When you hear the saying, I am the good shepherd, what comes to mind?
The shepherd and the sheep is a term used to describe a leader and the people he leads.
Usually, it implies that those led are submissive to the one leading them. Isn’t that interesting?
You can imagine why Jesus used the shepherd of the sheep and the door of the sheep to tell a parable. Having that in mind, let us look at Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd.
Meanwhile, have you seen the message: You Are The Light Of The World? You should give it a read.
I Am The Good Shepherd Bible Verse
There are two verses of scripture where the statement, I Am The Good Shepherd, is made. We will see both of them and the reasons that followed.
In John 10:11 WEB, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
In John 10:14, He repeated, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own.”
The repetition emphasizes the similarities in the reasons in both verses above.
One would ask, When He said He was the Good Shepherd, what was He implying?
I Am The Good Shepherd, Meaning
First, let us consider the statements of Jesus Christ in John 10:1–4 WEB.
“‘Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
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.
Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.’”
You will notice that He first spoke about the thief and robber, which we consider pretenders in this article. Then, He talked about the shepherd of the sheep.
There are many shepherds in the world, but the statement, I Am The Good Shepherd, distinguishes one from the others.
“I am” is significant to the Good Shepherd. Therefore, what makes The Good Shepherd is the one who said, I Am.
Who Is The Good Shepherd?
Following Jesus’ first statement as The Good Shepherd, he stated the reason behind it, saying, The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
He went further to contrast the difference with the others when He said in John 10:12–13 WEB:
“He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep.”
- Therefore, the Good Shepherd is the one who lays down his life for the sheep.
- The Good Shepherd is the one who protects his sheep.
- The Good Shepherd is the one who gathers and takes care of his sheep.
Essentially, The Good Shepherd saves, protects, and provides for his sheep. And we see all of that in Jesus Christ, who is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd
It is substantial to know that Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd, knows His sheep, and they know Him.
In John 10:14–18 WEB, He said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;
even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”
We see that all that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, suffered in providing eternal life for His sheep by laying down His life for them was done willingly on His part.
Do you remember the parable of the shepherd who lost one sheep out of a hundred and went looking for it? When he found it, what did he do? He carried it on his shoulder, rejoicing. When he got home, he invited others to join in rejoicing with him, for he had found his sheep, which had been lost.
Did you notice that the sheep was lost, but the shepherd risked his life to save the lost sheep?
David said in Psalms 119:176, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I don’t forget your commandments.”
Isaiah the prophet said in Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Before that statement, in verse one of the same chapter, Isaiah asked, Who has believed our message? To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed?
In 1 Timothy 1:15 WEB, Brother Paul said, “The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ died and rose again on the third day to save sinners from darkness to light and death to life. He is the author of eternal salvation for those who obey Him; do you believe?
