“Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; And thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations. For the LORD will judge his people, And he will repent himself concerning his servants. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; Neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: So is every one that trusteth in them.”
Psalm 135:13-18 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.135.13-18.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 ...