Based on John 10:1-21 (New King James Version)
“‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.’ Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, ‘He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?’ Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’”
Why did the Lord come? What was the purpose for Him coming to this earth to endure everything He endured? Many of us should either understand the answer to this question more clearly, or we should always have present this answer within us, because either the purpose is misunderstood or forgotten. Unfortunately, within everything that is taught, this issue is not cleared up well for many reasons. Other things are taught which make us lose focus of the true point of His mission. And the reason for why we need to understand well the why of His mission is because everything on this earth will put to the test what we believe, until the day our existence ends here. If we don’t understand clearly the why, sooner or later, we will abandon the faith in the Lord. Or even more so, when the true reason for His coming is understood, it may produce a decision within some people that will take them off course, where it is ultimately defined whether they are a sheep (or person) that belongs to Him or not. Everything will be seen in time.
To be able to explain the issue more clearly, I remember when my sister opened my eyes to the reality that there was no Santa Claus. I was a boy. I remember that the new revelation was unpleasant to me. I did not want to accept the fact that this being that would come at Christmas to bring toys didn’t exist. I don’t think that the idea that someone told me a lie bothered me at first (maybe that came after), but rather, the first phase of my anger was accepting that he did not exist. I insisted to my sister that he in fact did exist, and that it was impossible what she was telling me, and that she was lying to me. The way she would try to help me reason that my father was this Santa Claus was by explaining that, if this Santa Claus really existed, then why would poor kids not get toys at Christmas? That was what helped me accept something so difficult for me back then. I finally understood that reality, that if this really special being of Christmas existed, that all children would have gotten toys in Christmas, without exceptions.
Now then, how does this story of my childhood ignorance relate to the explanation I’m going to give? Does the Lord answer all prayers? Does everyone that ask for healing get healed? Does everyone that ask the Lord for financial help come out of poverty? Does everyone that pray for a spouse find that person they are waiting for? Can all couples stay married? And finally, do all of our problems get resolved when we come to or follow Christ? And the answer is, “No”. As an example, I have met many people that had been healed from cancer, but I have also know so many more that were not able to survive that and they are no longer with us, and this is something that affects me personally. Not all are healed. Not all of us will be financially stable. Not everyone will have their problems resolved.
Why do some get solutions and others don’t? Is it a faith problem like some suppose? Does God work in different ways, or have limited powers between the United States and Venezuela, or Ethiopia, or Haiti (for example)? My friends and brethren, God is the Almighty, and He can do anything, but He did not come necessarily to solve all of our worldly problems, because if that were the case, no follower of Christ would have any problems in any part of the world (like if there was a Santa Claus, all the children of the world would have toys). God can change things, but it all depends on things and purposes that are greater than our personal circumstances; there are greater things at stake. The greatest example that we have that not everything will go well here, even when doing as best as possible the things for the Lord, is the Apostle Paul. Paul many times could not have worse moments. Aside from having a very difficult and solitary life (because Paul was single and had no physical children) after coming to Christ, he even died for the Gospel. He himself taught us this: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Life here will never be perfect, and the person who truly follows the Lord will also have problems here and now, and not because of reasons that have to do with making mistakes (because many of us are suffering the consequences of our sins).
So, what is the answer? Christ came with the goal to give us eternal life, something that no one or anything else can do or resolve in this world. This is the foundation of the Gospel and of our faith, and this is within the reach of every person that looks for Him. This works anywhere on the planet, without exception, and even the most vile and lost person can attain God’s mercy. So then, have you understood your most important and true need, and do you desire to be one of His sheep, those that live forever? Lord bless! John