“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.”
– John 10:10–11
Wow. What a picture. What a promise. What a purpose. Think about it. Why did Jesus come? Now, there are all kinds of answers that we see in scripture. Ultimately, he came to save us from our sin, to reconcile us to God, to glorify the Father through his obedience. We could go on and on and on through the scripture answering why did Jesus come? Here, in John 10, verse 10, we see this answer. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Why did Jesus come? He came so that I can have abundant life.
Jesus has laid down His life for the sheep and as a result we are given abundant life in Him.
John 10:10–11 Describes Jesus’ Sacrifice on the Cross
He came so that you could have abundant life. How is that possible? Well, he’s a good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. The whole picture here is there’s an adversary who does not want us to have abundant life. He’s come to steal and kill and destroy our lives, but Jesus came to lay down his life for the sheep. He went to the cross. He paid the price for our sin that leads to our destruction. And, he took that destruction upon himself, and in his sacrifice for us as his sheep, he made abundant life possible for you and me.
This is what he’s created us for. Abundant life. Oh, don’t you want to grow in your experience of abundant life? Sometimes I hear people talk about Christianity almost like it’s a sacrifice in the sense of oh, I got to let go of all these good things in the world in order to follow Christ and save my skin for eternity.
John 10:10–11 Calls Us to Set Our Eyes on Jesus
That is not biblical Christianity. Biblical Christianity is not letting go of all kinds of great things this world has to offer and settling for Jesus. No, it’s letting go of lesser things in this world so that we might experience the abundance that Jesus alone provides now and for all of eternity. God, help us to think rightly about life. Help us to see the emptiness of the pleasures and pursuits and possessions of this world. Help us, we pray, to trust in you and your ways and your word as the way to abundant life, to full life.
God, please help us. I pray my own life, for others who are listening right now, God that you would protect us from all the temptations of the adversary who wants to steal, kill and destroy, who wants to keep us from experiencing all of the life, the abundance that you’ve designed for us.
This Verse Helps Us Trust in Christ
God, help us to trust in Jesus, to follow Jesus wholeheartedly today, to love you, Oh God, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength because we know, we know that this is where life is found. God, we want to experience that life today so help us to walk in obedience to your commands today, and to experience all that you’ve designed for our lives today. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
