Jesus is our Shepherd and we're his Sheep!

John 10:11-18

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man will run when he sees a wolf coming and will leave the sheep, for they aren’t his and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf leaps on them and scatters the flock. The hired man runs because he is hired and has no real concern for the sheep.

“I am the Good Shepherd and know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, in another fold. I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice; and there will be one flock with one Shepherd.

“The Father loves me because I lay down my life that I may have it back again. No one can kill me without my consent—I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this r ight.”

Food for Thought!

As we celebrate today the Good Shepherd Sunday, we do well to remember some truths about the sheep and their Shepherd. Let's begin with the sheep. They're the first animal mentioned by name in the Bible (Genesis 4:2). It is not by chance that we are likened to the sheep. In biblical times, it wasn’t dogs or cats that were man’s best friends, but sheep. They bonded with their shepherds and the shepherds with the. Jesus puts this bonding this way: "I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me!"

Rabbits, birds, reptiles, fish, and monkeys can be found in pet stores but are happiest in the wild. The forests and jungles of the world are full of wildlife requiring no human care. These animals require no specialized care by a shepherd, but we’re not like them: we’re like sheep. And by understanding the shepherd’s role in our lives, we better comprehend our own makeup and upkeep. Someone desc ribed sheep this way:

A sheep is the one animal that is utterly clueless and helpless without a human being nearby. A flock of sheep without a shepherd is a pathetic sight. You never hear of sheep migrating along in great flocks, fending for themselves, or surviving without external protection. They panic at the slightest sound. They have no sense of direction, little native intelligence, and no way to defend themselves. They can butt a little with their heads, but they’re bulky, bungling, and without defensive equipment. They can’t fight with their hooves or teeth. They can’t run away very easily, or dig holes or climb trees. They can’t track down their own food. They can get lost even in their own pasture. Their wool, which becomes thick, matted, and tangled if not regularly sheared, can weigh them down or trap them in thorns. Insects bedevil them, and they don’t recover well from disease and injury unless treated individually. Sheep als o need affection, and there’s something about them that seems to crave human care. They are utterly dependent on a shepherd. They’re just like us.

We might think we can get along just fine without a good and gracious God, and many people deny and discredit Him. But in the end, we’re nothing more than sheep without a shepherd when we distance ourselves from a loving Creator. We’re defenseless against the prowling lion that wants to devour us. We’re lost without someone to show us the path. We’ll starve without a prepared pasture. We’re easily diseased and often frightened. Without someone tending us, we become ragged, unhealthy, and utterly pathetic. We worry about the mistakes and misfortunes of yesterday or yesteryear; we’re anxious about today with its trials and troubles; and we are apprehensive about the future, which is as uncertain as the wind.

When the Lord is our Shepherd, that is enough. He is enough.

Enough to meet our needs, calm our nerves, clear our vision, restore our souls, ensure our future, and bless our day. We have a God who knows and meets our needs as thoroughly as a shepherd cares for his flock. If the Lord is our Shepherd and we’re under His ownership, management, and care, He’ll see to it that every crucial need in our lives is met in one way or another. All our material needs. All our emotional needs. All our relational needs. All our spiritual needs. All our heavenly needs.

"So my counsel is: Don’t worry about things—food, drink, and clothes. For you already have life and a body—and they are far more important than what to eat and wear. Look at the birds! They don’t worry about what to eat—they don’t need to sow or reap or store up food—for your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. (Matthew 6:25-26)