The Good Shepherd is one of my favorite names of Jesus. One who will take care of you. One who is good! We all need a little more good in this world, and that is what Jesus brings. It is one of the few names that Jesus gives to himself, so it must be important.
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
The good shepherd came to seek and find the lost. Jesus gave us an example of this through his parable of the lost sheep, mentioned in Luke 15. A good shepherd will leave the 99 sheep to find the one that is lost. When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’
And the most beautiful description of this good Shepherd comes from the most quoted of all Psalms, the 23rd Psalm.
The Good Shepherd – Psalm 23
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.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
(shared from BibleStoryPrintables.com)
Follow along each day during the holiday season as I post a different name of Jesus and Christmas ornament you can download to decorate and hang on your CHRISTmas tree! It’s a wonderful way to discover who Jesus Christ is, and what His birth at Christmas means to each of us.
