Good Shepherd
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15
Another blessing of having Jesus as our Good Shepherd is that He knows us. As a Good Shepherd, He knows each member of the flock very closely. He knows each sheep’s needs. I once saw a painting where Jesus was portrayed as a shepherd, and around Him were many different looking sheep. One was a lamb with a bandaged limb, limping alongside Him. One was a mother, leading her young. One was a gruff ram with big horns and a stoic expression. One was a playful ram. One was a black sheep who seemed different from the rest. One was a lamb in the arms of Jesus Christ. This painting depicted the differences of the sheep, but Jesus knows all these differences.
Jesus knows what His sheep all need, and He provides His love accordingly. The sheep are also said to know Him. Because the shepherd loved them and cared for them, the sheep learned by instinct to trust their shepherd and expect His love. Christ knows each one of us and gives us everything we need. He knows all our situations in life. From the meek lambs to the gruff rams among us, we receive the blessings of Jesus as He performs His work as Good Shepherd. How do we know Him? Because His voice, that is His Word, has entered our hearts, creating a loving, trusting faith in the Good Shepherd. This relationship between Jesus and us as the flock is so strong that it is even likened by Jesus Himself to the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. That is a strong bond that only Jesus, the Good Shepherd, can create. Look at how He has created such a trusting bond.
“I know Mine own, Mine own know Me;
Ye, not the world, My face shall see.
My peace I leave with you.” Amen.
The Lutheran Hymnal 467:7b