LESSON 9: Jesus: Good Shepherd
LESSON 9
JESUS: GOOD SHEPHERD (Jn 10:7-21)
How would you describe God? What is he like? Jesus Christ related the parable of shepherd and sheep which is very common in Palestinian culture to show the relationship between God and Man. If God is our shepherd, what does that make us? Sheep.
Let us go through a few qualities of a good shepherd which are described in this parable.
‘Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.’
– John 10:7-11
- True shepherd enters the sheepfold through a proper gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate and the shepherd enters the sheepfold without hesitation. The sheep recognize their shepherd and respond to his voice. Those who enter through the back door or other ways are thieves.
- Sheep recognise the voice of the shepherd. Shepherd calls his sheep by name and they respond to his voice because they can realise the voice of their shepherd.
- Shepherd walks in front of the flock and they follow him. Shepherds guide them to green pastures and walk in front of the flock. They follow him.
- The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep While the wolves attack the sheep flock, the hired hand leaves the flock and runs away. But the good shepherd does not care for his life for the sake of the lives of his sheep. He always cares for the sheep.
Video Ref:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKtW_3yQXBw&t=64s
What do you learn from the good Shepherd?
Sheep need a shepherd to guide them, protect them and help them. We need God to guide us, protect us and help us too. So Jesus is a good shepherd.
Sometimes sheep get themselves tangled up in brambles because they aren’t looking where they are going. Their fleece is thick and the more they try to free themselves, the more stuck they become. The shepherd has to come and cut the sheep free.
Sometimes sheep fall over and can’t get up by themselves. The shepherd has to come and help them up.
Sheep don’t always pay attention to where they are going. Sometimes they are so concerned about what they are eating that they tend to wander off and get lost and the shepherd has to go out and look for them.
We are a lot like sheep. There are so many things going on around us that we sometimes forget about God and what he wants us to do. Instead of reading our Bibles and praying, we wander off to do other things. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us and remind us about God.
Sheep can’t protect themselves very well. They don’t have sharp claws or sharp teeth and they don’t run very fast. The shepherd has to protect his sheep from dangerous animals. He carries a rod or stick that he uses to fight off any wild animals. We also need God’s protection. We can go to him when we are in trouble or scared, and he will comfort us.
God is our shepherd. He is a good shepherd. A good shepherd knows each one of his sheep by name. He not only knows their names, but he knows everything about them. He knows what they sound like. He can tell by the way they cry if they are in trouble, lost or sick. God, your shepherd, knows everything about you. He loves you just the way you are, bad things and all. He knows when you are sad, happy or lonely.
Game:
Play Duck Duck Goose. One selected child who will be the wolf (or IT). All of the children sitting in the circle are “sheep,” except one who will become the “shepherd” as determined by the wolf. Play in the similar way as below link. Refer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWNZMziSl4k