“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16).

These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, our great Shepherd (John 10:11; Heb. 13:20). It is therefore certain that these words are true (John 14:6). It is also certain that these words cannot fail (Matt. 24:35), because Christ cannot fail (Isaiah 42:4; 53:1-12). We learn from this short text of scripture that Christ must bring His sheep to Himself and to His Father. This was the eternal will God gave to Him to do (John 6:37-40; Eph. 3:11).

We learn from this scripture that all of Christ’s sheep shall hear His voice (John 10:16). We also learn from John 10 that Christ’s sheep hear His voice and follow Him. To hear His voice is not to hear His audible voice as a sound, but to hear the truth of His voice in our souls concerning His person, offices and saving work.

John 10 teaches that we are saved, given life in abundance, fed and watered, given rest, made to lie down in pastures of plenty, given everlasting life, saved from all enemies and kept without fail by the great Shepherd of the sheep. This is soul comforting, soul strengthening news. It is the certain promise of our Savior.

In Ezekiel 34:16 we learn that we, as sheep, get ourselves into many troubles (Psalm 73:20-24). But He saves us out of them all. We are lost, driven away, broken and sick. Much of this is our own sinful, dumb fault. Some of it is the result of false shepherds. False shepherds have no interest in the flock, but what they can get for themselves. Their feet foul the deep waters and pastures that the sheep drink and feed upon (Ezek. 34:18-19). Their feet are not shod with the Gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), but they are shod with false gospels and pollute the clear water of salvation by grace with the self-righteous works and free will of religious men. But the sheep will not hear them (John 10:5).

God’s people know Christ. They know Him because they are taught of God (John 6:44-45). They hear His Gospel with God-given faith. Christ and Him crucified is their life and food and drink (John 6:35, 48, 50-51, 54-56) and strength and rest (Heb. 4:1-10).

There is nothing more cherishing and more needful to God’s elect, redeemed, believing sheep than Christ and Him crucified, opened from the word of God, brought forth as pastures of green grass by clear shining after rain in the Gospel of His grace (2 Sam. 23:4). Thus, our Shepherd has given pastors to feed His sheep with knowledge and understanding (Jer. 3:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; Heb. 13:7). Let us thank our God and Savior for His provision of Himself in life, in death and now in heaven and from His word.

Jesus said, “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children” (Matt. 11:19).

Christ is most sweetly known by His people as the Friend of sinners. He is their Savior. He is my Savior because He saved me from my sins. He did it by Himself (Heb. 1:3). He did it even though I offended God and made myself shameful, and remained dead in my sins until, by His grace and almighty power, He raised me from spiritual death to life and gave me faith in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). In myself, I have but one distinguishing character trait, but one label to own: I am a sinner. Yet Christ saved me without any help from me. When dead in sins, He raised me to life in my soul. When I was impenitent in heart, He changed my mind. When I was enslaved in pride and blindness to spiritual things and was without faith, He showed me that Christ was all He required from me and persuaded me that He is all my salvation. He saved me when I was ignorant and proud and full of all manner of sin against Him. He did the unexpected. He did the impossible. He overcame every barrier that my sinful condition raised. He saved me when His justice seemed to make my salvation impossible. He gave me unimaginable blessings in Christ.

Though my title is “sinner,” His title is the most endearing. He is the “Friend of sinners.” His enemies used this title to slander Him. But He owned it, and by His Spirit forever recorded it in scripture so that sinners in heart and life would be irresistibly drawn to Him. They meant this label to reproach Him. He meant it for His praise and glory and honor. In the heart of every believing sinner there is this God-given view of Christ, that He is the Friend, the truly compassionate, all-knowing friend, full of tender mercies and lovingkindness, the true friend of sinners, who is able to save to the uttermost in honor of God’s justice and righteousness, His truth and His grace (Isaiah 12:1-6; Psalm 85:1-13; John 1:17).

What does every believing sinner say about his Savior? “His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

​May God give me and you this view of Christ at all times. May we be honest with God in our hearts about ourselves, and may He enlighten us that we might be honest about Christ. He is truly the friend of sinners. What compassion! What condescension! What grace! What confidence! What expectation in hope! What everlasting, sovereign love!

Rick Warta