The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

This Sunday morning at CDC, we were privileged to have Brother Chin En Tek share the message on the good Shepherd from John Chapter 10.

Starting off, brother Chin focused our attention on the Purpose of John’s Gospel which basically presents Jesus Christ as the Son of God so that we may have life in His name. The book of John is both easy enough for a child to understand and deep enough to confound theologians. At the time of the Lord’s teaching, the general public were in a state of confusion as to who Jesus was:- Elijah? John the Baptist? Samaritan? King? the Son of God? Sinner? Prophet?  John’s Gospel gives us a better picture of who Jesus is, listing down seven “I am”s, one of which is our topic today: I am the Good Shepherd.

Firstly, looking at the characteristics of sheep, we realize that sheep are very vulnerable animals. They need shelter and care, get lost easily, fall sick easily and have no natural defenses to protect themselves. In a way, because of their herd mentality, they are good followers, but following the wrong leader can of course be disastrous. 1,500 sheep perished by jumping off the cliff because they were following one of their sheep leaders which accidentally fell off. The Shepherd has no easy task taking of his sheep’s needs and safety.

The Bible is full of imagery of the Lord as the Great Shepherd, and gives us a wonderful picture of how He cares and takes care of us. Psalm 23 is one of the most treasured of all Bible passages, describing the Lord as our Shepherd providing for our daily needs and protecting us from evil. One parable describes how a good Shepherd searched intently high and low for just one lost sheep, showing us that every one is precious to God. Our Lord Jesus also drew our attention to the difference between the good shepherd and the hired hand. While the good shepherd genuinely cared for each sheep and even risks his life to fight off predators, the hired hand does not care much for the sheep and runs away when danger approaches. The good shepherd knows each sheep, while the hired hand could not be bothered.

In closing, brother Chin gave us three important applications:-

(a)     Be part of God’s flock – We need to be part of a church, worshipping and fellowshipping with brothers and sisters who love God and also care for us. It is important to note that we can be in church but not part of the church. To be a part, we need to take an active role to befriend others and share in community services.

(b)    Listen to the Shepherd’s voice – Secondly, we need to listen to Jesus’ voice, to spend time with Him and His Word, so that we may know how to live life rightly, and also keep away from evil and danger

(c)     Obey and follow Him – Finally, we need not only to listen, but to obey. As sheep, we will only remain safe and on course when we actively follow our Shepherd, being obedient to Him.

May the Lord bless us and take care of us always like a Shepherd takes care of his sheep. May we learn to listen and obey and grow well among brothers and sisters. In Jesus name, Amen.