shepherd
(of people) / sheep (people as) related
links Note:
The Bible contains numerous references applicable to this
topic. Those contained herein are but a small sampling of
such references. |
But Israel, crossing his hands, put out his right hand and laid it
on the head of Ephraim, although he was the younger, and his left
hand on the head of Manasseh, although he was the first-born. Then
he blessed them with these words: "May the God in whose ways
my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my
shepherd from my birth to this day, The Angel who has delivered me
from all harm, bless these boys That in them my name be recalled,
and the names of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, And they may
become teeming multitudes upon the earth!" [GEN 48:14-16] Harrying
and attacking, the archers opposed him; But each one's bow
remained stiff, as their arms were unsteady, By the power of the
Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
The God of your father, who helps you, God Almighty, who blesses
you, With the blessings of the heavens above, the blessings of the
abyss that crouches below, The blessings of breasts and womb, the
blessings of fresh grain and blossoms, The blessings of the
everlasting mountains, the delights of the eternal hills. May they
rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his
brothers. [GEN 49:23-26]
Then Moses said to the LORD, "May the LORD, the God of the
spirits of all mankind, set over the community a man who shall act
as their leader in all things, to guide them in all their actions;
that the LORD'S community may not be like sheep without a
shepherd." And the LORD replied to Moses, "Take Joshua,
son of Nun, a man of spirit, and lay your hand upon him. Have him
stand in the presence of the priest Eleazar and of the whole
community, and commission him before their eyes. Invest him with
some of your own dignity, that the whole Israelite community may
obey him. He shall present himself to the priest Eleazar, to have
him seek out for him the decisions of the Urim in the LORD'S
presence; and as he directs, Joshua, all the Israelites with him,
and the community as a whole shall perform all their
actions." Moses did as the LORD had commanded him. Taking
Joshua and having him stand in the presence of the priest Eleazar
and of the whole community, he laid his hands on him and gave him
his commission, as the LORD had directed through Moses. [NUM 27:15-23]
All the tribes of Israel came to David in Hebron and said:
"Here we are, your bone and your flesh. In days past, when
Saul was our king, it was you who led the Israelites out and
brought them back. And the LORD said to you, 'You shall shepherd
my people Israel and shall be commander of Israel.'" When all
the elders of Israel came to David in Hebron, King David made an
agreement with them there before the LORD, and they anointed him
king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he became king,
and he reigned for forty years: seven years and six months in
Hebron over Judah, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem over all
Israel and Judah. [2SAM 5:1-5]
When David saw the angel who was striking the people, he said
to the LORD: "It is I who have sinned; it is I, the shepherd,
who have done wrong. But these are sheep; what have they done?
Punish me and my kindred." [2SAM 24:17]
So Micaiah said: "I see all Israel scattered on the
mountains, like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD saying,
'These have no master! Let each of them go back home in
peace.'" [1KGS 22:17]
Then all Israel gathered about David in Hebron, and they said:
"Surely, we are of the same bone and flesh as you. Even
formerly, when Saul was still the king, it was you who led Israel
in all its battles. And now the LORD, your God, has said to you,
'You shall shepherd my people Israel and be ruler over
them.'" Then all the elders of Israel came to the king at
Hebron, and there David made a covenant with them in the presence
of the LORD; and they anointed him king over Israel, in accordance
with the word of the LORD as revealed through Samuel. [1CHRON 11:1-3]
When David raised his eyes, he saw the angel of the LORD
standing between earth and heaven, with a naked sword in his hand
stretched out against Jerusalem. David and the elders, clothed in
sackcloth, prostrated themselves face to the ground, and David
prayed to God: "Was it not I who ordered the census of the
people? I am the one who sinned, I did this wicked thing. But
these sheep, what have they done? O LORD, my God, strike me and my
father's family, but do not afflict your people with this
plague!" [1CHRON 21:16-17]
I will proclaim the decree of the LORD, who said to me,
"You are my son; today I am your father. Only ask it of me,
and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the
ends of the earth. With an iron rod you shall shepherd them, like
a clay pot you will shatter them." And now, kings, give heed;
take warning, rulers on earth. Serve the LORD with fear; with
trembling bow down in homage, Lest God be angry and you perish
from the way in a sudden blaze of anger. Happy are all who take
refuge in God! [PS 2:7-11]
The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green
pastures you let me graze; to safe waters you lead me; you restore
my strength. You guide me along the right path for the sake of
your name. Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no harm
for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me courage. You
set a table before me as my enemies watch; You anoint my head with
oil; my cup overflows. Only goodness and love will pursue me all
the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for
years to come. [PS 23:1-6]
The Lord announced the news of victory: "The kings and
their armies are in desperate flight. All you people so numerous,
will you stay by the sheepfolds?" [PS 68:12-14]
Why, God, have you cast us off forever? Why does your
anger burn against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your flock
that you gathered of old, the tribe you redeemed as your very
own. Remember Mount Zion where you dwell. [PS 74:1-2]
God led forth his people like sheep; he guided them
through the desert like a flock. He led them on secure and
unafraid, but the sea enveloped their enemies. [PS 78:52-53]
He chose David his servant, took him from the sheepfold.
From tending sheep God brought him, to shepherd Jacob, his
people, Israel, his heritage. He shepherded them with a pure
heart; with skilled hands he guided them.
[PS 78:70-72]
Let the groans of prisoners come before you; by your great
power free those doomed to death. Lord, inflict on our neighbors
seven fold the disgrace they inflicted on you. Then we, your
people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you
forever; through all ages we will declare your praise. [PS
79:11-13]
Shepherd of Israel, listen, guide of the flock of Joseph! From
your throne upon the cherubim reveal yourself to Ephraim,
Benjamin, and Manasseh. Stir up your power, come to save us. O
LORD of hosts, restore us; Let your face shine upon us, that we
may be saved. [PS 80:2-4]
I have wandered like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I
do not forget your commands. [PS 119:176]
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the
lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.
[ISA 40:11]
I say of Cyrus: My shepherd, who fulfills my every wish; He
shall say of Jerusalem, "Let her be rebuilt," and of the
temple, "Let its foundations be laid." [ISA 44:28]
Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm
of the LORD been revealed? He grew up like a sapling before
him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in
him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance
that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by
men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of
those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held
him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our
sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as
stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced
for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the
chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were
healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his
own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all.
[Taken from ISA 53:1-6]
My watchmen are blind, all of them unaware; They are all dumb
dogs, they cannot bark; Dreaming as they lie there, loving their
sleep. They are relentless dogs, they know not when they have
enough. These are the shepherds who know no discretion; Each of
them goes his own way, every one of them to his own gain:
"Come, I will fetch some wine; let us carouse with strong
drink, And tomorrow will be like today, or even greater." [ISA
56:10-12]
But they rebelled, and grieved his holy spirit; So he turned on
them like an enemy, and fought against them. Then they remembered
the days of old and Moses, his servant; Where is he who brought up
out of the sea the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his
holy spirit in their midst; Whose glorious arm was the guide at
Moses' right; Who divided the waters before them, winning for
himself eternal renown; Who led them without stumbling through the
depths like horses in the open country, Like cattle going down
into the plain, the spirit of the LORD guiding them? Thus you led
your people, bringing glory to your name. [ISA 63:10-14]
When I brought you into the garden land to eat its goodly
fruits, You entered and defiled my land, you made my heritage
loathsome. The priests asked not, "Where is the LORD?"
Those who dealt with the law knew me not: the shepherds rebelled
against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after
useless idols. Therefore will I yet accuse you, says the LORD, and
even your children's children I will accuse. [JER 2:7-9]
Return, rebellious children, says the LORD, for I am your
Master; I will take you, one from a city, two from a clan, and
bring you to Zion. I will appoint over you shepherds after my own
heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently. [JER 3:14-15]
Many shepherds have ravaged my vineyard, have trodden my
heritage underfoot; The portion that delighted me they have turned
into a desert waste. They have made it a mournful waste, desolate
it lies before me, Desolate, all the land, because no one takes it
to heart. [JER 12:10-11]
Scale Lebanon and cry out, in Bashan lift up your voice; Cry
out from Abarim, for all your lovers are crushed. I spoke to you
when you were secure, but you answered, "I will not
listen." This has been your way from your youth, not to
listen to my voice. The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
your lovers shall go into exile. Surely then you shall be ashamed
and confounded because of all your wickedness. You who dwell on
Lebanon, who nest in the cedars, How you shall groan when pains
come upon you, like the pangs of a woman in travail! [JER 22:20-23]
Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my
pasture, says the LORD. Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of
Israel, against the shepherds who shepherd my people: You have
scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for
them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds. I myself
will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I
have driven them and bring them back to their meadow; there they
shall increase and multiply. I will appoint shepherds for them who
will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble;
and none shall be missing, says the LORD. Behold, the days are
coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to
David; As king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what
is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved,
Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him:
"The LORD our justice." [JER 23:1-6]
Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, proclaim it on distant
coasts, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them
together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. The LORD shall
ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. [JER
31:10-11]
Lost sheep were my people, their shepherds misled them,
straggling on the mountains; From mountain to hill they wandered,
losing the way to their fold. [JER 50:6]
Thus the word of the LORD came to me: Son of man, prophesy
against the shepherds of Israel, in these words prophesy to them
(to the shepherds): Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds
of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not
shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?... You did not strengthen the
weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring
back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them
harshly and brutally... My sheep were scattered and wandered over
all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the
whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for
them... Thus says the Lord GOD: I swear I am coming against these
shepherds. I will claim my sheep from them and put a stop to their
shepherding my sheep so that they may no longer pasture
themselves. I will save my sheep... For thus says the Lord GOD: I
myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his
flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I
tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were
scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I will lead them out from
among the peoples and gather them from the foreign lands; I will
bring them back to their own country and pasture them upon the
mountains of Israel (in the land's ravines and all its inhabited
places). In good pastures will I pasture them, and on the mountain
heights of Israel shall be their grazing ground. There they shall
lie down on good grazing ground, and in rich pastures shall they
be pastured on the mountains of Israel. I myself will pasture my
sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord GOD. The lost I
will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will
bind up, the sick I will heal (but the sleek and the strong I will
destroy), shepherding them rightly. As for you, my sheep, says the
Lord GOD, I will judge between one sheep and another, between rams
and goats. Was it not enough for you to graze on the best pasture,
that you had to trample the rest of your pastures with your feet?
Was it not enough for you to drink the clearest water, that you
had to foul the remainder with your feet? Thus my sheep had to
graze on what your feet had trampled and drink what your feet had
fouled. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now will I judge between
the fat and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and
shoulder, and butt all the weak sheep with your horns until you
have driven them out, I will save my sheep so that they may no
longer be despoiled, and I will judge between one sheep and
another. I will appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them, my
servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd. I, the
LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince
among them. I, the LORD, have spoken... I will prepare for them
peaceful fields for planting; they shall no longer be carried off
by famine in the land, or bear the reproaches of the nations. Thus
they shall know that I, the LORD, am their God, and they are my
people, the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD. (You, my sheep,
you are the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord
GOD.) [Taken from EZEK 34:1-2,4-6,10-24,29-31]
Thus says the Lord GOD: This also I will be persuaded to do for
the house of Israel: to multiply them like sheep. [EZEK 36:37]
Tell them: Thus speaks the Lord GOD: I will take the Israelites
from among the nations to which they have come, and gather them
from all sides to bring them back to their land. I will make them
one nation upon the land, in the mountains of Israel, and there
shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be two
nations, and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.
No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their
abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them
from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may
be my people and I may be their God. My servant David shall be
prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all;
they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.
They shall live on the land which I gave to my servant Jacob, the
land where their fathers lived; they shall live on it forever,
they, and their children, and their children's children, with my
servant David their prince forever. I will make with them a
covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
My dwelling shall be with them; I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the
LORD, who make Israel holy, when my sanctuary shall be set up
among them forever. [Taken from EZEK 37:21-28]
But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah too small to be among the clans of
Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in
Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times.
(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who
is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall
return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and
shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic
name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his
greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.
If Assyria invades our country and treads upon our land, We shall
raise against it seven shepherds, eight men of royal rank; And
they shall tend the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land
of Nimrod with the drawn sword; And we shall be delivered from
Assyria, if it invades our land and treads upon our borders. [MICAH
5:1-5]
Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your
inheritance, That dwells apart in a woodland, in the midst of
Carmel. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt, show us
wonderful signs. The nations shall behold and be put to shame, in
spite of all their strength; They shall put their hands over their
mouths; their ears shall become deaf.
[MICAH 7:14-16]
For the teraphim speak nonsense, the diviners have false
visions: Deceitful dreams they tell, empty comfort they offer.
This is why they wander like sheep, wretched: they have no
shepherd. My wrath is kindled against the shepherds, and I will
punish the leaders; For the LORD of hosts will visit his flock,
the house of Judah, and make them his stately war horse. [ZECH
10:2-3]
In a single month I did away with the three shepherds. I
wearied of them, and they behaved badly toward me. [ZECH 11:8]
Woe to my foolish shepherd who forsakes the flock! May the
sword fall upon his arm and upon his right eye; Let his arm wither
away entirely, and his right eye be blind forever! [ZECH 11:17]
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my
associate, says the LORD of hosts. Strike the shepherd that the
sheep may be dispersed, and I will turn my hand against the little
ones. [ZECH 13:7]
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King
Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
"Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at
its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod
heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to
him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written
through the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no
means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a
ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod
called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the
star's appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go
and search diligently for the child. When you have found him,
bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After
their audience with the king they set out. And behold, the star
that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and
stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at
seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with
Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage.
Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to
return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way. [MT
2:1-12]
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's
clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you
will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs
from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a
rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not
bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by
their fruits you will know them." [MT 7:15-20]
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in
their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and
curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his
heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and
abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his
disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his
harvest." [MT 9:35-38]
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
"Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go
rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make
this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Cure the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without
cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take
gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey,
or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer
deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a
worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter
a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace
come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will
not receive you or listen to your words - go outside that house or
town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it
will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the
day of judgment than for that town." [MT 10:5-15]
"Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of
wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves." [MT 10:16]
Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of
Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district
came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My
daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not say a word
in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her
away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply,
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel." But the woman came and did him homage, saying,
"Lord, help me." He said in reply, "It is not right
to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."
She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus said
to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be
done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from
that hour. [MT 15:21-28]
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for
I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face
of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a
hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the
ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he
finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over
the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is
not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones
be lost." [MT 18:10-14]
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the
nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them
one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his
left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who
are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me
food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you
welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him
and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and
welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or
in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on
his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire
prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you
gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a
stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no
clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then
they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not
minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do
for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to eternal life." [MT 25:31-46]
Then Jesus said to them, "This night all of you will have
your faith in me shaken, for it is written: 'I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be dispersed'; but after
I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee."
Peter said to him in reply, "Though all may have their faith
in you shaken, mine will never be." Jesus said to him,
"Amen, I say to you, this very night before the cock crows,
you will deny me three times." Peter said to him, "Even
though I should have to die with you, I will not deny you."
And all the disciples spoke likewise. [MT 26:31-35]
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved
with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things. [MK 6:34]
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will have your faith
shaken, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the
sheep will be dispersed.' But after I have been raised up, I shall
go before you to Galilee." Peter said to him, "Even
though all should have their faith shaken, mine will not be."
Then Jesus said to him, "Amen, I say to you, this very night
before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times."
But he vehemently replied, "Even though I should have to die
with you, I will not deny you." And they all spoke similarly.
[MK 14:27-31]
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen
to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to
them he addressed this parable. "What man among you having a
hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the
ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds
it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with
great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his
friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I
have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there
will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance."
[LK 15:1-7]
"Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a
sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief
and a robber. But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd
of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear
his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and
the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. But they
will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because
they do not recognize the voice of strangers." Although Jesus
used this figure of speech, they did not realize what he was
trying to tell them. So Jesus said again, "Amen, amen, I say
to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came (before me) are
thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am
the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come
in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and
slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and
have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd
lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a
shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and
leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters
them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the
sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay
down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong
to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice,
and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father
loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power
to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have
received from my Father." Again there was a division among
the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, "He is
possessed and out of his mind; why listen to him?" Others
said, "These are not the words of one possessed; surely a
demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?" [JN 10:1-21]
And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of
Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him,
"How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are
the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I
told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's
name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not
among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they
follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them
to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the
Father's hand. The Father and I are one." The Jews again
picked up rocks to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have
shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are
you trying to stone me?" The Jews answered him, "We are
not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are
making yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not
written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'? If it
calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot
be set aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has
consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, 'I
am the Son of God'? If I do not perform my Father's works, do not
believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize (and understand) that
the Father is in me and I am in the Father." (Then) they
tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. He
went back across the Jordan to the place where John first
baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said,
"John performed no sign, but everything John said about this
man was true." And many there began to believe in him. [JN
10:23-42]
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." He then said to him a
second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He
said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He
said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third
time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was
distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love
me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you
know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my
sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used
to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old,
you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you
and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this
signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he
had said this, he said to him, "Follow me." [JN 21:15-19]
Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and
head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the
desert route." So he got up and set out. Now there was an
Ethiopian eunuch... who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was
returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet
Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that
chariot." Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the
prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are
reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone
instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with
him. This was the scripture passage he was reading: "Like a
sheep he was led... as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he
opened not his mouth..." Then the eunuch said to Philip in
reply, "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this?
About himself, or about someone else?" Then Philip opened his
mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed
Jesus to him. [Taken from ACTS 8:26-32,34-35]
May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus our Lord,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will. May he carry out in you what is pleasing to him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever (and ever). Amen.
[HEB 13:20-21]
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered
for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his
footsteps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in
his mouth." When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when
he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over
to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body
upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for
righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you had
gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd
and guardian of your souls. [1PT 2:21-25]
So I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and
witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the
glory to be revealed. Tend the flock of God in your midst,
(overseeing) not by constraint but willingly, as God would have
it, not for shameful profit but eagerly. Do not lord it over those
assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief
Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the unfading crown of
glory. [1PT 5:1-4]
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are
these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" I
said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows." He
said to me, "These are the ones who have survived the time of
great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they stand before God's
throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who
sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or
thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the
Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and
lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes." [RV 7:13-17]
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