The Good Shepherd
Teaching Pastor; Staff Governing Elder; Staff Director
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus has an intimate connection with his sheep—they know his voice, follow him, and trust him. Trusting Jesus’ direction is not always easy, but we can rest in the truth that he has already sacrificed himself for us.
Study Questions
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus has an intimate connection with his sheep—they know his voice, follow him, and trust him. Trusting Jesus’ direction is not always easy, but we can rest in the truth that he has already sacrificed himself for us.Application
As followers of Jesus, we all experience moments when we don’t like his direction. Think about a time when you had to decide whether you trusted Jesus or yourself—what decision did you make? What was the result?
Sin promises freedom, yet it leads to destruction. What does it look like to walk in the freedom of the Good Shepherd’s protection? How can we know he cares for us even during challenging times?
The sheep follow and trust the Shepherd because they know his voice. How can you grow in knowing and trusting Jesus as your Shepherd?
Key Points
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus offers care, safety, and life. As his sheep, we follow and trust him because we know his voice.
The world has aligned itself with the values of the Enemy, and what it offers looks like freedom and affirmation, but that path ends in destruction.
In contrast, Jesus provides freedom from destruction. In order to enjoy Jesus’ protection, we have to trust him more than we trust ourselves.
We know Jesus is a Good Shepherd because he sacrifices himself for us. He was willing to take the judgment meant for us in order to provide us with eternal life.
God has pursued us in astonishing ways, and our response should be one of gratitude.
As believers, we can walk with the confidence of being cared for by our Shepherd. This enables us to rest in his protection even when we don’t understand his direction.