When Jesus sends out His twelve disciples, He doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of what they’re facing. He uses a striking image: sheep among wolves. Not lions among house cats. Not shepherds among sheep. Sheep among wolves. This is a picture of vulnerability, exposure, and constant danger.
What makes this image even more sobering is Jesus’ warning about where the opposition will come from. It won’t primarily be from strangers or random enemies. Instead, it will come from religious leaders, from family members, from those who should know better. “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child,” Jesus warns. Following Him will create division even in the most intimate relationships.
This is radically different from what we often hear today. We’re told that if we just present the gospel in the right way, with the right tone, using the right apologetic arguments, then people will naturally be drawn to Jesus. But Jesus tells us plainly that following Him will bring opposition. Not might bring opposition – will bring opposition.
Why? Because Jesus doesn’t just ask for a portion of our lives; He demands lordship over everything. He doesn’t offer Himself as a helpful addition to our existing priorities; He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. This kind of radical commitment will always create tension with a world that wants to remain in control of its own life.
But here’s what we must remember: we’re not alone in this. Jesus sends us out, but He also promises to be with us. We go as sheep, vulnerable and exposed, but we go with the Good Shepherd. The One who laid down His life for His sheep goes with us into a hostile world. And that makes all the difference.