Some biblical truths are so far-reaching that we need pictures or metaphors to help us understand them. One such picture of our relationship to Jesus is that he is our shepherd. It may seem self-explanatory at first, but the far-reaching effects of being a sheep in the care of the “Good Shepherd” are truly life-changing.
Sheep are simple creatures, but they do know and recognize their shepherd’s voice, and flourish under his protective and watchful care. W. Phillip Keller, in his book “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,” writes, “The secret of a happy, contented life lies in recognizing the shepherd’s ownership.” A shepherd who owns the sheep treats them differently from one who is a hireling. A shepherd who owns the sheep will lay down his life for his flock, which is exactly what Jesus did for us. He is our Good Shepherd!
Our relationship to Jesus as our shepherd means that we are safe and secure in his care. And as his sheep, we don’t have to worry, strive, or blaze our own trail if we are part of his flock. We willingly submit to his leadership and follow his voice. Is Jesus, the Good Shepherd, your shepherd? The metaphor of sheep and shepherds is interwoven throughout the Bible.
Here are 20 Bible verses to start your study on what it means for Jesus to be your shepherd.
20 Bible Verses About Jesus as Our Shepherd
- Psalm 78:52 (ESV)
Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. - Psalm 95:7-8 (ESV)
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness. - Psalm 100:3 (ESV)
Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. - Psalm 23:1-3 (ESV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. - Isaiah 40:11 (ESV)
He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. - Micah 5:4 (ESV)
And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. - Ezekiel 34:12 (ESV)
As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. - Ezekiel 34:23 (ESV)
And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. - Matthew 9:36 (ESV)
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. - Matthew 25:32 (ESV)
Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. - Matthew 26:31 (ESV)
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’” - John 3:16-17 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” - John 10:11 (ESV)
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. - John 10:14 (ESV)
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me. - John 10:16 (ESV)
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. - John 21:15 (ESV)
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” - Hebrews 13:20 (ESV)
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant. - 1 Peter 2:25 (ESV)
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. - 1 Peter 5:4 (ESV)
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. - Revelation 7:17 (ESV)
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Sheep belong to their Shepherd
Perhaps you don’t like being compared to a sheep. They’re not known for their intelligence or self-sufficiency, but for their neediness and reliance on their shepherd. Left to ourselves, we wander and misjudge what’s good for us, and end up getting caught in a ditch. Sheep weren’t made to take care of themselves, but to live under the protective care of a shepherd.
So while the comparison humbles us, it also frees us. We can live a contented life under the care of the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep.
Cara
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