Twelve Names of Christ for ChristmasSample

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, not only takes care of His sheep, but He also paid the redemption price to call them His own. Those who have received eternal life through His blood are the sheep of His pasture. All of us sheep have “gone astray.” However, Jesus rescued each of us by perfectly fulfilling His Father’s will through His death.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)

Many Scriptures speak of us as sheep and of Jesus as our Good Shepherd. Psalm 23, possibly the most famous Psalm in the Bible, describes the Lord as our shepherd, as do many other passages, including these:

(I [Jesus] am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (John 10: 14).

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. (Hebrews 13:20)

It is wonderful to realize that our Good Shepherd fully knows us. Jesus also fully knows His Father as He fully knows us. He knew our deepest needs and fulfilled them. He laid down His life for us—there is no greater love than this (John 15:13).

“As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15).

When we consider our Good Shepherd, we see how well cared for we are. Let’s thank and celebrate our Good Shepherd this Christmas!

Kids’ Corner

Read Psalm 23 together and discuss each verse. Make candy cane shepherd staffs. Wrap each candy with strips of brown paper or twine to make it look like a staff. Print Psalm 23:1-2 on a small piece of card stock and attach it to the staff with a ribbon. Have a “sheep hunt.” First, read Matthew 18:12-14 about the lost sheep. Secretly hide 10 or 20 cotton balls throughout the house. These represent sheep. Everyone becomes a shepherd and finds all the “sheep.” Once all sheep are found, have a reward of hot chocolate and candy canes. Discuss how Jesus, our Good Shepherd takes good care of us.