HOLY WEEK
CHAPTER – 1
JESUS CHRIST – THE GOOD SHEPHERD
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
Dear God's Children, I'm hoping that Psalm 23 will be the most popular song for many of us. This Psalm beautifully exemplifies our God's role as a great caring shepherd. He is our shepherd, and we, the children, are His sheep. We are the sheepfold that He has entrusted to us. He is the shepherd who is with us every step of the way, leading, guiding, and protecting us. The Psalmist David, who used to be the shepherd of his Father's herd, recognized the value and necessity of a Shepherd.
When little David wanted to fight Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:34-36, King Saul initially refused to let him go to the battlefield. Goliath's appearance terrified Saul and his army because Goliath was both a giant and a well-trained Philistine soldier. Saul's reasoning was simple: Giant Goliath was stronger than David, a shepherd. David was young, and he lacked the experience to take on such a formidable foe as Goliath. David was on his way out, and his death would benefit no one.
When Saul and his army had given up hope of fighting the giant, David remained steadfast in his desire to fight. But the little boy wanted King's permission to go to the Warfield. That is when David addressed King Saul. David stated, "Your servant used to look after his father's sheep, and when a lion and a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I (David) went out after it and struck it, delivering the lamb from its mouth. But when it became enraged against me, I grabbed it by the beard and struck and killed it."
David could have escaped, saving his own life, when he saw the roaring lion and bear because he was a small boy and it was only a matter of one or two sheep. When the sheep were in danger, David fought back valiantly.
That is our Heavenly Shepherd, Jesus Christ's, heart. He stated, "I am the wise shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sake of the sheep." (Matthew 10:11) Jesus came down to save every one of us from the enemy who seeks to destroy us like a roaring lion. He died on the cross for His sheep to save them. He rescues our soul from the eternal fire and leads us to eternal life with Him.
We were all betrayed like sheep without knowing Him, but God sent His only Son Jesus so that whoever believes in Him will spend eternity with Him. We have everything we need in Jesus Christ.
In the gospel, we can find a beautiful parable of Jesus. It's the story of the lost sheep. There lived a shepherd who cared for his herd safely and carefully every day. Unfortunately, one of the hundred sheep has gone missing. One of the little sheep vanished. So, what exactly does a good shepherd do? He went in search of the lost sheep, found it, and joyfully returned it to his flock. Similarly, Jesus Christ came to seek and save the lost sheep (mankind).
He looked for it on the roads, valleys, and mountains until he found it stuck among the thorns. (sin) He gently removed the thorns and returned them to Himself. Jesus stated that the shepherd was overjoyed because He had found the lost sheep.
Yes, Jesus Christ will shepherd his flock; he will gather the lambs in his arms, carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those who are pregnant. (Exodus 40:11)
He stated, "My sheep pay attention to what I say. They recognize me and follow me." (Matthew 10:27)
Sheep have incredible hearing, which is one of their most distinguishing characteristics. This is significant because one of the disadvantages of sheep is that they are easily distracted and, due to their poor vision, can wander off without realizing how far they have wandered from the flock. When the shepherd calls out to them, they recognize his voice and come to him.
The sheep recognizes the shepherd's voice because it spends all of its time with and depends on him. We need to spend more time with our shepherd to understand His voice. We must be able to identify the true voice of God, which can only be accomplished through the scriptures. When our shepherd calls to us, we should obey and return to Him, just as sheep do. We are constantly reminded of our need for His (the shepherd's) loving care and provision, and we run back to His flock where there is safety and peace. And He will provide for all of our needs. Amen!!
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