Jesus was not forced to die for us. Jesus willfully lays down His life for us. Jesus makes it clear that His mission was to die for us and be raised again. He did this out of love. 

In our reading today David gives a powerful and moving picture from his own experience of shepherding. David tells us that God leads us through the best of times and the worst of times. We can trust in God's loving shepherding and in the end, we will dwell with Him for eternity. 

Jesus proclaims that He is the good the shepherd. The good shepherd knows His flock by name and loves us so much that He willingly lays down His life for us. 

As the Light of the World Jesus comes to bring sight to those that are spiritually blind. Those that live in self-righteousness and pride are blinded by the light of Christ because they cannot admit to the sin that has enslaved them. 

Jesus heals the man born blind and this man comes under fire from the Pharisees. What did he do wrong? He only acknowledged that Jesus had to come from God to be able to work such a miracle. We find out in today's reading that if you take a stand on Jesus you may suffer persecution and ridicule. 

In our reading, we learn that part of the work and glory of Jesus is to bring sight to the blind and release of the captives. Jesus's mission manifests itself in this powerful miracle of the man being healed of his blindness. 

The heavenly bodies in all their power and grandeur pour out speech about God. They tell us that our God is glorious and powerful.  When we look up at a starry night or feel the consistent warmth of the Sun we are reminded of God's power and provision. 

In our reading, we have a paradox. Jesus, on one hand, says that a disciple must abide in His word but on the other hand He says that we will be set free.  This text challenges the common understanding that freedom is found in doing what I always want to do. Jesus came to free us from the prison of our own sinful hearts. 

In today's reading, Jesus tells the crowd He is going away. They are confused by His statement and cannot understand that He is speaking of the hour of His glorification. Jesus will go to the cross, He will be resurrected, and He will ascend back to His Father in glory. This fact of history will change the world forever. 

Jesus says at the feast of Tabernacles, "I am the Light of the World." During that feast, they celebrated God leading them in the darkness by the pillar of fire during the Exodus. Jesus reveals that He is the true light that illuminates the way forward.