The Good Shepherd

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

      John 10:9-11 says, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

     My recent foot problems have shown me some of the values of the use of animals in medicine.  At one point, ground up shrimp, made into a powder, was used to stop the profuse bleeding in my ankle more than once.  It seems that the shrimp can be used as a successful anticoagulant and is n ow incorporated into battlefield medicine.  Also, at one point, a ground up pig bladder was used as a healing agent to one of the deep sores.  I have also heard of pig heart valves being used in valve replacement for humans.  It  should be no wonder then, that God refers to us as an animal and are often referred to a “sheep.”

     In the case if our association to the sheep, it is not the physical comparison as much as it is the mind of the sheep that makes us so much like a lamb.  For the most part, sheep are not an aggressive animal, but one that is more subject to other animals.  Psalm 23 goes through the needs of the sheep and how the shepherd takes care of the sheep in any situation.  In the above passage, the outstanding thought is Who is our Shepherd.  In this case, we see that it is the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.  We have the protection of the Shepherd against the wildest of animals, Satan himself, and we have the provision of a satisfying pasture always as He leads us from one spot to another through the Word of God.  We have the guidance of the Shepherd from one pasture to another and we have the assurance that it will be a “green” pasture with plenty of food.  The ultimate gift from the Shepherd is the fact that He gives His life for the sheep.  The Lord Jesus Christ did just that.  He gave His life on the cross at Calvary for the lives of the sheep.  He paid the price for all of the sins and thereby assured the sheep of eternal life, in effect a life filled with all the blessings one could ever imagine.  We also find in this Great Shepherd, that He will never leave the sheepfold.  His presence is a guarantee of safety and that the sheep will get to the proper destination, into heaven itself.  The analogy of the sheep with human beings is proper and not coincidental. Our characteristics are quite similar.  Praise God today for providing  the Chief Shepherd. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself.