I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. — John 10:11
I have always been fascinated with stories about shepherds and sheep. Sheep are a difficult animal if you have ever been around one. It is not that sheep are dumb, but their characteristics make them difficult to deal with.
Sheep have a natural tendency to follow those around them, even if they go the wrong way or into danger. They are naturally herding animals. But sheep have great vision, which allows them to be easily distracted by things around them.
Not only that, but they are stubborn animals too. You can correct or redirect a sheep, yet it still will try to go back and do the same thing again. They never really seem to sense what are possible dangers.
There are so many other fascinating things about sheep, but one thing is certain is that sheep must have a caregiver. In the day in which Jesus made this statement, these shepherds would wander the countryside protecting and guiding the sheep. They led them to water, to food, and save them from danger.
One thing that always amazed me was that they were willing to give their lives to protect those sheep. Earlier in the 10th chapter, Jesus described how he was the door. It was a common practice for a shepherd to lay down as the door to get to the sheep. If the wolf or other predator were to approach and want to get to the sheep, they had to go through the shepherd.
Just as a shepherd would give his life for the sheep, Jesus did give His life for us. He willingly gave His life on the cross so that we could be saved from our sins. He knew that without laying down His life, there would be no way to permanently redeem us from our sin.
Not only that, but He continues to be our good shepherd. Nothing can come to us that does not go through the shepherd first. While it may surprise us, it never surprises Him! He truly is the good shepherd and we should praise Him for being our shepherd each day.