Shepherd Of Souls

The Bible calls both religious and political leaders, “shepherds,” because they have a great responsibility to care for those they lead. Jesus took this name to Himself… “I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep… I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11,12).

Every person hearing Jesus say those words would have immediately understood He was claiming to be God, because the Bible says, “The LORD (Jehovah) is my Shepherd; I shall not lack anything I need” (Psalm 23:1).  Jesus also spoke of His divine power over death before it happened… “I lay down My life for the sheep… No one takes it from Me, I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”

When Judas and the band of soldiers came to arrest Jesus, the prophecy was fulfilled that said, “Smite the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered” (Matthew 26:31). Jesus entered death for us because… “We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one of us, to our own way. And the Lord has laid upon Himself the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).

Where is any other that cares for your soul? Only Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who became the Smitten Shepherd, defeating death as the Great Shepherd, is worthy of that name. Only Jesus has our eternal good in His heart, and only when we reach out to Him in prayer and choose to become one of His sheep by faith, can we rest safely and forever in His loving care. For only He can say... "I give to them eternal life and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them from My hand."

(Devotional by Lisa Cataford)