The Gospel of John: Come and See a Better Shepherd

Our text Sunday is John 10, Jesus’ great discussion concerning himself as the “Good Shepherd.” Before we immediately think “pastor” or “religious leader” for the term shepherd, we need to remember that the Old Testament also uses the term for civil leaders. Elders, who sit in the gate of a city, ruling on disputes and witnessing contracts, were considered shepherds. Kings and other political leaders are considered shepherds. Even the prophets and priests who represented God were called shepherds.

Shepherding in the region, the actual practice of animal husbandry, was used as an analogy of the leader’s role in Israel. Leaders with bad policies, personal corruption, and abusive power, oppressed the very people they were called to care for, scattering them. Justice in the courts evaporated, the poor were ignored, the foreigner was fleeced, and crime was ignored. Unrighteous leaders fostered an unrighteous society.

For generations, God had promised to send his choice Servant to shepherd his people. Now that Shepherd has come, instead of welcoming him, he is rejected and lays down his life to liberate his people.

The phrase that stands out in the text, “the sheep know” their Shepherd. They know his voice and they follow him. As you prepare for Sunday read John 10 and consider your relationship with the “Good Shepherd.”