other’s expense. Jesus conquers to set people free, to make His Flock safe and free and to enrich the sheep at His own expense.

I want to mention Julius Caesar and his famous victory declaration. “Veni, vidi, vici” is a Latin phrase meaning, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” He used this phrase in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC after he had achieved a quick victory in his short war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela.

If anyone could properly use that phrase it is Jesus. He came, He saw, He conquered. I repeat that He came as a Shepherd of the sheep, not as an Oppressor of the weak. He takes care of His conquests like a Shepard does his flock, but the others took advantage of their victims.

Look to the text: "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." John 10:7-18 (NASB)

I. JESUS CAME:

A. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

B. He came with a purpose and mission.

1. To give, abundant, full, free, joyful life.

2. To do the will and work of the Father.

3. To care for the flock as the Good Shepherd, not the unreliable chicken-hearted hireling.

4. To seek and save the lost.

5. To set us free from the Old Covenant Law and “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB).

6. Isaiah prophesied about Him, His message and His purposes. “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3 (NASB).

C. He came to bless, benefit and to be our Lord, Savior and Shepherd. Other conquerors came to steal and kill and destroy – Jesus came to die and to give life to believers.