I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10.14-15)

There is something so beautifully raw of seeing Jesus as a shepherd. Here is not the pressed suit of an executive leader or the clean, crisp collar of a priest. The corner office is miles away from the fields where he leads his flock. Instead of an orator standing on a well lit stage his sandals are mixed with the mud of the earth and the grime of his sheep. In place of soft and manicured fingers that easily write people off, his hands are rough and strong and gentle. His shepherd’s arms draw his flock near. He knows his sheep. He calls them by name. His sheep know him. They recognize his staff as safe and his rod as true.

When Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd…and I lay down my life for the sheep,” there is no question it is true. As a good shepherd he saw us lost and bruised, beaten by time and broken by sin, and he came to bring us home. We are those other sheep that were not of his fold, but he searched us out, calling us to his arms stained with his sacrificial love.

May today be filled with the joy of knowing Jesus the good shepherd is before us, leading us to green pastures and still waters. His arm is mighty to save.

Jesus, thank you for being my shepherd. It is your voice I listen for in the dark night, your hand I lean toward when my heart is troubled.