Jesus the Good Shepherd
Our need for a shepherd
Many of us, when we consider our lives, the problems we have, and the pain we suffer, wonder: “Where is God?” and “Does God care for me?” We may have anxiety and fear from all of the uncertainties we face or just be disoriented from the chaos of life. Some of us have intentionally taken wrong and destructive paths and are suffering from it. Whatever our condition, we are all in need of a shepherd—one who cares for us, leads us, and protects us from danger. And not just any shepherd, but Jesus the good shepherd.
Much of the isolation and disillusionment we feel are from being disconnected from God. The prophet Isaiah lamented:
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way… (Isaiah 53:6)
We have all strayed from God’s path and turned to our own way. Now lost, we need to find our way back to God.
Jesus sought the lost and broken
When he lived on earth, Jesus provided the best model of a shepherd that we have. The compassion he had for people was undeniable. He spent long hours ministering to people to the point of neglecting his own needs. He wanted them to know God’s goodness and love, which he demonstrated by his acts of mercy. People flocked to him wherever he went.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. (Matt. 9:36)
His disciples saw that those who came to Jesus were overcome by the struggles of life, without firm direction and hope. But Jesus had a love for them that other religious leaders didn’t have. It was so uncommon for anyone in their culture to serve others without being paid for it. Added to this the unequalled miraculous power he demonstrated in ministering to them, it’s no wonder he attracted the crowds that he did.
Are people any different today than those of Jesus’ day? Are our needs and problems any different than theirs? In most ways, we are exactly the same. People today find themselves directionless, hopeless, and overcome by the problems of life. As a result, most people live selfish lives, not caring for others, but focused only on their own needs and rights, struggling to survive. People are as spiritually hopeless today as in any time before. We know that God loves us, but how can he find us if we are lost? How can we arrive at a safe relationship with him?
The parable of the lost sheep
Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep helps us answer the question. This parable is a beautiful allegory of Jesus’ desire to shepherd the lost and estranged. It’s found in Luke:
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:4-7)
In this story, the shepherd left the whole flock to look for just that one sheep who had lost his way. Those that are estranged, lost, and helpless are of great worth to the Lord. He will go to great lengths to save them because he loves them. Every human is valuable to God, not just those without problems. God searches out the lost until he finds them and brings them to safety and a protected relationship with him.
Who are the ninety nine?
But we may ask, why then does God save some and not others? Aren’t we all lost and helpless?
Let’s look deeper into the parable. Notice that Jesus calls the ninety-nine those “righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Is he actually saying that 99% of the people on this earth are righteous and don’t need to repent of their sins? No, this is really a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that most people don’t think they need to repent. They don’t think they need to be forgiven—they are good people and are fine just as they are.
God’s response to the cry of the helpless
The second point of this parable is God responds to those who see their need for him. The lost sheep represents the sinner who knows they are helpless without God. The shepherd leaves those who are “righteous” and don’t see their need for forgiveness and seeks out this one lost and helpless sheep.
But the story doesn’t mention any cry for help from the lost sheep, so how do we know this interpretation is right? Because Jesus gave this parable in response to criticism from the religious leaders for welcoming and eating with sinners. From other passages we know Jesus’ teaching was that everyone needs to repent whether we see it or not.
God hears and responds to those who see their need for mercy and call out to him. One of the simplest prayers we can send to God is: “God rescue me!” And he will. But those who don’t see their need won’t seek God. So, there is a good chance they will never be rescued, found, and forgiven.
The Good Shepherd
Lately, many people have doubted the goodness of God. But if we have doubts as to whether God is good or not, we need to look at Jesus’ parable of the good shepherd:
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own 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. (John 10:11-13)
In this short story, Jesus contrasts the owner of a flock of sheep with the hired hand. Both are shepherds, as they both take care of the sheep. Each has their scheduled time for being on site to do what shepherds do. The difference between the two is not apparent during normal days, but becomes evident when the flock is in danger.
The difference between the owner and the hired hand
The hired hand doesn’t own the sheep—he just works for a wage. He may normally do well at what the job requires. But he doesn’t have a vested interest in the sheep, and when the wolf comes to attack, he protects himself and leaves them to be destroyed by the wolf. In doing so, he knows he could lose his job. But he decides this is far better for him than fighting with a wolf and possibly losing his life. We could say that, although he may be a good worker, he is not a good shepherd.
The hired hand in this story could represent the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They had failed at caring for God’s people, looking only after their own needs.
The good shepherd in this story is the owner himself, who has a deep love for his flock. He will do anything to protect his sheep, even risking his own life. It is he who lays his life down for the sheep.
“The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” It’s not stated directly, but this implies that when the wolf approaches the sheep to kill and devour, the good shepherd runs between the wolf and his sheep. He throws himself down before the wolf, offering his life in place of the sheep. The wolf then attacks and kills the shepherd instead of the sheep.
Christ is the Good Shepherd
Jesus is both the Owner of his sheep as well as their loving Good Shepherd. This means he is both our Lord, and our Savior. Our Lord descended from heaven to gather his flock, and when the wolf came to attack, he threw himself down before the wolf. He sacrificed his life so that we could live. When has an earthly shepherd ever sacrificed his life for his flock?
To conclude his story, Jesus said this about himself:
“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 10:17-18)
Jesus willingly went to his death, knowing that it was the only way for the sheep to be saved. Of course, if Jesus had stayed dead, then his sacrifice would only have been the payment for sin. But he also took his life up again, meaning he defeated evil and conquered death. God not only forgives those who are in Christ, but he raises them to eternal life! When we realize what he did for us, how can we not bow before him in praise and thanksgiving. We owe him everything!
The Messiah bears the sin of the world
To fully understand Isaiah’s prophecy quoted earlier, let’s read the whole verse:
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
The prophecy said that the Messiah would bear the sin of us all. The greatest act of love by the Good Shepherd would be to bear our sin, to take our punishment. This act atoned for the sins of the whole world and provided all of humanity a clear path back to God.
For those of us who see our need for a Savior—a Shepherd—taking that path is an obvious choice. But if we don’t see our helpless condition, both the path and the destination are murky, and we continue to stray from God.
Security in Christ
For those of us who have already taken that path—who trust in him— Jesus is our Good Shepherd, our Savior, the One who leads us to safe pastures.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)
No one can snatch us from Christ’s hand because we belong to him. He is strong and mighty to save and to protect his sheep. We have a secure and eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ God’s Messiah.
In coming to earth, Christ dwelt among us as the one and only Son of God, the image of the invisible God. His life was a portrait of the love of God, a love demonstrated through his acts of compassion, patiently teaching the people, and ultimately dying for us. In a fearless act of obedience to the Father’s will, he laid down his life for the sheep. Those who trust him are now his possession, the beloved people of God.
“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17)
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Good Shepherd? Have you trusted him to rescue you? I pray that you will. He will bring you to the safety of a love relationship with God.
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