All born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are “sheep.” In His reference to believers, Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30). Obviously, Jesus was not referring to sheep, as the animal. Jesus also referred to Himself as “the good shepherd.” He said, “I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11). Herein lies the relationship between the Shepherd (Jesus) and the sheep (the believer).
In the Holy Scriptures, sheep are used symbolically in reference to Christians. And Jesus Christ as the “Lamb of God,” which symoolizes the “sacrifice” that Jesus made for us in His death on the Cross. John writes of Jesus this way: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
To become a sheep of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, you must respond to the good news of salvation, which is that “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Jesus Christ imparts “eternal life” for all who will repent of their sins and accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord. Only Jesus can give eternal life. The purpose of His “first advent” to die. He said that He “came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Abundantly speaks of eternal life.
Eternal life cannot be earned or bought. It is a free Gift from God through His Son Jesus Christ. The Bible says: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is also a “present possession” for anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Please note the word “has” is in the present tense.
In the book of Psalms we read: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand” (Psalm 95:6,7). This statement actually reinforces the safety of the sheep because they are absolutely safe in the care, comfort, and security of God the Father and God the Son. As is stated above, Jesus said, “I and the Father are One” This tells us that there is absolutely no doubt of the oneness of God the Father and God the Son.
It is most interesting to note the three related “functions” of Jesus Christ as the “Shepherd of His sheep.” First, we see Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” who gives His own life for the sheep as we saw in John 10:11, Where He says “I am the good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Next, Jesus appears as the “Great Shepherd” who lovingly and generously cares for His sheep as evident in the ever popular Psalm 23 written King David, “The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” And then, Jesus is the “Chief Shepherd.” The apostle Peter in writing about Christian service in view of the imminent return of our Lord, said “And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4). The “crown of glory” is one of five crowns that Christians can received in heaven when the Lord returns.
Let us sincerely worship and praise our wonderful Shepherd unceasingly, who “purchased” our salvation at a tremendous cost—His life. He who died for us, now lives for us, and will return for us any day now. What a glorious thought. Hallelujah. Amen.