John 10:1-21
The Shepherd and His Flock
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
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. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life —only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Man to has this desire to be and live within a family and community...And man has in many places in the Bible man are compared to sheep...Often the followers of Jesus and our Father are compared to sheep...The LORD is our and my Shepherd...We have a need for a Good Shepherd...Sheep have a very strong flocking instinct...The young sheep naturally and instinctively want to follow the older sheep...This sometimes this may get us in trouble when get off on the wrong track -and often we make decisions that take us down a destructive road...And sheep have a sense and the sense to stay together...The flock, might be compared to a community...The nature of sheep know that it is safer in numbers and their instinct to flock and stay together helps keep them safe...The flock and community needs a strong leader, a Good Shepherd...
Jesus is claiming the Role as the Good Shepherd...By claiming to be THE Good Shepherd, that must imply that there are shepherds who might do us evil...The evil shepherds come only to steal and kill and destroy; but Jesus has come that we may have life, and have it to the full...He is the One with the authority and the right to watch over His sheep...There will be other shepherds in our lives, and this may happen more than once, that will break through gate illegally and lead us wrong and take us down a path we should not go...But He will never do that...When we follow Him, we know that we lack nothing...He leads us along the right paths...He takes us to the place of abundance, and leads us to the calmest of all places...Being with Him, refreshes our very soul...And when we are in trouble, we have no reason to fear, because He is with us in the Holy Spirit...When we follow Him, we know that our days and our lives will be good, because He is the way, the path, the Only True Way to the house of the LORD in heaven...