Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns 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. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep."
John 10:7-15
Jesus says it all in these verses. He cares for us, He laid down His life for us, He protects us, and He knows us and we can know Him. I say we "can" know Him because that is a decision that each one of us has to make personally. Jesus wants a personal relationship with everybody...but not everybody wants a personal relationship with Him (but that is another blog topic I will get into at another time).
In these verses, Jesus puts His love for us into a simple illustration of a shepherd with his sheep. Jesus is to us, what a shepherd is to his flock of sheep. Sheep under the watchful eye of a good shepherd can trust that they will be safe from harm and trust that the shepherd wouldn't do anything to lead the sheep astray. If they do find themselves in trouble, they know that their shepherd is going to protect them and help them through whatever troubles they come across. A good shepherd realizes that he owns those sheep and that if he doesn't take care of them...no one will. Well, the wolf would, but he wouldn't be a good stepshepherd.
Without a shepherd, sheep are vulnerable. Sheep are curious and oftentimes hard-headed. They constantly need guidance and correction. People are the same way. That is why Jesus' example of the "Good Shepherd" is so awesome! Simple, true, and to the point.
What do you think?
