"He Calls His Sheep By Name"

We explore what it means that Christ calls his sheep by name. Christ has laid a foundation for and desires to have an intimate relationship with his followers. He knows us by name.

He Calls His Sheep By Name

Kevin Probst

6/14/2025

“Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” - (John 10)

In Jesus’ day it was common as the sun was setting and evening approached for shepherds to bring their sheep to a common enclosure where they would all be protected by a watchman. This common pen was generally made of stone and conveniently had only one entrance to ensure the security and safety of the sheep within. Early in the morning the shepherds would return to the enclosure to retrieve their sheep. The gate was opened for them and they called their own sheep by name. It was customary for the shepherds to know their sheep intimately. They named each of them as one might name his dog. His sheep responded to the sound of their shepherd's voice. They love him so much. His sheep and only his sheep would then separate themselves from the others to follow their own shepherd in anticipation of the lush, green pastures to which he would lead them.

Jesus explains his parable to his listeners and refers to himself in this story not only as the Good Shepherd but as the gate itself. “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep…If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture (John 10:7,9). Jesus is making the claim, as he often did, that he is the one and only way into the pen. He repeats this claim later by telling them: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Jesus warns of “thieves and robbers” who attempt to climb over the wall to “steal, kill and destroy” the sheep. But the sheep will not follow after a voice of one they don’t recognize. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me.” (John 10:14)

Those who would try to enter any other way but the one gate intend great harm upon the sheep. But Jesus declares to them that as a loving and protective shepherd, he has laid down his life for them. When he sees his listeners pondering such love and wondering the ‘why’ of it he tells them: “I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10)

If you are a follower of Christ, it is because you heard his voice calling you away from the sin of this world and into the experience of full salvation. We have all heard sermons preached, songs sung, prayers uttered, perhaps thousands of them. It is good to hear these voices, like sheep dogs working for the Shepherd. I didn’t come to salvation through the voice of a preacher, nor the melody of a song. I came to the Shepherd because I heard his voice.

When we hear his voice we push our way through all the different sheep who belong to different flocks and serve different shepherds because we recognize and love the voice of the one who laid down his life for His sheep. We take comfort knowing that he lifts his voice to the Father to intercede for us. We feel unworthy but deeply loved because at great cost he bought us and we are not our own. We experience the warmth of relational security with our Shepherd because he has promised us; “Lo, I am with you always”. (Matthew 28:20) We live our lives optimistically because of the hope we cling to knowing He is coming back again for his flock.

He knows us each by name and we eagerly follow after him because we know his voice.