The Good Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."-- John 10:14

In the tenth chapter of his Gospel, John relates how Jesus described Himself as the good shepherd. His audience would have been very receptive to this analogy since tending to and caring for sheep were very critical to the lives and livelihoods of many Israelis of this time period. They understood the examples Jesus used when comparing Himself to a shepherd. He took advantage of this so they would also understand when He spoke of sheep while actually describing the people. For just as a shepherd loves and cares for his flock, so Jesus loves and cares for the children of God.

Jesus chose a number of comparisons to assure His listeners. He noted that anyone who enters the sheep pen other than through the gate is not to be trusted, but that the shepherd enters through the gate, calls his sheep by name, and they follow him. One can easily see here a reference to Lucifer and his minions, to false prophets and others who would lie or steal while doing Lucifer's bidding. Yet when our Lord enters, He will call us by our true names and we will follow.

Our opening verse above also assures us. Jesus quite clearly states that He knows us, He knows our name. And by this He also states that His true followers know Him. Christ knows you, He knew you before you were even born. He knows your real name that He will tell you when you sit by His side. And if you fully believe and follow Him, if you have a real and good relationship with Him, then you know Him too.

Jesus provides reassurance to those of us not born descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when He says, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:16) If the flock in His sheep pen are the chosen of God, the Israelis, then the other sheep he seeks to bring into the pen are the rest of us, the Gentiles. Although we may not be part of God's original chosen people, Jesus still wants us in His fold. He longs to bring us all together into one flock, one people, with Him as the one shepherd.

I purposely used the word "seeks", for in His parable of the lost sheep, Jesus notes that the good shepherd would leave his flock to go in search of one lost sheep so that he can find it and return it to the safety of the fold. And so it is with Christ. He knows His followers are safe in Him, so He can leave them to go seek out those who are lost. He will find them and lift them carefully upon His shoulders and carry them back to the full flock, the one flock.

The good shepherd knows each of his sheep by name. He loves them and cares for them. If one goes astray, he will search until he finds the lost one and bring it back to the fold. And when the wolves attack, he will fight to defend his sheep, even laying down his own life if necessary for the survival of his flock.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He knows each of us by our true name. He loves us, just as His Father loves us, and He cares about our immortal souls. When we stray, He guides us back to His way and path through the Holy Spirit within us. And if we become lost, He searches until He finds us, lovingly takes us in His arms, and brings us back to dwell with Him.

And the greatest assurance our Good Shepherd gives us through John is that He has already given His life so that we need not fear the wolves of the world, so that we might forever be saved. He laid down His life, and in so doing defeated the wolf. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, our Shepherd. Forever and ever. Amen.