Jesus is the good shepherd

John 10: 11 - 18 

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

The fourth Sunday of Easter invites us to reflect on the good shepherd. In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents himself as the shepherd who cares for his sheep and is willing to give his life for them. This image tells us about God's unconditional love for us, his flock. In the Bible, we find several passages that tell us about the role of the pastor. In Psalm 23, the psalmist compares God to a shepherd who guides, protects, and provides for his people. In the book of Ezekiel, God is spoken of as the shepherd who searches for lost sheep and rescues them. It is important to remember that we are all sheep of the Lord. He knows us individually and is willing to go in search ofthose who have strayed from His fold. It is in his love and mercy that we find comfort and hope. 

We can reflect with a simple story about how a sheep doesn't respond to calls; they respond to Shepherds. A man in Australia was arrested for stealing a sheep, but he claimed that it was one of his own that had been missing for many days. When the case went to court, the judge was puzzled, not knowing how to decide the matter. At last, he asked that the sheep be brought into the courtroom. Then he ordered the plaintiff to step outside and call the animal. The sheep made no response except to raise its head and look frightened. The judge then instructed the defendant to go to the courtyard and call the sheep. When the accused man began to make his distinctive call, the sheep bounded toward the door. It was obvious that he recognized the familiar voice of his master. "His sheep know him," said the judge. "Case dismissed!"

The Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23. There is no doubt that Psalm 23 is one of the favorites for generations of Christians around the world because reminders us about the existence of a Good Shepherd in God. All human beings throughout history have felt identified with the image of vulnerability and need for care, which is contained in this psalm. The pastoral landscape draws out in the text provides a clear description of a place full of green pastures to lie down, be led beside still water, to be comforted and restored in the soul, also be guided in the path of the righteousness even walking through the valley of the shadow of death, all these characteristic provides an ideal image of the place where all we want to live also reminds us the lost paradise described in Genesis where the first human being lived full of peace and joy until the sin entered into the human history.

In the Old Hebrew, the word nepes was used to call the effect to breath and to feel life in fullness as God did it in the beginning with the human being. God is more thana reference for the writer of the Psalm but is the source of the conviction and confidence that everything can be resolved and a new beginning could emerge during the worst condition as happened under Egyptian slavery, in the desert, or under the Babylonian domination. This song is about the confidence that Israel has in God as his Shepherd, the one who cares for him and protects him despite his behavior and his sins. 

The elements contained in the Psalm are simple; it is not a song about supranatural images, moreover, it is about the simplicity of daily life when people trust in God. Expressions such as table or sulhan, as the Old Hebrew refers to the gathering to share the bread, are then put in the Psalm as a place to bring together even the enemies, which was a deep understanding of the Hebrew culture in the Scriptures. The oil is also a representation of the calls coming from God, call to heal or to lead, depending on the circumstance, all is considered when God is overflowing the cup, or rewayah as is said in the Old Hebrew. The abundance is present in the song, and the joy coming from God is the conclusion, which means when God is the shepherd, all human beings can rest with the conviction that everything around is safe and good.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, John 10. Weeks before, we had reflected on the personality of Jesus. Some people hoped a strong leadership based in human force and political power, others wanted to define himself as a religious leader full of charisma and spiritual gifts to guide the religiosity of the people, in general the expectation about the concrete implications of the Mesiah were huge and the tension provoked due His real power and His deep vocation in favor of the people were one of the challenge to resolve for His follower during His ministry and after His death and resurrection.

Jesus defined himself using different metaphors, but using the same Greek expression ego imi. Sometimes He defined Himself as the bread of life, others like the living bread, the light of the world, and one of the most relevant was His definition of Himself as the good shepherd. The Greek phrase ego imi is linked to the Old Testament phrase used to define God as the I am. The Septuagint version of the Old Testament highlighted this phrase. During His speech about Him as the good shepherd, Jesus mentioned some specific characteristic derivation of this definition.

He is the one who lays down his life for the sheep. This image is totally focused on the culture of the Middle East, where the breeding and care of small flocks or herds was used for wool exploitation and exchange or commerce. Jesus was thinking about the relation between personalities, combining the personality of the sheep, like a docile and vulnerable creature, the pastor as the responsible and protective,r and the wolf as the representation of evil and danger. The triangle of the three represents the daily life and the reality of the human being, but Jesus also warns about the existence of hired hands as a shepherd who is not committed to the sheep, as a clear reference to the religious context represented by the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees.

The relation between the good shepherd and the sheep is based on the Greek expression ginosko, which means an absolute and mutual recognition between both parties where one knows very well the other and intentional them cultivate a deep sense of understanding. It is clear, Jesus is going beyond a literal description about a simple herds, it is about how God decide to create a new relationship between Himself and the humanity based not in the rituals or practices but base in the clear understanding of the identity and acceptance also the recognition of the need to create a strong relationship which must be cultivate continuously and Jesus was the clear signal of God to be present in the middle of the people.

The other important image contained in the speech is related to the voice of the pastor, which is recognized by the sheep. A voice that is followed, a voice that calls to his loved creatures and is responded to by the sheep because of the sense of trust and confidence that it provokes for them. The speech insists on the idea of the voice calling to reiterate the mission contained in the relationships, because, as we mentioned before, the sheep is exposed to danger and, due to that,t it needs to be protected. The voice contains the message to hear and to follow when required, but not just any voice, but the voice of the good shepherd.

Jesus also uses this speech to announce God's proclamation that the call is not just for the Jews but for the entire humanity as part of the herd. Jesus represents the rest of humanity with the idea of the Gentiles when he says that there are other sheep outside of the herd that must be brought to the sheepfold. This idea closes the emphasis of Jesus about God like one for all the human being and not just but Jews or pharisees, Jesus announces the inclusion of the rest of the humanity in the mercy of God and Himself would offer His life in sacrifice for all the world in doesn't matter the race, the social condition even the sins, Jesus incarnates the God's love and Himself is committed with His mission consistent in die and be risen to proclaim the salvation and the forgiveness of sin in His name. This is exactly the incarnational mission of the Good Shepherd.

The image of the good shepherd also invites us to be shepherds in our own lives. We must care for others, offer them our support, and help them find the path to God. This implies being attentive to the needs of others and being instruments of peace and reconciliation. On this fourth Sunday of Easter, let us remember that Jesus is our good shepherd. He guides us, protects us, and loves us unconditionally. Let us follow in His footsteps and be generous shepherds in our daily lives. May His example inspire us to strengthen our faith and live in accordance with his teachings. Jesus fulfilled his promise to give his life for us on the cross. His death and resurrection have allowed us to be reconciled to God and have eternal life. Jesus shows us that true love involves sacrifice and total surrender. This example of sacrificial love also calls us to imitate Jesus in our daily lives. We must be willing to give up our own interests and comforts for the well-being of others. We must love our brothers and sisters as Jesus loved us, without conditions or reservations.

During the riots in Palestine in the middle thirties, a village near Haifa was condemned to collective punishment by having its sheep and cattle sequestrated by the Government. The inhabitants, however, were permitted to redeem their possessions at a fixed price. Among them was an orphan shepherd boy, whose six or eight sheep and goats were all he had in the world for life and work. Somehow, he obtained the money for their redemption. He went to the big enclosure where the animals were penned, offering his money to the British sergeant in charge. The soldier told him he was welcome to the requisite number of animals, but ridiculed the idea that he could pick out his "little flock" from among the confiscated hundreds. The little shepherd thought differently, because he knew better; and giving his own "call", for he had his nai (shepherd's pipe) with him, "his own" separated from the rest of the animals and trotted out after him. "I am the Good Shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine." Jesus talks about how His sheep recognize His voice and follow him. This teaches us the importance of being in tune with the voice of God in our lives.

​Through prayer, reading the Word of God, and contemplative life, we can learn to discern the voice of our Good Shepherd. It is essential to cultivate an intimate relationship with God to be able to recognize and follow his voice. In a world full of noise and distractions, it is easy to lose sight of God's voice. However, if we are attentive and open to his direction, he will guide us down the right path. Following the voice of the Good Shepherd means trusting in His wisdom and direction. Sometimes it can be difficult to understand God's will, but if we surrender to Him and allow Him to be our guide, we will discover that His way is best for us. In conclusion, the bible invites us to reflect on the love and care that God has for us, his flock. Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd who is willing to give his life for his sheep. We, as followers of Jesus, are also called to imitate his example of sacrificial love and to be in tune with his voice in our lives.