John 10:11-18 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."
The Gospel of John contains many of Jesus' 'I am' declarations, and this is, in my opinion, one of the main ones. Jesus directly tells His disciples and those listening, "I am the good shepherd." He hit the hearts of many a person listening, much in the same way some years ago had He said I am the good farm worker or good factory worker. People listening either were shepherds or knew of someone in their family who were; just like people could have related to farm workers and laborers in factories or plants. But this declaration says that Jesus is all that a shepherd needs to be for sheep in need of a shepherd. We know and love the 23rd Psalm where David declares his faith in God as our shepherd, and here this is Jesus' fulfillment of being that shepherd.
Jesus would lay down His life for all sheep; and He knows those who are His, and He is always looking for those sheep who are not yet His as well. Jesus, unlike shepherds of HIs day and ours, has power to lay down His life as well as the power to raise it up again, which we believe He did on Easter Sunday. Easter is not over!
PRAYER: Thank you, Loving Shepherd, for all You have, are, and will do for us. Help us to live as Easter people, blessing You and Yours with acts of faith and love. This we pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
