John 10:14-18
One Shepherd

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason 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 of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

New Revised Standard Version

The image of the Good Shepherd is a powerful analogy for the love of God sent down to us in the person of Jesus, and I encourage you to read the meditation on John 10:11-15 where I discussed some of the depths of that analogy.

Jesus goes further in this lesson to stretch the analogy of a shepherd past its earthly limits. Earthly shepherds have one flock, which must be kept in one place, and can only be so big, so there are many shepherds required. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, has many flocks, and it is his intention to gather all of them, all the world, together into one Flock, one People of God.

In the verses preceeding this passage, Jesus talks about those who would damage the flock. There are the wolves, those that would destroy and kill the flock. There are the false shepherds, who do the work for the wrong reasons, and abandon the work when the situation doesn't fit their cause.

But in verse 16, Jesus obliquely speaks to those who would damage the flock from the inside. Jesus is putting the flock on notice that there are others who must be accepted as members of the flock. We cannot allow our comfort with the familiar to be a barrier to those that Jesus will include in his flock.

The strong will of Jesus is another way the analogy of a shepherd breaks. The shepherd in Israel was one of the lowest of the servants, answering to the desires and commands of the owner. Jesus, being one with God, is both the shepherd and the owner of the flock. Jesus, as God, has a strength to his will that cannot be matched by any human, no matter how rich or powerful, and no matter how passionate they are about the cause. The power of Jesus' will led him to lay down his life, and the power of Jesus' will conquered death so that he could take up his life again.

Our calling is to be led by the Good Shepherd. Our call includes enthusiastically reaching out to all those the Shepherd brings into the flock. Our call includes absolute trust in the One that bring Good out of any situation, because his power and love are greater than anything we could ever face.