# The Good Shepherd – Fourth Sunday of Easter
*2015-04-22*

> Bill reflects on John 10:11‑18, exploring what it means for Christ to be the Good Shepherd and how that image shapes our relationship with God.

## Reading the Gospel

Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—so the wolf snatches them and scatters them.” He continues, “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold; I must bring them also, that there may be one flock, one shepherd.”

Jesus explains that the Father loves Him because He lays down His life voluntarily, and He has the power to take it up again.

## Why the Shepherd Image Matters

If we miss the everyday reality of shepherding—providing food, water, rest, direction, and protection—we lose the depth of the metaphor. The shepherd anticipates the needs of the flock; the sheep respond by listening and following. Early Christians understood this image well, and it became one of the most common themes in Christian art.

## Christ’s Intimacy with His Flock

When Jesus speaks of laying down His life, He gives us a concrete glimpse of the Paschal mystery. His declaration, “I know my own and my own know me,” mirrors the intimate relationship between Father and Son, and invites us into that same intimacy with Him. John’s Gospel helps us see Christ as the one who cares for us personally.

## Living as the Shepherd’s Sheep

Our response is to trust the Good Shepherd, follow His voice, and allow Him to lead us to the one flock. By doing so, we participate in the love the Father has for the Son and, through Him, for each of us.

*When we listen to the Good Shepherd, we enter the intimate, protective relationship God intends for every one of us.*