The
good shepherd; Jesus
According
to the gospel of Saint John, Jesus is portrayed as the good shepherd. “The good shepherd always lays down his life
for his sheep” (John 10:11). During the time of birth of Jesus, shepherds were
considered important people in the society. They played an important role as
they were the first to visit baby Jesus when he was born in the manger. The shepherds were invited by the angels and
not by mere mortals. The implication signifies Jesus as part of the shepherds and
this is why they came to pay their respect during his birth. As Jesus grew in
favor of men and God, he had a soft spot for shepherds. As a savior for
humanity, he is depicted as possessing a warm feeling towards the shepherds
although he refers himself as the good shepherd; not of sheep but men.
In
an exposition analogy in John chapter ten, he recounts to his followers of how
a shepherd enters into the door of the sheepfold openly and without sneaking.
Therefore, this attribute makes the sheep conversant with the shepherds’ voice
and in relation the shepherd knows the sheep by name, and he leads them out (Biblegateway.com, 2014). The trust, confidence
and love that the sheep have for the shepherd makes them follow.
Contextualizing this parable, Jesus is seen as a man of character, loved by his
followers and highly trusted. Jesus knows all his followers by name making him
the good shepherd. Looking closely to the relationship that Jesus had with his
disciples, he is indeed a good Shepherd. Just like the sheep follow the
shepherd, His disciples followed him wherever he went. They abandoned their works
and were fully involved in the evangelizing ministry with Jesus as the leader.
He finds green pastures for his flock. Jesus says, “I am the door: if a man
enters via me, they shall find pasture and be saved” (John 10:15).
To
the believers, Jesus did not only bring life but life in abundance. As a gift
of the gospel, if believers understand the importance of Jesus and who he is,
they get the most out of their time on earth. He emphasized that as the good
shepherd he is not like a hired hands man. A hired man will see the wolf coming
while in pasture and will leave the flock and flee for safety and refuge. Since
he does not own the sheep, he has little concern for the same. The name Jesus,
as interpreted in the Hebrew context was Emmanuel and means God with his
people. He will never forsake nor leave those he has appointed not even in the
face of a sheer danger (Shepherd?, 2014).
Therefore, e is a cornerstone of comfort, a refuge in the times of sorrow and
challenges. Jesus, therefore, qualifies as the good shepherd.
In
the history of Christianity, Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. As
a good shepherd, He knows his followers, and it was from mercy that he chose to
leave his comfort zone in heaven and come to salvage humanity. He faced trials
and temptations in his quest to redeem humankind and out of choice he stayed to
face Satan and defend his flock. In his analogy, he says “as a father knows me,
even so do I know Him: and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15). This
indicates that Jesus knew what he was doing and did not lead his sheep blindly.
He had a destination for them. In john 14:2, Jesus states that “In my father’s
house there are many rooms, if this was not so I would have told you. Behold, I
go forth to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). When the place was done,
Jesus promised to come for his followers so that where he is they may be there
also. However, like any other god shepherd, he did not leave his flock
unattended, he was to send a helper. The help is the Holy Ghost. He was to
guide and take care of the flock in the absence of Jesus.
Jesus
identifies the Pharisees as the evil shepherds as illuminated in Ezekiel
chapter 34. They had expelled from the
flock of God the man whom God himself had appointed. They were solely
responsible for scattering the sheep that was contrary to the sole mission of
Jesus; gathering the flock (Wright, 1939).
As opposed to the official Judaism, Jesus refers to his followers as people who
follow him as opposed to the leaders of Israel. As a good shepherd, Jesus is
contextualizing the divine purpose of His intention from creation. The works
and events in the life of Jesus are a reflection of responsible, caring and
divine purpose for the purpose of saving mankind from the daunting challenges of
sin. He comforted the weary, healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and
even provided for the poor which correlates with the attitudes and purpose of a
good shepherd.
The
aspects of a good shepherd are reflected in the life of Jesus. To date, since
He is regarded as the savior of humanity, and no one can go to the father
without passing through Jesus, His mission on earth as the good shepherd is
seen. In Revelation, Jesus stands at the door and knocks if a man hears his
still small voice Jesus urges them to open as he will enter and dine with them.
It is the responsibility of the good Shepherd to look after his sheep and Jesus
does this very well.
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References
Biblegateway.com,.
(2014). John 10 Commentary -
Jesus Is the Good Shepherd Who Is Gathering
His Flock - BibleGateway.com. Retrieved 1 November 2014, from https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Jesus-Good- Shepherd-Who-Flock
Shepherd?,
W. (2014). Why is Jesus Called
the Good Shepherd?. Jesus
Christ. Retrieved 1 November
2014, from http://jesus.christ.org/questions-answers-about-jesus-christ/why-is- jesus-called-the-good-shepherd
Wright,
G. (1939). The Good Shepherd. The
Biblical Archaeologist, 2(4),
44--48.