Key Verse: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.” (John 10:11-13 CSB)
Typically, the things we care the most about are the things that belong to us. We tend to wash our own cars, cut our own lawns, shovel our own driveways, and raise our own children. Generally speaking, we look after the things that are ours.
In John 10, Jesus uses the illustration of a shepherd and his sheep to describe what it means for someone to know and follow Him. In verses 7-13, Jesus contrasts how the shepherd and a hired hand choose to care for the sheep in response to a predator. When a wolf is coming to attack the sheep, how does the hired hand respond? Very simply, he “leaves them and runs away” (v.12) because he “doesn’t care about the sheep (v.13).
On the other hand, when the good shepherd sees a wolf approaching the flock of sheep, ready to attack and devour them, how does he respond instead? According to Jesus, “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v.11). The shepherd’s willingness to put his own life on the line to protect the sheep proves how much he cares for their safety and well-being.
What’s behind the difference between the shepherd and the hired hand in this illustration from Jesus? The hired hand abandons the sheep in the face of danger because they aren’t his. But the shepherd cares for the sheep because he owns the sheep. They belong to him.
In Psalm 100:3, it says, “It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3). Because we have been created by God, we like sheep belong to Him. Not only that, but Jesus shed His own blood on the Cross to redeem us. We are not our own, for we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20), the precious blood of Jesus.
This is a helpful reminder, particularly in those moments or circumstances when we are tempted to doubt that God cares for us or has our best interests in mind. The truth is that He cares deeply for us. Why? We belong to Him! He created us, and even more so, He sent His own Son Jesus Christ to shed His blood on the Cross for us to save us for eternal danger.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way, “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). This is the incredibly good news of Jesus Christ. This is the extent of His love and care for us.
Prayer: Jesus, I thank you that you love me so much that you were willing to lay down your life for me. You truly are a good Shepherd. In those moments when I’m tempted to doubt that you care for me, help me to remember what you did for me on the Cross. I have been bought with a price. Thank you that I now belong to you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
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