John 10:2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Jesus used the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep to teach about the deep relationship he has with us. Both in the Old and New Testaments the people of God are pictured as the sheep under the care of the Good Shepherd.
Let’s continue in the teaching given to us in John 10…
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
The task of a good shepherd is to ensure that the sheep graze in green pastures along streams of living water (Psalm 23). When danger appears or there are thorns and thistles threatening the pasture the shepherd moves to protect his/her sheep.
Some have asked, “Why is the church running away from the covid-19 virus? We should stay open because the Lord says we should not stop meeting together.” My answer is that we will never stop meeting together because the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church (Matthew 16:18). But the shepherds of our flock have decreed that this attack of the virus is so deadly to the world – and to us -that we should do church differently for a period so that for this brief season we, and the world which God loves (John 3:16), may be sheltered while the threat passes over us. Those are the kind of loving shepherds that I feel secure under. Can you imagine the celebration when we gather back together in corporate worship? I cannot wait and it has only been 8 hours since our last beautiful worship this morning.
Almighty God, may we as sheep be guided by our shepherds. Would you move amongst us by your Spirit preventing us from all going astray – each to our own way! May we be conscious of one another and respect the space and safety of all. Amen
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