That Jesus wanted to be known is clear. That mortal man has trouble conceiving the purposes and implications of God come in the flesh is also clear. And so, in John’s gospel, Jesus uses a number of “I ams” to try to convey His person and His work to those who needed to know. I came across a couple more of those as I read John 10.

I’ve already read Jesus declare, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (John 6:51). I’ve heard Him say, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:120). Later in John, I’ll read Jesus proclaim, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25), as well as, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). And, in John 15, Jesus will claim He is the source of all spiritual life and spiritual productivity, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

In John 10, where I’m reading now, Jesus uses two more “I ams” to identify Himself . . . “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9) . . . and . . . “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep . . . I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:11-14). And I . . . this guy sitting in this chair on this morning . . . I am one of those sheep . . . Praise God!

By the grace of God I have heard the voice of the Shepherd and responded by faith. By the grace of God, the Light of the World guided me to the door of His forever sheepfold and led me through it to eternal pasture . . . having opened that doorway through the laying down His life for the sheep (10:15). The Good Shepherd has made known His voice through the wooing of His Spirit and has moved me to respond to His call to “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). He has given His sheep “eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them from My hand” (10:28). He is the above all Good Shepherd . . . and I am His forever sheep . . . how cool is that?

That He wants to be known is clear . . . that He makes Himself known is amazing . . . that we might know Him is eternal life . . . that He knows me, well, what do I think about that?

Says the Good Shepherd, “I know My sheep” (10:14). He knows me . . . my inside and out . . . my upside and down . . . my good side and not so good. Despite that which I would just as soon not exist to be known, there is a comfort in knowing that Jesus is intimately familiar with me. While I was yet a sinner, He died for me (Rom. 5:8) . . . and while I’m still a work in progress, He loves me and is determined to finish the work He has begun in me (Php. 1:6) . . . even knowing what He knows about me . . . or, more likely, because of what He knows about me.

To know Him . . . to be known by Him . . . what wondrous privilege . . . what glorious reality.

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21).