The Good Shepherd

​John 10:11-14 ~ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 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.”
 
Dear Christian, as you get ready to step across the threshold of a new year, look to your Shepherd and know that He is good. He will never lead you astray, and will guard you through the trials and hold you in the times of sorrow. He will rejoice with you as you enjoy victories and will stand with you against all the ferocious wolves of this world. David prayed in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Wherever you walk, what journeys are before you, make sure that you follow the leading of the Good Shepherd.
 
Yet, there will be some to ask: how can we know that He is good? Look, then, upon the actions of the shepherd. We read in our text, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Consider the picture of a flock of sheep, with the shepherd there amongst them. He does not lay down in the middle of the sheep, desperate for their protection against the wolves that prowl around. He lays down His life for the sheep—taking the most dangerous place, standing fast against the most vicious of enemies. The proof of a shepherd being good is his willingness to lay his life down for the sheep.
 
Let us ask a simple question: did Jesus lay down His life as the Good Shepherd? The answer is a resounding: YES! We read in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Even in the garden, when the soldiers came to arrest the LORD, He protected those disciples who were with Him. Consider John 18:7-8, “So he asked them again, ‘Whom do you seek?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus answered, ‘I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.’” Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of a Good Shepherd when, as the Lamb of God, He took our punishment for sin—laying His life down to redeem His flock.
 
Yet, I must caution you against those who are considered “hirelings” for they will not do as the Good Shepherd. We continue to read in our text, “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.” There is a great risk that the hired hand will, ultimately, abandon the flock of God. In truth, the hireling has one interest—what can he gain from his association with the shepherd. If a threat arises, and life is jeopardized, the hireling will abandon the flock to spare his own life. They take on a persona of care for the sheep, will help the flock and feed it, seemingly doing that which is required of a shepherd. But, when the trials come and the wolves attack, they abandon their posts to find safer places of employment. The flock of God is merely a means of gain for the hireling. Jude warns us about them in Jude 1:12, “These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted.”
 
There are ferocious wolves that prowl about in this world. We read the final statement of our text that says, “and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” Sheep are defenseless without a shepherd. And the roaming pack of wolves continually stalk their prey, searching out those they can devour while scattering the rest in fear. Dear reader, as you look forward to the year ahead, let me encourage you to stay close to the Good Shepherd. James 4:7 commands, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” It is in our submission to God that we will discover the means by which we can resist the devil. No believer has the strength in themselves to stand their ground—we must always rely on the Savior.
 
Have you wandered and now are caught in the grip of the enemy? Did you listen to the words of a hireling and now find your soul in peril from the roving pack of hunters? Look to the LORD and cry out to Jesus. Remember His word in Matthew 18:12, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” He is the Good Shepherd and will come to rescue you. And from then on, determine to remain as close to Jesus as possible.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael 

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