WHO IS A SHEPHERD?
A shepherd is one who tends and rears sheep. In other words, the shepherd’s main preoccupation is to nourish his sheep and ensure their safety and well-being at all times.
Therefore, there are attributes of a good shepherd that cannot easily be ignored. These are as follows:
- A good shepherd does all within his predisposition to ensure that his sheep is always steered in the right direction at all times.
- A good shepherd will do anything within his power to ward off intruders from his flock.
Unfortunately, not all “good shepherds” meet the above qualifications. For example, there are shepherds who have no recourse for the safety of their sheep.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
“I am the good shepherd”, declares Jesus (John 10:11a). Herein, Jesus underscores that He is the only good shepherd amongst many.
His qualification for being the good shepherd is further buttressed thus “the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11b). Now this is quite profound as not even an average shepherd is able to go this far for his sheep.
This extraordinary nature of the good shepherd is further underscored in Matthew 18:12 as Jesus is able to leave the rest of the ninety-nine (99) safe sheep behind as He goes in search of just one (1) lost sheep. Such is the the love of the good shepherd for every sheep that is wiling to stay under his care.
BE WARY OF FAKES
No doubt we live in end-times, and one of the characteristics of such is the proliferation of bad shepherds. The Bible calls them hirelings (John 10:12-13). A hireling is very much the opposite of the good shepherd as follows:
As the name implies, he has been hired to do the job of watching over the sheep and he only does it for the gains. Take away the gains and the hireling leaves the sheep at the mercy of the lurking wolf.
Unfortunately, the world is now polluted with all kinds of characters who pretend to be the good shepherd but are actually agents of darkness (2 Corinthians 11:14). They are full of deceit and do not mean well for the body of Christ. Be wary of such wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15).
