Jewels From JohnCampione

The Shepherd of Our Souls 

“I am the good Shepherd.  The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”  John 10:11 (NKJV)

The Prophet Isaiah explained the condition of mankind this way, “All of us like sheep, strayed away.  We have left God’s path to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.” Isaiah 53:6 (NLT).  It was to this lost and sinful world that Jesus chose to come down, and decided to be that Good Shepherd who willingly laid down His life for us, His sheep.

Ever wondered what makes Jesus the one and only Good Shepherd? Here are some qualities listed in John Chapter 10.  He has a personal relationship with us, which is real and vibrant; not only does He know us by name, but we can also know Him. He goes before us, and His word promises in Psalm 32:8 that “He will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go.” When He is with us we are assured of His divine protection. In Psalm 46:1 we are guaranteed that “God is our refuge and strength and an ever-present help in trouble.”

Most importantly, He is the only, true and loving Shepherd who willingly laid down His life for us. Romans 5:8 captures this most beautifully, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The best part of it all is that the Good Shepherd warrants His sheep with eternal life and security. In Jesus’ words, "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." John 10:28-29 (NKJV)

All of us can recall a time when we went astray and chose not to follow the Good Shepherd. But, it is for our own eternal good that we must desire to follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the Only Guardian of our souls. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 2:25: "Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, The Guardian of our souls." (NLT)