By izartirta
As the Bible recorded; Jesus acknowledged Himself as the Good Shepherd to reveal how He would act to protect His sheep. Jesus’ way is much different from the false teachers who tend to leave their sheep when danger comes.
A sheep is a weak creature. They are easily killed by predators and are very vulnerable to any small danger. They don’t have any weapon like claws or horns to protect themselves from the coming danger. Even their sight is so limited that they cannot see something clearly at the distance. A sheep therefore is very dependent on its shepherd.
When the night falls, sheep are often gathered into a sheep pen to protect them from thieves, weather or predators. The sheep pen could be a cave, sheds or open areas surrounded by walls made of stones or branches.
Usually a good shepherd sleeps in the pen to protect those sheep. This kind of shepherd really cares for his sheep. On the contrary, the hired men don’t really care for the sheep. They do the job only for money. If danger came in, they would just run away for their life and left the flocks behind scattered and killed by wild animals.
I am sure that Jesus took the relationship between sheep and its shepherd as a model of our relationship with Him for nothing but a good reason. Just like a weak sheep depends on its shepherd; Jesus intended us to depend ourselves only upon Him.
John 10:11-18 clearly stated:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one take it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
From these verses we can learn about the characteristic of Jesus’ service for us as the good shepherd.
As the good shepherd, Jesus:
Lays down His life
No other religion founders ever gave their life for the sake of their followers. Even if there were, their sacrifice will never be the same with what Jesus has done. Jesus died for us not because He was too weak in facing
Knows His flocks
As we can read in verse 14 there is a strong relationship between us and Jesus. He knows us and we know Him. It is pretty obvious to me that Christianity is not like other religion in the world. World’s religions build their faith on good deeds and hoping those deeds would help them saved from bad condition, hell for instance. Christianity on the other hand builds its faith on the new private relationship with Jesus Christ. We know Jesus as much as He is revealed in the Bible; and we are expected to keep our relationship with Him. Christianity is about relationship with God and with other people.
Brings the flocks to the pen
Jews think that they are the only chosen nation which will be specially saved by God. In verse 16, Jesus revealed that there will be another flocks to bring into the relationship with Him. Those other flocks represent other nations existing on this earth. Jesus’ salvation is not merely for one nation but for everybody God has chosen to be saved from any nations. The message in this verse is also clear to me that Jesus will play the active role by bringing us into His home. This is not because we are strong enough or good enough to enter His home. Only because of what He’s been doing that we could be in such relationship.
Gives eternal life
As we can read in verse 28, Jesus lays down His life to give us the eternal life. No one in this world can do this to anyone because no one in this world has the same authority with God. Jesus is God and He has the authority upon life and death. Jesus is eternal and therefore He is able to give us the eternal life. Other religion’s founders died and never came to life just like Jesus did. They don’t have authority at all over their life.
Holds His sheep in eternal life
Some people think that we still may loose our chance for eternal life even though we are saved by Jesus. In verse 28, Jesus clearly stated that our salvation is once and for all because Jesus guarantees it with His hand. Jesus has promised us that “no one can snatch them out of my hand.” And He also added, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Our eternal life is guaranteed by Jesus’ hand and word. If we are counting our eternal life on ourselves, we may find it loose. But as Jesus said, even His Father cares for us and holding on our eternal life. We should be sure that we will never loose it.
Jesus is the good shepherd. No body can be compared to Him.
