“Preserve me, O God: For in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: My goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, And to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, Nor take up their names into my lips.”
Psalm 16:1-4 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.16.1-4.KJV
Our Good Shepherd
Jesus’ “I Am” sayings are powerful statements that give us a look into His nature and heart.
First, they reveal something about His mission on earth. But second, they connect Jesus to God the Father. These “I Am” statements connect theologically to Exodus 3:14, when God revealed Himself to Moses as “I Am.”
In John 10, Jesus tells the people that He is the good shepherd. The mark of a good shepherd is that he's willing to lay down his life for his sheep, and Jesus says He is willing to do just that.
Jesus’ statement is in contrast to the religious leaders of His day. The religious leaders would often make things very difficult for followers of God—adding laws and regulations that would actually keep people from Him. Ultimately, they were selfish leaders, considering themselves more important than the people they were leading.
Jesus points out that the highest qualification of a shepherd is selflessness. Jesus is the ultimate shepherd because He truly cares ...