A Word for Today | John 10:11
When Jesus called Himself “the Good Shepherd,” He was marking a contrast with the false shepherds of Israel, who exploited the people. He notes in John 10:12: “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them” (Jn. 10:12). But seeing Jesus as the One who loves and cares for His sheep gives comfort to every Christian. He says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:11). To be saved is to enjoy a personal relationship as a sheep to the most wonderful, trustworthy shepherd of our souls. Whatever is happening in our lives, we can know that we are the sheep of God’s pasture, and God’s own Son is watching over, guiding, and protecting us.
Jesus provides two ways in which He is our Good Shepherd. First, He “lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn. 10:11). This statement could refer generally to the way a faithful shepherd pours out his time and energy for the well-being of his flock. But in Jesus’ case, it goes further by referring to His sacrificial death on the cross. Jesus says that he died “for the sheep.” He offered himself as a substitute for sinners before the holy justice of God. He accepted the guilt our sins deserved and received God’s just wrath in our place. How much our Good Shepherd loves us, and how He lays down His life for us! Second, the Good Shepherd gathers all His sheep into one flock for intimate fellowship with Himself. He adds in John 10:14: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” This means that Jesus gatherers believers into a place where we belong, knowing His love and sharing that love with one another.
In the First World War, a young French soldier was wounded and his arm had to be amputated. The surgeon struggled to tell the soldier as he awoke. “I am sorry to tell you that you have lost your arm,” he finally said. But the soldier replied, “Sir, I did not lose it; I gave it – for France.”[1] Likewise, Jesus did not lose His life on the cross. He gave it out of love for His sheep. Surely this means that we can trust Him in times of distress and fear. Our Good Shepherd gave Himself out of love for us. What a joy it is for us to give ourselves back to Him in love and faith to the true shepherd of our souls.
In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Phillips
[1] Cited from Barclay, The Gospel of John, 2:78.