Shepherd of the Sheep

Shepherd of the Sheep (by guest writer David Peterson)

While in Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and He uses an illustration involving sheep. In John 10:1-6 Jesus says; “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He puts all His own sheep outside, He goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant. Jesus refers to Himself as The Shepherd and that He leads His own sheep who know His voice. This Shepherd knows their names but His audience did not understand. They were self-centered, false shepherds of Israel.

Pastor Steven J. Cole interpreted this scripture; “To understand 10:1-6, you need to have a mental picture of a sheepfold in that day. Villages would have walled-in folds where every evening the shepherds from the village would bring all their sheep. In the morning, the shepherds returned, the doorkeeper would open to them, and they would call their sheep out to lead them to pasture during the day. The fold is Judaism or Israel and Jesus is The True Shepherd, who enters the fold to lead His sheep out to pasture.”

Irishman John R. Clements wrote “Jesus Leads” in 1893 and here is the first verse;

Like a Shepherd, tender, true,

Jesus leads, Jesus leads,

Daily finds us pastures new,

Jesus leads, Jesus leads;

If thick mists are o’er the way,

Or the flock ’mid danger feeds,

He will watch them lest they stray,

Jesus leads, Jesus leads.

Clements clarifies that Jesus leads His flock as The Shepherd.

Let us pray; Savior Lord, lead us into righteousness, salvation, and eternal life. Allow us to know Your voice in order to follow You forever. Amen.