What Jesus Did! 'The Voice of the Shepherd' — John 10:3-4

Sunday, July 12, 2026

[Jesus continued,] "The gatekeeper opens the gate for [the shepherd], and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice."
— John 10:3-4 NLT

Key Thought

Even today, one shepherd's sheep are separated from other flocks by the sound of their shepherd's voice. They follow their shepherd while sheep from other flocks follow their own shepherd even if the flocks are intermingled. Jesus wants us to know that as our shepherd, he knows us intimately and will call us by name. We, in turn, need to learn to recognize his voice when he calls us. How do we learn to do that? By reading his words in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John in the Bible) and learning to recognize his ways and his will. He will lead us where he wants us to go and bless us as we need to be blessed, but we need to be able to distinguish his voice from the many false religious voices that crowd into our world today. The only way to recognize Jesus' voice is to listen to and follow the words God has given us from Jesus in the Scriptures. Fortunately, we also have the Holy Spirit to help us do just that. [1] Let's renew our passion to know the Jesus of the Gospels and follow his words!

[1] John 16:13-14.

Today's Prayer

Gracious God, please help me follow your Son as my shepherd as I commit to spend more time with him in the Gospels. Bless me as I learn to recognize his work and his leading in my life. In the name of Jesus, my Lord and shepherd, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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Illustration

Illustration of John 10:3-4 NLT — "The gatekeeper opens the gate for [the shepherd], and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him."

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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