The Good Shepherd

God’s Goodness as Revealed in John 10

3 min

“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). These comforting words spoken by Christ to His disciples sum up the goodness of God as revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The imagery of the shepherd and the sheep spans the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

In the blessing of Jacob upon his son Joseph, the Lord is referred to as “the shepherd” (Genesis 49:24) for the first time. Later, the wandering people of Israel, having rebelled against their Lord, were lamented as “sheep which have no shepherd” (Numbers 27:17).

David, himself a shepherd in his youth, testified in words that have yielded an enduring comfort to many of God’s children: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Isaiah the prophet promised regarding the coming Messiah, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).

Our Lord Jesus drew upon the Old Testament imagery of a shepherd’s care for the sheep when He said of Himself, “I am the good shepherd.” How does our Good Shepherd display God’s goodness to us?

The Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name.

“The sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out” (John 10:3). To the Good Shepherd, each sheep has a name. Have you ever considered the fact that our Lord Jesus calls you by your name?

In modern, large-scale sheep ranching, an individual sheep is tagged and identified by a number. But to a shepherd in Biblical times, sheep were called individually by name. In the famous parable of the lost sheep, the Good Shepherd knew that one sheep was lost. He did not merely count one, two, three, four, five . . . ninety-eight, ninety-nine! Oops! One is missing!

No! That Shepherd knew the name of each one of His sheep. He knew the name of one missing sheep, and He went looking specifically for that lost one. He knew its individual tendencies and weaknesses.

Middle Eastern shepherds often name their sheep by some distinguishing characteristic or some related special event. One sheep might be called “she whose ear was torn” or “she who was born in the snow” or “he whose leg was broken.” When Jesus looks at you, He knows your name, your history, your physical characteristics, your specific weaknesses, and your propensity to stray. He knows all about you, and He calls you by name.

The Good Shepherd goes before His sheep.

“And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice” (John 10:4). In many cultures, a shepherd drives his sheep in front of him. But in ancient Israel and still today among the Bedouin communities of the Middle East, a shepherd leads his sheep, going before them. He never asks them to go anywhere that he himself has not gone before them.

What does this mean for you? Our Lord Jesus will never drive you into the unknown. Everywhere He leads you, He goes before you! The place where He is leading you may certainly be a place that is unknown to you, but it is not unknown to Him. He leads from the front. He knows what lies beyond the valley. You can follow His voice without question or hesitation.

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.

“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” (John 10:10–11). A false shepherd is a thief who brings destruction to a flock. A hireling is interested in his own safety rather than that of the sheep. These selfish shepherds come to take. By contrast, the Good Shepherd comes to give.

A true shepherd is willing to lay down his own life for the sake of the sheep that are His own. This is what our Lord Jesus has done for us. He continued, telling His disciples, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father” (John 10:17–18).

Willingly, cheerfully, and with no regard for His own life, our Lord Jesus the Good Shepherd died so that His stubborn, rebellious, smelly, wandering sheep might live. He came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.

Have you given thanks for the goodness of God as revealed in the Good Shepherd? Do you know His voice? Do you follow His lead? Do you rest in His care? Memorize and meditate upon Psalm 23. Take to heart the promises of the Good Shepherd in John 10, and you will gain a new and enduring appreciation of the depth of God’s goodness.

This article is from our Matters of Life & Death teaching series.

Get these articles delivered to your inbox every week.

"*" indicates required fields

Tuesday - Attributes of God
Every Tuesday you'll get a teaching article that focuses on an attribute of God as seen in the Law, Prophets, Gospels, and Epistles.
Thursday: Biography
Every Thursday you'll get a short biographical sketch of a faithful person from history who serves as an inspiring example for us.
Saturday - Covenant Marriage
NEW! Every Saturday, you'll get an article that will delve into practical areas that affect every Christian marriage.

We’ll send you emails twice a week, on Tuesdays & Thursdays, with articles from our Matters of Life & Death teaching series. Occasionally, there may be a few updates on other events or resources that may be relevant to you.

Attributes of God

From Our library

Recent Posts

Loading...