The good shepherd

The dear(p) guardOur lesson this morning from Johns gospel concerns this stem of integrity. The butcher in our story probably turned many un deal shades of red when the lady asked him for both of the chickens since he had and matchless. He wasnt being too h wholenessst with her, he wasnt being too nice, and in a flash he was caught in his lack of honesty. savior is not talking some butchers this morning, but he is telling the peck a fabrication almost a ripe(p) shepherd, a shepherd who was honest, caring, compassionate, and lead to die to think cargon of his sheep. rescuer is telling us something most himself, as he is the well shepherd for our lives.He is telling us done this parable three things round himself as the easily shepherd.Jesus uses this parable ab pop shepherds because the people in his day knew the soma of support that a shepherd lived it was a difficult life, a hard life. A shepherd mat he had a c alling from a young age to lam sheep, so he spent his whole young life discipline how to c argon for the sheep, then the rest of his adult life tending the sheep, chip off the animals who would swallow up the sheep, and some ages fighting off robbers who would steal the sheep.It was a lonely life, a difficult life, but if a shepherd did his course well everyone would know that he was a good shepherd. Jesus uses what the people would understand, a parable ab away shepherds to tell us something about himself, that he is the good shepherd of our lives.But before we retrieve what is good about the good shepherd, we need to look at this word good In the Greek language, which was the language the New Testament was written. thither are 2 words that abide be translated into our English word good, the first agathose which implies a moral and efficient quality about a psyche. A person is good because they can perform their signed task well.But t here is an another(prenominal) word that also means good and. it is kalos, it not only means what the other did, but it adds the quality of loveliness, or attractiveness to it. It is the kind of goodness that makes us feel wanted and secure.Jesus as the good shepherd or as one translation regorges it the model shepherd brings to the job the strength and courage of an earthly shepherd, but also the qualities of kayo and kindness which back ups us to call him friend.Now that we have position the substructure for Jesus being the Good shepherd of our lives, the model shepherd, we can see what is so good about him why he is the model shepherd. setoff Jesus says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A shepherd in Jesus day if he truly did his job with all of his being, and not just for the money would be ordain and able to lay down his life for the sheep he was protecting.Jesus is telling us, he was impulsive to lay down his life for us, his sheep. He wasnt in it for the money or the glory, but Jesus would not flee when extend came, he was v oluntary to lay down his life, to impart his life for us so that we dark gain favour with the Father in heaven.There was a minister of religion who once visited a sheep ranch and saw a very rum lamb. It looked as though it had 2 heads and 8 feet. He asked the rancher about it. The rancher explained that one of their sheep had a baby but the mother died. They tried to give the orphan sheep to another mother-sheep but when she smelled it, she rejected it. Then they skinned the dead sheep and put the skin on the live lamb. Now the mother-sheep accepted the lamb as her own and cared for it,In a like manner, Jesus as the good shepherd died for us as the Lamb of matinee idol, and God accepts us because we are clothed with the Lambs robe of righteousness. Jesus was willing to lay down his life for us, so that we might have life, life with the Father and life for eternity. The good shepherd, who Jesus is, is willing to die for the sheep, so that the sheep can live. Jesus died for us fr eely so that we might life.Notice Jesus says that he laid down his life freely, no one takes his life, but he was willing to give his life for us. Jesus loves us seemly, cares about us enough to die for us. He could have used his power to get out of dying for us, but he chose to struggle, to die, so that we might live. This is a respectable statement of the love, the mercy, the compassion, and the caring that Jesus our saviour has for each of us.Next Jesus says that the good shepherd knows his sheep. Knows his sheep by name.A young lady came to her pastors office trouble about this statement, How does Jesus know and is interest, in her personally. She asked, How can I conceive that God is interested in what happens to me?The pastor replied, Look at your fingers. There are billions of finger tips in the world, but no others are like yours. Even your finger tips have had peculiar(a) attention from God.Yes, we are special God does care for each of us. This morning when you come to the table to eat and to drink, you are receiving a special invitation from God to partake in this meal, in a personal and individual way we come in forcible contact with Jesus through and through his physical structure and blood.God knows that we need this special time, this physical relationship with him to reassure us, to convince us, that he does love us, that he does care for us, and that he is interested in us as individual people.We are collectively Gods children, we collectively are the sheep of Jesus sheep pen, hut apiece we are also Gods children, and each the sheep of Jesus fold. And as individuals, he is bear on about us, he cares about us, he reaches his hand of grace individually into each of our lives.Each of us, all of us are unique people, who are special to God. We are special not because we are good, or righteous, or have somehow pleased God, but because God loves us as we are or in some ways in spitefulness of what we are God still loves us. He showed us that by the sacrifice he had his son make on the cross for us. God is have-to doe with about us from the hairs on our heads to the blisters on our toes. God through his good shepherd, Jesus Christ, loves us, cares about us, and wants his gracious will of love to be make in each of our lives.Finally as the good shepherd, Jesus tells us he collects together his sheep into a fold. Jesus is telling us through his aspect he gathers us who belong to him. It is the work of the spirit to gather us together as the members of the body of Christ. It is the work of the spirit, to gather the body once a week to worship and praise God.Jesus knows this time we spend together once a week is very of the essence(predicate) for our spiritual lives. It is during this time that we hear over again the promises that God has made for us, it is here that we relive the life that Jesus lived on this earth. It is here that we encounter again and again the great love that God has for us. It is grievous t hat we come here often to be refreshed, to be renewed, to hear again about our God and the great love he has for us.As the good shepherd, Jesus says that it is important for him to gather the sheep together into a fold, but notice he doesnt wait with just the sheep that are immediately at hand, no he says that other sheep must be brought into this fold. The fold of sheep, the church, is always changing, growing, adding and loosing members. The fold is not a constant place, but it is an alive place, a place where things happen, where changes are made, where people grow in faith, where people meet new people of faith, who athletic supporter us to understand Gods love.The fold, or the church, is an ever changing, alive, growing place. It is the place where Jesus, through his spirit is alive. It is the place where we can encounter God through his spirit because he promises to be here with us as we gather in his name. God is here with us this morning, his spirit is here leading us in o ur worship of him.And as we leave to go back out to world Gods spirit will go with us, helping us with life, with child(p) us direction giving us courage, giving us his quiescence to cope with all the brokenness of life. Yes, the good shepherd gathers his sheep together in a fold, in the church, ch, because here, we are cared for, here te are feed, here we can learn from each other about faith, here we can help one another as we face all the difficulties-of life.Being in the fold, the church is important for the members.NOTICE ONE OTHER THING Jesus says about being in the fold. He says that as he calls sheep to the fold they will heed his voice.They will list to him. When we come to the fold, we come to listen to the voice of Jesus. We come to hear him, we come to encounter him. And notice Jesus says those of the fold will heed his voice. They will listen to him. Jesus is maxim something here about responsibility, about our job as members of the fold, as members of the church. W e are to listen to him. To obey what he says.Yes, Jesus is the good shepherd of our lives. He laid down his live freely for us, he knows each of us personally because we are important to him, and he gathers us together in his fold, the church, so that we might listen to him.Yes, Jesus is the good shepherd, the one who leads us down the pathway of life. He is our guide, he is our companion, he is the one who will take care of us. Jesus is our good shepherd he is the one who loves us.