Paul acted with divine wisdom when he said that he had great zeal for the sheep. This is an important lesson for every pastor, as we will see below. The phrase used by the apostle to explain this care needs to be studied by those who do God's work. Ministers of the Gospel should never think badly of those who go to church.

The saved are sheep that the Lord has taken from the hands of the devil, the enemy who would give them the worst place in the world of sin. Jesus loved them as He did Mary Magdalene, demonstrating the real love that made Him cast seven demons out of her. No evil spirit possesses a person without cause. Christ defined the work of the devil clearly: The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10.10a). Watch!

The incarnation of the divine Word was necessary to save His sheep. When Jesus saw the Father turn His back on Him, He knew that from then on He would have to go alone, or else we would not be rescued from darkness. The prophet Isaiah declared: “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. (Isaiah 63:3). Christ conquered the kingdom of death!

The Savior's work to save His sheep from the lake of fire and brimstone was the most glorious and painful of all, for He suffered for the sins of mankind. While on the cross, God, His Father, turned His back on Him, and at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34).

After this moment, when the Father did not spare His Son from the cross, Christ triumphed over the devil and his demons, stripping them of the authority they had stolen from us: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15). After this feat, the Holy Spirit came and gave life both to Jesus and to us. Let us learn this!

From then on, humanity was given the opportunity to return to God. However, this grace becomes effective in their lives when they learn this truth and claim it. The lost will be rescued from eternal perdition: but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. (Jude 1:23). The Lord takes His sheep and entrusts them to us. Having great zeal for them pleases Him!

Imagine how deeply it touches God’s heart when we preach the Gospel and offer salvation to people! We are Heaven's agents, bringing the Good News to the lost, so that they may live assured that the evil one can no longer touch them and that, when their life on Earth ends, they will enter Glory!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares