The Good Shepherd
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I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
John 10:11 (WEB)
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We don’t have a lot of shepherds around us now, but when Jesus said this they would have known all about shepherds.
Moses was a shepherd; it was part of his training before herding the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Jacob was a shepherd, King David was a shepherd.
Shepherding was a critical job in the history of the people of Israel.
We even have stories of David saving his sheep from wild predators, like a lion.
I’d say that qualifies as a very good shepherd.
Yet Jesus is better still.
I love how Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging with this metaphor. He doesn’t say “I’m the good shepherd” and then stops there.
He tells us what action a good shepherd does so that we know exactly what a good shepherd is:
Laying His life down for His sheep.
Which is exactly what He did.
It doesn’t matter how well God does taking care of us and herding us and guiding us, the predators will continue to attack.
When that happens, our only hope is to rely completely on our Shepherd to protect us.
I think you can see the metaphor I’m drawing here.
The important lesson:
As a sheep, I don’t need to try and defend myself; just follow the voice of the Good Shepherd and trust Him.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2026 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.