THE GOOD SHEPHERD

John 10:11-15 AMP

11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep.

12 But the hired man [who merely serves for wages], who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them.

13 The man runs because he is a hired hand [who serves only for wages] and is not concerned about the [safety of the] sheep.

14 I am the Good Shepherd, and I know [without any doubt those who are] My own and My own know Me [and have a deep, personal relationship with Me]—

15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My [very own] life [sacrificing it] for the benefit of the sheep.

When we say, "The LORD is our Shepherd," we acknowledge our dependence upon HIM, HIS ownership of us, and our personal relationship with HIM.

Of all the livestock, sheep can be counted among the most dependent, because they count on their shepherd for food, direction, protection, and treatment of disease.

When we call someone our Shepherd, we are saying no one is better able to help us than GOD HIMSELF. We are saying we are basically helpless, and HE is our helper. We are quite ignorant, and HE knows everything. We are weak, and HE is strong.

Most of all, we are saying that GOD is absolutely trustworthy, and we can depend on HIM.  HE has never been known to harm any of HIS sheep.

This great GOD is so committed and dedicated that HE is even willing to put HIS life on the line for a single lamb.

GOD wanted to make a creature HE could love. HE didn't want robots that were forced to love HIM without choice. So GOD made a great decision: HE gave HIS human creatures the freedom to choose whether to love HIM or not.

Isaiah 53:6, tells the result of GOD’s decision:

“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way."

Although GOD has a right to own us because HE created us, HE gave us the option of freedom, and we all left. We chose sin and did not love HIM as HE wanted to be loved.  In response, HE chose to send out HIS own SON to look for us and find and redeem us at a terrible cost—the cost of HIS own life.

Imagine this: A Shepherd notches the ear of a lamb born to his flock because he has rightful ownership of it. If that lamb deliberately walks away, the Shepherd searches near and far to get that lamb back.

A long time later, he finds not a baby lamb but a grown sheep for sale at an animal auction. The Shepherd recognizes his mark on that sheep's ear. He goes to the auctioneer and says, "I can see the mark. That sheep is mine."

The auctioneer says, "Listen, you must bid and pay just like anybody else." The Shepherd bids and pays an outrageous price, far above any reasonable market value in order to get his lamb. He now has a double right to own this sheep: by birth and by redemption.

GOD has a right to own us because HE is our Creator and because HE has paid the price with the blood of HIS own SON—an outrageous price far above our market value—in order to redeem us back again.

Beloved, we are not our own but were bought with a price.  Actually, it is the most wonderful admission of all to acknowledge that we are owned by GOD, that we bear HIS mark, and we are able to say, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.”

May we all continue to remain in the sheepfold of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

GOD bless you all.

Quote: “For great is YOUR Love, reaching to the Heavens; YOUR Faithfulness reaches to the skies.” - Unknown