A Dangerous Job
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
Being a shepherd is hard work, and it’s dangerous. You have to constantly be watching out for the sheep. You have to know your sheep, and you have to defend the sheep.
Jesus tells us that he is our Good Shepherd. He does all those things for us and more. As sheep, we tend to stray from him to do our own thing. We do the things that get us into trouble, the things that lead to danger and death. We fall into sin so easily. And so, when the wolf comes to attack us, he lays down his life for us. He laid it down on the cross and defeated the wolves: Satan, sin, and the world. He restores us to our place in the green pastures of eternal life. When he calls, we listen to him because we know his voice.
All these things, Jesus does perfectly as our Good Shepherd. He is the shepherd who never loses a sheep because of something he did wrong. He watches over his sheep and he feeds them. He gives them his Word to strengthen them. He gives you his body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins. He assures us that we are his and nothing can harm us. And he loves us with his perfect love. He is truly our Good Shepherd. Amen.
The song for today is “The Good Shepherd” by Fernando Ortega