Jesus, the Good Shepherd
Jesus says in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd.” He wants to be a good shepherd for everyone, that is why He died for the sins of the whole world and not just for a few. But the truth is that most people don’t want to have Jesus as their shepherd, they rather want to be in control of their lives themselves.
For whom then is Jesus a shepherd and who are His sheep? They are all those people who have given up everything to be His disciples. We can read this in Luke 14:26-27,33 (GNT): “Those who come to me cannot be my disciples unless they love me more than they love father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and themselves as well. Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples… In the same way… none of you can be my disciple unless you give up everything you have.”
Everyone who is willing to do this, becomes a disciple or student of Jesus. “A student is not better than the teacher, but the student who has been fully trained will be like the teacher.” Luke 6:40 (NCV). Is it true that I can be like Him? Yes, that is exactly what the verse says.
This is also confirmed in Romans 8:28-29 (NLT): “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Think to have a shepherd, guide, and teacher who can teach us to use everything in our lives so that it works for our spiritual growth!
Jesus is an expert Shepherd
The role of a shepherd is to guard, protect, and feed the sheep, and Jesus is an expert at doing this. “Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because He was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!” Hebrews 4:15 (CEV). Jesus, who lived and walked on this earth, knows exactly what is bad for us, and also what is good for us. It says in Psalm 23:2: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”
Jesus leads us to real food. “’My food,’ Jesus said to them, ‘is to obey the will of the one who sent me and to finish the work He gave me to do.’” John 4:34 (GNT). We also find this true spiritual food in doing God’s will. We become stronger and stronger in our spirit when we obey and do what Jesus speaks to our hearts. (Hebrews 5:9; James 1:25.)
He also meets our thirst. “On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s heart, as the Scripture says.’” John 7:37-38 (NCV).
We read in Matthew chapter 4 that when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert, He always used the Word of God to silence him. He teaches us to do the same so that we can experience what is written in Romans 16:20: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”
On the road to Emmaus when the disciples listened to Jesus, their hearts burned within them, and it is the same today when we hear the voice of our blessed Lord and Saviour through His Word.
Learn from Jesus, your Shepherd
When the lambs are young, the Shepherd defends and protects them. But when they start to grow up and mature, then He teaches them to defend themselves against every form of evil. These days, most of those who call themselves Christians actually want Jesus to do everything for them. They are very happy to believe in Him as long as they don’t have to pick up their own cross and follow Him.
But what does the Bible say? “For God has revealed his grace for the salvation of all people. That grace instructs us to give up ungodly living and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this world.” Titus 2:11-12 (GNT). Yes, the grace that is in Christ Jesus teaches us to resist every form of evil, and not only to resist it, but to overcome it.
Jesus invites everyone who really wants this life of overcoming all sin to come to Him. We read this in Matthew 11:28-30 (CEB): “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.”