“But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, And raise me up, that I may requite them. By this I know that thou favourest me, Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, And settest me before thy face for ever. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.”
Psalm 41:10-13 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.41.10-13.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 ...