Good and Perfect Shepherd
By Stefan Johnsson
John 10:7-16 (NIV)
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 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.
13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 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.
We should take comfort in these words by Jesus. We have a good shepherd, a shepherd who has lain down His life for us and become the gatekeeper to our lives. Jesus makes the claim that he will later do in John 14:6 where he says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the gatekeeper to Heaven. Not only is he the gate to the Father in Heaven, but he also provides the green pastures that we need as true sustenance in our lives.
Jesus protects us from those who will do us harm or lead us astray. We will hear the voice of Jesus and recognize it compared to what others are trying to say. And lastly, Jesus does what no hired hand could do, that is lay down his life for us.
We should be filled with joy by having a good and perfect shepherd in Jesus, who knows us by name, who has called usaccording to his will. Let us rejoice in this.
Verse 16 is the promise for us, as gentiles. We have been added to the promised that was prophesied by God to Abraham. We are the flock whom Jesus speaks of, so let us take courage in this, that Jesus had a plan for us to be saved and to call us by name.
Let us not forget this as we go on with our lives today. We have a shepherd that looks after us, who takes care of us, who loves us, and who knows us by name. What great words and reminder to us. We should be thankful daily for the gift of eternal life that Jesus has given us by his blood, being the ultimate sacrificial lamb, the Lamb of God.