His Sheep Am I

 

'The shepherd opens the gate, calls his own sheep by name and leads them out...  he goes ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.' John 10: 3 - 4

Christianity is not so much a religion of dogmas and doctrines as an experience and a relationship with God. The Bible describes the relationship between God and the Christian in many ways but one of the most endearing is the relationship of a shepherd with his sheep. A favourite psalm for many, Psalm 23 describes this relationship so clearly,

'The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me besides peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along rights paths, bringing honour to His name.
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast before me in the presence of my enemies.
You honour me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.'

There are many imageries describing Jesus as the Shepherd and of His relationship with believers, His sheep.

The Shepherd knows His sheep. Rev Lui Yuan Tze in a sermon on 3 May 2020 said that in the Middle East, the shepherds communicate with their sheep in a sing-song voice. In John 10:3,4 Jesus mentioned that the sheep knows the shepherd's voice and that the shepherd calls each sheep out by name, '..the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.. his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger.' 

The Shepherd is the gatekeeper of the sheep pen. Rev Lui also told us that the Middle Eastern sheep pens do not have any doors. The shepherd is the door to the pen and he sleeps at the entrance of the pen. This is how the shepherd protects his sheep. Jesus said in John 10:7-8 "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate whoever enters through me will be saved." Many of us are seekers for the truth. At one time we knocked on the door and Jesus let us in as noted in Luke 11:10 'For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the the one who knocks, the door will be opened.' 

The Shepherd searches for His lost sheep. We used to sing an old hymn, now almost forgotten, There were Ninety and Nine

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare;

Away from the tender Shepherd's care.

"Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;

Are they not enough for Thee?"

But the Shepherd made answer: 

"This of Mine has wandered away from Me.

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep."

This is the parable that Jesus told in Luke 15:4-7. 'Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over the sinner who repents....' Doesn't this hymn and parable attest to the value Jesus placed on everyone of us? We were once lost and now are back in the fold because Jesus searched and found us.

The Shepherd as the Guide. Not so long ago, we were like sheep without a shepherd to guide us as we make life's journey. The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed the Lord God as saying, "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains." Jeremiah 50:6. Matthew recorded that when Jesus saw the crowds, 'He had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.' Matthew 9:36. Mark added that Jesus 'began to teach them many things.' Mark 6:34. 

There is a popular hymn, Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead Us.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us
Much we need Thy tender care
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us
For our use Thy folds prepare

We are Thine, who Thou befriend us
Be the guardian of our way
Keep Thy flock from sin defend us
Seek us when we go astray

Psalms 23 assures us that the Lord is our shepherd, He leads us beside still waters and guides us along the right paths. He guides us with his rod and staff so that even if we walk through the darkest valley, we need fear no evil because He is with us.

The Good Shepherd sacrifices Himself for His sheep.

Jesus made a startling statement, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep." John 10:11. His listeners did not realise that he was speaking of his own death on the cross, a lamb brought to the slaughter as a sacrifice for us all, atoning for our sins. Jesus was emphasising that there exists a real deep, special and genuine relationship with all true believers to such an extent that he will risk his life to save us, like a good shepherd would for his sheep. He spoke of loving us unconditionally to the point of death. "I have loved you," Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends."

Lionel