“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). How fittingly do these reassuring words of our Lord, this identification with a shepherd, coalesce with Psalm 23! “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack” (Psalm 23:1). We, the sheep of His flock, lack nothing because He lays down His life for us (cf. John 10:11).
People, who know the art of shepherding, have told me that sheep depend completely on the shepherd. Being a shepherd is a full-time job. He must watch what they eat very carefully because often the sheep eat randomly what makes them ill. While they do recognize the shepherd’s voice, they will at times stray, becoming disoriented and lost. In doing so they become victims to predators. The shepherd must always be on guard, watching and vigilant.
This is exactly what our Lord does. And the Father loves Him, because His commitment is total. When the wolf approaches, He does not run away. He takes His stand, saying, “I will lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15). We call this sacrifice.
Our Lord took up the cross and died upon it as a sacrifice for our sins. his is the ultimate expression of love. However, what is new and extraordinary and unprecedented is that He rose from the dead. He conquered death, because He has power to lay down that life and to take it up again (cf. John 10:18). The Shepherd is alive and living for His sheep which He gathers into “one flock” (John 10:16). Gather us in, O Lord!