34 David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur,[a] strike it down, and kill it. 36 Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Then David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
1 Samuel 17:34-37
David was a shepherd boy who risked his life for his sheep. The shepherds in those day were expected to protect the sheep at all cost. They were not only meat, but also there wool was important to their family and in commerce. They did not intend to lay their lives down for their sheep, they stood and protected them.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He willingly laid His life down for all of humanity.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:11
Jesus, the Good Shepherd lays His life down for His sheep.
The Greek word, life, is psyche which refers to the whole person. As a human, Jesus completely gave His WHOLE life for our sins! Jesus dies for the sheep. The word for in Greek suggests that Jesus gave as a sacrifice. Throughout the Gospel of John, this is used in the same context. (6:51, 10:11, 11:50, 13:37-38, 15:13, 17:19, 18:14) The shepherd did not carry a weapon, but a cross.
Intimate Relationship is required with the Good Shepherd
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15
It is impossible to express the greatest need for us to have an intimate relationship with Jesus. This means to experience Jesus face to face everyday. It is one thing to know Jesus, but a completely different thing to have experienced a relationship with Jesus. When we look at a flock of sheep, for the most part they all look the same. Jesus looks at His flock and He knows each of us by name. He does not see a bunch of the same, but a bunch of different. He knows us individually. Even if we all look the same, he knows us each individually.
Jesus does not want us to just to have a head knowledge of Him. Meaning you know all the facts about Jesus, His time on earth, His ministry, miracles and preaching. He wants all of us to have an intimate experience with Him. If someone were to say Jesus heals, you would know this personally because He has delivered and healed you personally. This is intimate knowledge. It means you have experienced something with Jesus.
Jesus knows our joys and our fears. He knows our blemishes, sins and weaknesses.
29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. 30 But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31
We are valuable to Him! He knows us so well he knows the number of hairs on our head. Religion and religious ritual and law keeping will not save you. Only a loving relationship with Christ can save you. We must have an intimate relationship with Him. We can not have strong relationships by just talking once a week to the other person. The same is true with Christ. In order to develop a strong relationship with Christ we must fellowship with Him daily. In His presence, we enjoy reading His Word, praying and serving Him.
Since Jesus is the good shepherd, we must follow Him and have an intimate relationship with Him.
The 23 Psalm is all that the Good Shepherd is to us!
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I have what I need.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He renews my life;
he leads me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.
Psalm 23:1-6
I AM who I AM
I AM: the Bread of Life
I AM: the Light of the World
I AM: the Door
I AM: the Good Shepherd
I AM: the Resurrection and Life
I AM: the Way, the Truth, Life
I AM: the True Vine
It Starts Small 
Leave a reply to I AM. – It Starts Small Cancel reply