The Biblical Definition of the Good Shepherd Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, NIV).
A Shepherd is a person who tends and guards flocks of sheep. In Bible, Jesus was not a real shepherd; however, he described himself as the Good Shepherd. Christians may question why the Good Shepherd is distinctive from general shepherd. From biblical perspective, the Good shepherd is an emotional image that teaches Christians to follow Jesus.
Through contrasting the Good and bad shepherds, investigating the functions the Good shepherd, and looking at biblical examples of the image of the Good shepherd, God’s intention of teaching Christians is more asserted. Through comparing the Good Shepherd and bad shepherds, God teaches every Christians to follow the Good Shepherd. The prophet Ezekiel, in Old Testament, prophesied against the bad shepherds. In Book of Ezekiel 34, He describes the characteristics of bad shepherds; “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock” (Ezekiel 34:2-3).
The bad shepherds do not care for their flock but only for themselves. In the other hand, Jesus said, “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11) and he actually gave his life on cross to save his people. Ezekiel continues to speak about what the bad shepherds did not do for their flock; “[the bad shepherds] have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. [The bad shepherds] have ruled them harshly and brutally” (Ezekiel 34: 4).
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This Ezekiel’s description of the bad shepherds allows the readers of the Bible recognize the contrast without doubt. Furthermore, in Book of John, Jesus tells us that the bad shepherds are like “thieves and robbers” (John 10:1).
Jesus stresses that the thief comes only “to steal and kill and destroy” but He had come to “lay down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
Like this, Jesus, Good Shepherd, is completely reverse of the false shepherds. Through contrasting the bad shepherds and the Good Shepherds, Jesus, the Bible clearly teaches Christians to follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
The image of the Good Shepherd functions as a motif throughout the Bible to teach Christians that they have to follow Jesus. The motif is the fact that God acts as the Shepherd of His people. The image of God as a shepherd does not appear once in the Bible but rather several times. Therefore, it allows Christians to hold on to this clear emotional image. From the beginning of the Bible, God has been portrayed as a shepherd by His people. In Genesis 48:15, Jacob declared that God has been his “shepherd all of his life to this day”. In New Testament, Jesus described Himself the Good Shepherd “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, NIV).
As Jesus clearly depicted Himself as a shepherd, there is no doubt in Christians mind that He is not the Good Shepherd. Furthermore, in Book of Revelation, the author, John the apostle, brings a prominent image of God; “for the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eye” (Revelation 7:15) (Biblegateway. com, n. d. ).
Like this, the image of God as shepherd is frequently addressed in the Bible. Why did God address Himself as shepherd?
First of all, according to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, shepherding was a very common occupation for Ancient Near East people (Biblegateway. com, n. d. ).
The people, therefore, knew the duties of a shepherd in an unenclosed country like Palestine were very onerous and tough. God might have wanted His people to know that He will forever guide and protect His people as shepherd does for his sheep and goats. Second of all, God could have been called Himself only as King of kings. The Bible itself does not give a clear explanation; therefore, the readers cannot get a definite answer.
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However, there is fairly good reason that the readers could guess. The image of a king usually represents an idea of ruling and governing when the image of a shepherd gives an idea of guidance and protection. Jesus, in John 10: 11-17, illustrates how the shepherd cares for his flock, protecting them from weather, thieves, and predatory animals which He would do for His people. He loves and guides His people and if necessary, he would lay down his life for them. When Christians image the Good Shepherd, therefore, they remind themselves to follow Jesus.
There are biblical examples of the Good Shepherd, David and Jesus, who all Christians should follow their path of lives. In fact, the “Good Shepherd” only indicates one person that is Jesus. However, there are many other shepherds addressed in the Bible who truly followed God like Jesus. More specifically, David is one of the most well-known shepherds in the Bible. Before David becomes a king of Israel, he was a shepherd keeping his father’s sheep. When David was a shepherd, he did not take the shepherding as small work. Rather, David loved his sheep and he was courageous enough to lay down his life for them.
David said “when a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth … and killed it” (1 Samuel 17:34-36).
What David did for his father’s sheep proves that he really loved and cared the sheep just like Jesus, the Good Shepherd. On the other hand, the true example of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, was not a real shepherd. According to Book of Matthew, people called him “carpenter’s son” (13:55).
He was a carpenter from little village until he starts his public life.
However, Jesus addressed himself as “the good shepherd” who lays down his life for his people (John 10:11).
Not only because Jesus indicated himself as the Good Shepherd, but his actions proved that. In Book of Matthew, one day, Jesus saw a large crowd and he had “compassion on them” so he feeds the five thousand people (Matthew 14:13-21).
He taught and fed people who were “like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34).
Jesus was not a real shepherd. He metaphorically addressed himself as the Good Shepherd; however, he is the true loving protector and caretaker for his people.
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Through biblical characters in the Bible, God more clearly teaches who the Good Shepherd whom all Christians shall follow is. The emotional image of the Good Shepherd reminds the existence of Jesus to all Christians and teaches them to follow Jesus. In Bible, God compares the Good and bad shepherds, addresses the function of the shepherd and signifies the biblical examples to undoubtedly teach the Christians to follow Jesus. The Bible teaches to follow Jesus, not because he is someone with authority but because he is the Good Shepherd who cares and loves all of his people.
