Shepherd and the sheep

The Lord Jesus likens Himself many times in scripture to a sheep herder or shepherd, in fact we are constantly referred to as His flock or sheep, which signifies many things that we will expound upon.

The Lord Jesus uses the expression 'Shepherd' as a metaphor to bring to light certain truths about Himself and us. A sheep herder would take great care of his flock ensuring their safety by protecting them against predators, and as Jesus is our Shepherd He too protects us from predators, namely wolves. Sheep for the most part are unaware of the dangers that surround them and can do little to protect themselves, our Lord also knows that we are unaware of the invisible spiritual dangers that surround us and He realizes that without a shepherd, much like the sheep, we would be unable to protect ourselves from the enemy.

Furthermore, we must consider the context of the Lord's words, a sheep herder would consider each sheep as valuable as the other due to the monetary return a sheep would bring to the herder. The Lord Jesus also considers each and every sheep that belong to His flock as an extremely valuable and worthy individual that can bring glory to the Shepherd through the good deeds we wrought to both those who are inside and outside the flock.

Considering that a shepherd is ultimately a servant who ensures that the sheep are cared for, fed and stay within sight of the shepherd, it becomes evident what Christ was articulating when stating the following -

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (John 10:11-15 NKJV)

Although the Lord Jesus is the King of kings, Lord of lords, true God of true God and the Creator of the cosmos, He humbled Himself to the point of servitude literally becoming a shepherd in order to find His sheep who strayed from the flock to bring them back to the sheepfold. Jesus stood amongst wolves and did not waiver, they struck Him but He did not flee, He voluntarily gave His life to save His flock and by so doing He has conquered sin and death forever with an everlasting victory, and because of such an act of love and servitude those who are of the sheepfold and stray not away from the flock will always be in the arms of the loving Shepherd.

Jesus also makes clear that He is not merely a shepherd but that He is the good Shepherd because it was only Jesus who could redeem us and repair the broken image of man, no other prophet, king or judge could redeem us and reconcile us with the living God.

St John Chrysostom states -

A great matter, beloved, a great matter it is to preside over a Church: a matter needing wisdom and courage as great as that of which Christ speaks, that a man should lay down his life for the sheep, and never leave them deserted or naked; that he should stand against the wolf nobly. For in this the shepherd differs from the hireling; the one always looks to his own safety, caring not for the sheep; the other always seeks that of the sheep, neglecting his own.

Beloved, Jesus did not consider himself when being led like a lamb to the slaughter, like a true good shepherd He considered His sheep before He considered Himself, all praise and glory be to His name, let us also become servants and shepherds bringing lost sheep back to the sheepfold being the Church so that they too can be lead by the good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ.