The Good Shepherd

“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 takes 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.” -John 10:14-18

We have all heard of Jesus referred to as a shepherd. In today’s passage Jesus describes himself as the good shepherd.  This drew my attention and I asked myself what would make a “good” shepherd? 

Reading the scripture, I noticed how four times he says “he will lay down his life for the sheep.”  This was not a foreign idea.  It would have been normal for the shepherd to bring the flock home to the fold at night.  He would then lay down in the gate physically to protect the sheep from wolves coming into the sheepfold.  He literally put his life on the line for the sheep.

Think of this though, the shepherd would lay down, as the gate, in case something dangerous threatened his flock.  Jesus knew why he came to earth.  His job wasn’t to be ready to die for us if danger came.  His entire calling was to die a sinner’s death, a death he did not deserve, because Satan had already attacked.

Jesus never swayed from his calling. His love for us is so deep that he willingly sacrificed himself.  He didn’t live his life thinking, “I’m ready to die, if that’s what’s needed.”  He lived his life knowing how it would end.  That is definitely what I would call a Good Shepherd.