The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

John 10: 1-11 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
 
The Shepherd and his sheep is a beautiful picture taken from this world and applied many times to the relationship between God and his people, the shepherd and his flock of sheep.  Many passages come to mind, Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."   God sometimes is pictured as a loving shepherd that feeds his flock, Isaiah 40:11 "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." We also know there are evil shepherds:  Jeremiah 23:1 "Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD"  When sheep are forsaken they easily become pray to wild animals, and then of course there is the Good Shepherd, the Messiah, Ezekiel 34:23 "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd."  Sheep need a shepherd.  When you look up the word sheep in the dictionary one of the things it says is that sheep wander, they are defenceless when they wander because they are helpless and weak.  They get into trouble when they wander.  They don't understand why they get into trouble and to get out of trouble they need to go back to the flock they have left, back to the place they departed and until they do that they will always be in trouble.  Sometimes the shepherd has to come and get them and lead them back.  The rod is for rescuing, the staff is for discipline because sheep have to stay close to the Shepherd. 

Are you a member of God's flock?  if you are, do you wander away? How far do you wander?  How many times has God had to bring  you back? What will he do if you keep wandering?