Jesus, The Good Shepherd
Christmas Devotions (1/3)
The shepherd analogy that Jesus gives in John 10 always makes my heart feel full with God’s love. It was not until I looked into the frail nature of sheep, its allusions to the human condition, and Christ’s commitments as our shepherd that made me marvel at the beauty of God’s love on a deeper level. I hope this devo helps you to reflect on the goodness of our Saviour and how we so desperately need him.
The Sheep
It is no surprise that sheep have a natural inclination to follow a leader. These helpless creatures are prey to many predators, prone to disease, lack direction, and blindly consume poisonous plants. They can even die from rolling over onto their backs, plainly because the stress is too great to handle.
Jesus refers to his followers as his sheep, and to himself as the leader:
“I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” — John 10:25–30
Naturally, the flock selects a leader by pinpointing the fittest of the sheep; through horn size and physical fights. It is interesting how leadership is established based on might or status, whereas Jesus establishes dominion in a contradicting manner. The Son of God took a humble birth, life and endured a criminal’s death, raising a victory over sin for all who would believe and follow him (Luke 9:23).
The Good Shepherd
In John 10, Jesus makes several commitments to the flock as the good shepherd.
1. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11
The helpless sheep were falling victim to selfish leaders, who were coaxing the flock away from the truth and into poison: false teachings to earn righteousness by the Law. Through them, Satan aimed to destroy all means for the flock to see true salvation in Christ (John 8:44).
The flock needed to be led by one who is pure good and full of truth. No one but the perfect, sinless Son of God could take on this position. Being the perfect scapegoat, He laid down his life so that the sheep diseased in sin would be saved and purified of infirmity. Instead of rightfully destroying us, He gave His life to pay the punishment we deserve for our sins.
All humans should have been killed as a result of sinning against a just and holy God. Even angels who have sinned do not have the gift of saving grace from Jesus Christ. This act of grace therefore cannot be merited by anything we do. So why would God lay down His own life down to redeem us, when He could have easily replaced us with perfect humans who would not sin against Him? Why would he freely give salvation to us, knowing that we are severely weak and unfaithful? It must be out of His pure goodness.
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John 10:9–15 “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
2. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” — John 10:10
It must be immensely difficult for a wild sheep to remain alive. Without a shepherd to protect and tend to them, they are vulnerable to a multitude of afflictions, predators and deadly tendencies.
The good shepherd claims to give life abundantly to his sheep. What could this entail?
A. Lasting peace knowing that we will live with God forever
The purifying blood of Christ seals us with the Holy Spirit— an irrevocable down payment of an eternity with Him (Ephesians 1:14). Praise be to God that all present sufferings will be nothing in comparison to a life with Him forever! Resting in this truth enables us to be at peace, no matter the circumstance (Philippians 4:12–13).
B. Life enriched by living for Christ
Christ also shows us that true life is when we no longer live for ourselves, but for him. Once we truly know God’s superior love, our greatest delight becomes pleasing God by being conformed to Him.
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Matthew 16:25 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
Isaiah 40:11 “Like a shepherd, He will tend His flock. In His arm, He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”
Revelation 7:14–17 “And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”
3. “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand.” — John 10:27
Sheep easily drift away from where they should be, due to a lack of sense and understanding. They veer away from the safe pasture and into the rocky mountains, the rushing river or predator territory. In a similar way, it is easy for us to lose sight of God’s will and pursue our own destructive agendas. The good shepherd understands this and takes a faithful and patient posture towards us. Should any of his sheep go astray, God wills that we should not perish. Even when we disobey, His arms are open to receiving us as long as we are willing to return to Him. Nothing will be able to separate us from God’s immeasurable mercy and love. And by the gracious working of His spirit, we are compelled not to turn back to the things which he died for.
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Matthew 19:12–14 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Romans 8:35 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”
Reflection & Prayer
As a follower of Christ, Jesus says I am his sheep. I am a weak being that is prone to losing my way, falling prey to the enemy and consuming lies of the world. I am helpless on my own and in need of the Saviour to guide me. The good shepherd has laid down his life to redeem me of the sin I was diseased in. He has blessed me with abundant life, and wills that I do not perish but that I remain in him.
- How do I live in response to the price Jesus paid to free me from sin?
What lies do I believe will bring salvation or fulfillment? - At this time in my life, how can I rest in Jesus’ gentle leadership and the abundant life he provides?
- Am I engaging in the things that Jesus has died for?
What is God’s response to my disobedience, and how can I return to Him?
