I Am the Good Shepherd

When my boys were much younger, Carolyn and I took them to Israel.  It was the trip of a lifetime for them and they still talk about it.  Just this past week, our oldest was remembering when we got off the bus and some local shepherds put a lamb in his arms. The shepherds knew that everyone would want a picture of this little boy holding a lamb.

At the time of Jesus, shepherds kept their flocks in two kinds of sheepfolds.  In the villages, flocks were kept in stone-walled, gated sheep-pens. Out in the fields, shepherds often made makeshift enclosures of stones, tree trunks, and branches with the shepherd sleeping across a narrow opening in front.  Twice Jesus says He’s the gate for the sheep (vs. 7,9).  A gate or door symbolizes both protection and provision.  The gate reminds us there’s an entrance and an exit.  “Whoever enters through me will be saved” (vs. 9). The Good Shepherd leads His sheep out to “green pastures… beside quiet waters”. (Psalm 23:2)

In the New Testament, Jesus compares himself to a shepherd, telling his people, the sheep, will follow Him because they know His voice. (John 10:4) Those same sheep will run from a stranger or thief. (v.5) We need to be like the sheep and the shepherd. We need to know the voice of the Shepherd through our relationship with Him.  Verse 10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” There will always be those who will try to pull us away from Him. Unlike those false teachers, we can trust the voice of our shepherd to lead us to safety.

Prayer – Heavenly Father, thank You for being my loving Shepherd.  Help me to recognize and follow Your voice only.  Amen.

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

Author: Tommy Herndon