I was chatting with someone about the idea in John 10:10 of abundance today

The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but I have come that you might have life to the full (abundantly)– John 10:10 (NIV84)

Abundance … what does that really mean? The NIV says “to the full” … the problem for us is that we have our definitions and experiential baggage for what these Biblical Words mean and it can be hard to get to what Christ is saying. It is like the Biblical idea of “hope”. Hope is not wishful thinking, it is a certainty based on the person, promises, and actions of Jesus Christ. So I have to see the word differently. So then this word perissos translated “abundant” or “to the full”. We think, prosperity or perfection, or freedom from troubles but of course that isn’t what is meant and it isn’t what we always experience. Put in context, Jesus is talking about sheep and predators. He says there are thieves and robbers, hired hands that don’t really care, and wolves who want to devour. And in all of that the thief STILL comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but he gives us zoe (life) and have it perissos (abundantly). When I look that definition up I find it to me extraordinary, exceptional, superfluous, unnecessary, special advantage. And I see that regardless of the fact that there are still thieves, robbers, wolves, unconcerned caregivers, in the midst of that we live something that is not necessary, not required, yet exceptional, extraordinary LIFE. The most extraordinary thing is that we LIVE through it, we live IN it, we live in spite of those attacks. When others are destroyed by the attacks, we LIVE and THAT is Extraordinary. 

 So I can be FULL of Hope, because I know that God is for me, with me, and has taken my place in the worst consequence of my sin, death. So this is why Jesus came. He came to those of us already sentenced to death, and gave us something unnecessary for him, exceptional, extraordinary, to our special advantage, LIFE, REAL Life. Why because we are sheep and he is a GOOD Shepherd. 

Oh man, let me stop and shout a little …