For the next few weeks we will be back in the Gospel of John. This Sunday we will be in John 10 where Jesus makes 2 of his “I Am” statements: I am the gate and I am the good shepherd. These “I Am” statements remind us of the name God gave himself in Exodus 3 – I am that I am. In the “I Am” statements, Jesus is making a clear statement that he is that same God that spoke to Moses, but is now in human flesh. 

Shepherds, with their sheep, were a common sight in the ancient near east and were used all throughout scripture to illustrate spiritual truth. Most notably Psalm 23 is a prophetic description of what The Messiah would be like. In Jesus’ claim to be the messiah he identifies himself as not only a shepherd of the sheep, but as The Good Shepherd. The word “good” is the operative word that adds clarity to the kind of shepherd Jesus would be. Good means more than just good at his job, or better in comparison to others. The word good in this statement means the perfect one! The one who is worthy and will fulfill the role of that shepherd perfectly. 

The interesting thing about sheep is that they are rather dumb animals and incapable of their own care and protection. In this story, guess who the sheep are? That’s right, it’s us! Shepherds are tasked with the care and protection of the sheep, and Jesus, as our good shepherd will do that perfectly for us. When we admit our need for God’s care and protection, Jesus comes as our good shepherd. Join me this Sunday as we look at Jesus teaching on the Good Shepherd