John 10:11-18 NLT
[11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12] A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13] The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. [14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, [15] just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. [16] I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. [17] “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. [18] No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
Good Morning!
Not only is Jesus the door of the sheep, He is The Good Shepherd. He is the one who will not turn away from His sheep when the wolves come hunting. He will not allow the attacks on His sheep and will stand for us against them. In the above passage, Jesus compares Himself to a hired hand who is only watching over the sheep for money. This can be true of many false shepherds even today. There are many who call themselves a pastor or religious leader that really do not love the flock, but are merely pretending to be a shepherd for the money and glory of the world. Jesus wants us to follow His voice and we, as the sheep, know His voice and follow Him.
Sheep are not the most intelligent animals. They would die very quickly if they did not have a caring shepherd that watches over them and keeps them out of danger. They seem to be easily distracted and wander and if they fall over, they can’t even get themselves up without the help of their shepherd. God uses the illustration of us as His sheep because we too are easily distracted by worldly things. We too can easily wander and find ourselves fallen over and can’t get up. But Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is always here for us to help us back on our feet and bring us back to the flock.
David, in the Psalms, knew all too well about being a shepherd. He was a shepherd boy himself and fought many battles against lions and bears to protect his sheep. When he wrote Psalm 23, he knew the battles that a shepherd faces. But as you read this short chapter, you can know that the power of God is truly with us when He leads us as His Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23:1-6 NKJV
[1] The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
[2] He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
[3] He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
[4] Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
[5] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
[6] Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
We, as followers of Christ, have a Good Shepherd that not only loves us enough to lay down His life for us, but He comforts us when we are in trouble by leading us to still waters. He restores our souls when we are in fear or grieved. When we walk through the dark valleys in our lives, His rod and staff comforts us and he anoints our heads with oil. He supplies all of our needs and ensures that our cup runs over. This Psalm has so many layers in such a short passage and speaks volumes about our Lord, our Good Shepherd, Our Savior and King.
Let us be just like sheep today and follow our Good Shepherd where ever He wants to take us. He knows the path that is right for us and He knows how to care for us best. Be blessed in knowing that He stands up for us to fight away the “wolves” that will try to come against us in this life.
I love you and am praying for you today!
Dad
PS – to really do a deep dive into Psalm 23, I highly recommend this short book. It is a quick read (or listen on Audible) and gives great insight: A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23