To those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their only Lord and Saviour, this statement made by Him, will undoubtedly bring them immense joy, confidence and assurance, all attributed to the following fervent motives:

1) The bible assures all its readers of the staying power of Gods’ word. “…So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11. Jesus also affirms that His words are everlasting, when He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Mark 13:31.

2) Jesus and not one of the Prophets, Disciples or Apostles proclaimed the statement. This again gives assurance to all Christians of its veritable Divine competence, “…the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” Psalms 19:8

3) The eminent words used to express the statement. Words such as, sheep, voice, follow etc. which, when examined cautiously, are found to have an abundance of hope and value. We will now attempt to take each of the key words within the statement and elaborate, utilising the bible as our main source of rightful information.

The statement – verse – commences with the word “My”. Jesus’ use of this word is to stress the fullness of His authority obtained from the Father, as He said to His disciples, “…All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth” Matthew 28:18. Again He says, “…For as the Father has life in Himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man.” John 5:27.
Consequently, it will be appropriate to proclaim that, those who have believed, accepted and trust in Him, are acknowledged to be His. His to be blessed, His to enjoy peace and harmony, His to be ready to endure the burden of the cross and His to be made successors of eternal life. However, in order for man to be recognised by Jesus to be “His”, He said that we must “love Him and keep His commandments” John 14:15.

Once we have attained the blessings of being called “His” by Jesus, we are then titled as “sheep”. We may ask – why is Jesus relating His followers to animals? Before we begin to query the authenticity of the statement, due to the term “sheep” used by Jesus, we must ascertain the intention of the word and the characteristics of the type of animal used. After all, does not Isaiah prophecy Jesus “as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearer's is silent”? Isaiah 53:7. Did not John the Baptists refer to Jesus as “the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”? John 1:29. Peter identifies the blood of Christ to that of a “lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:19.

By examining this term, we have now enhanced our understanding of the term used by Jesus, relating it to humbleness, purity and obedience. We also greatly appreciate the fact that those who Jesus calls “His”, He also identifies the same way as He himself has been identified by Gods’ chosen people.

In a small village of a Middle Eastern country, two shepherds were involved in a dispute over a sheep. When the village chief heard the case, he decided to put both the shepherds and the sheep to trial, in order to discover the genuine owner of the sheep. The sheep was placed in a stable and the first shepherd was asked to call out to it, in order that it may exit the stable. After a number of attempts and various calls, the sheep did not exit the stable. When the second shepherd was asked to call out to the sheep, it had ran out of the stable heading towards the caller. This then, proving the genuine owner of the sheep.

As sheep have little sense of direction they rely entirely upon the wise and caring guidance of the shepherd,
constantly listening to his voice and commands. Accordingly, those who have achieved the status of being called “Jesus’ Sheep” are now advised by Him, that they must at all time be prepared and alert to listen to His voice. His voice being His everlasting words and commands.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of John the Baptists as “the Voice crying in the wilderness” and that voice consisted of words such as “Prepare the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight” Matthew 3:3, here Jesus correlates His words and commands as His voice. Today, the voice of Jesus can be heard load and clear by all those who set aside precious time to read the Holy Bible “which is able to make them wise for salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ” 2 Timothy 3:15. Paul affirms that we can attain “faith by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” Romans 11:17, and in the bible we find an abundance of God’s living word.

Once again we have ascertained that when we read the bible, we are in actual fact listening to the words of Jesus. Nevertheless, let us ask ourselves, is Jesus in His statement referring to those who only read the bible? Would it be accurate to say that He is requesting more than just reading and listening (hearing) His word? To answer our two question and simultaneously enrich our knowledge as to the will of God, let us observe, through the bible, Jesus’ teachings and deeds while He was on earth.

When He spoke of loving one another, He showed His love on the cross, and said “…Greater love has no one than this, to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. When He said that we must prey at all times, He “continued all night in prayer to God” Luke 6:12. When He ordered us to love our enemies, He asked God the Farther to “forgive them (those who crucified Him) for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:23.

From these verses, we learn specifically what Jesus is referring to by the word “Hear”. To hear Jesus is to acknowledge Him as the Lord, God, King, Saviour, Life giver and Redeemer.
To hear the Lord Jesus is to “trust in Him” Psalms 37:3. To hear the Lord Jesus is to “Take our cross and follow Him” Matthew 10:38. St. James (Jesus’ step brother) sums it all up in verse 22 of chapter 1, when he teaches that we must be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves.” This is the particular type of hearing Jesus is expecting from all Christians, and those who wish to accept Him in their lives as their Lord God.

How often have we heard the voice of Jesus? What have we done?
Now is a great time to once again hear His voice. Just open your bible, your heart, listen vigilantly and act upon it with immense courage.