John 10:11-18 (MSG) -“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He‘s only in it for the money. The sheep don‘t matter to him.
“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They‘ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.“
Here Jesus declares, “I-AM (God) the Good Shepherd.” What is it that qualifies Jesus as our Good Shepherd? The Shepherd is the one who is willing to lay down his life for the sheep and die protecting them. This is exactly what Christ has done for His sheepfold… the church. He went to the cross and died for us so that we would not. Instead of death, we receive life and life to the fullest, all because Christ sacrificially gave His life for us out of love. That’s a Shepherd who is not in it for some selfish gain, but because he cares about each of the sheep that He has called out by name.
1) Spend some time praying that we would be shepherds after God’s own heart, who having experienced this sacrificial love, love others with the same sacrificial love that we have received.
2) Spend some time praying that our churches, missional groups, and campus ministries would grow in number and quality of spiritual care for the people. May those that have yet to come in, be brought and gathered in.
3) Suggested Worship Song : For the sake of the world https://youtu.be/S9oqi86yS3g
-CR
