A Song to the Great Shepherd

or, John 10: from the viewpoint of the sheep.

Depiction of the Good 

Shepherd by Philippe de 

Champaigne, showing the 

influence of the parable of 

lost sheep.

(Note: this picture is in

the US public domain. Go 

here to learn more.)

We are the sheep. Our true Shepherd acts as a door at night, and protects us from prowling wolves. We know our Shepherd; whoever else came before Him where thieves and robbers (they stole our food and our lambs from us), but we never obeyed them—their voices were different from our True Shepherd. Our Shepherd is always at the door. If we go with Him, we will be safe, and will find plenty of food. The thief never came to where we sleep except to steal us, to kill us, and destroy us entirely. Our True Shepherd comes to give us life more than abundantly. He is the Good Shepherd, and gives His life daily for His dear sheep.

When they hire a person to take care of us and he sees a wolf coming, he runs away. Then, because he is not guarding and protecting us, the wolf catches the weak of the flock and eats them. The rest of us are scattered as leaves before a wind. The hired person runs from us because he is hired, and doesn't truly love us. (He only takes care of himself; he doesn't care about the rest of us.) Our True Shepherd knows our deepest needs, and we know His love for us. Just like we know our own lambs and would gladly lay down our lives for them, so our Shepherd knows us and is willing to lay His life down for us. There are other sheep that our Shepherd hasn't brought to the safe fold yet to join us, but they will hear Him call, and they will come and be as one of us. Then there will be just one fold, and one Shepherd. The Shepherd's Father loves Him a lot, because He gladly lays His life down for us. Nobody takes it from Him, but He does it of His own accord. He has the power to lay it down, and He also has power to take it again. He has received a command from His Father to love us, and He cherishes us as if we were His little children. We praise Him for His great love to us.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7)

---------------------------------------------------

The passage from which the writing was taken from:

John 10:7-18

"7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 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.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 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."