Good Shepherd

John 10

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.”

Jesus makes it quite clear here: He is the Good Shepherd. He sacrifices His life for His sheep, His cares for His sheep, His sheep know Him and He knows His sheep, He knows the Father and serves as the bridge between the Father and the sheep, and His sheep come from every tribe, tongue, and nation. I am one of His sheep, and glad that He is my Good Shepherd. I am too sheep-like (and that is NOT a compliment) to survive this life on my own. I am too sheep-like to attain eternal life without Him. I don’t have to do either, because Jesus IS my Good Shepherd.