We will be talking about a Good Shepherd as a metaphor for Jesus Christ this week. Please note that the text quoted above says am, not was. Jesus is the Good Shepherd today as well as he was when he first made the statement about himself.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd has a long history. The figure of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was often found on the walls of the catacombs, where Jesus was depicted carrying a sheep on his shoulders. The spiritual leader of a congregation is often called a “pastor” and this title comes from the latin word for “shepherd”.
We can learn much from this metaphor about God and Jesus. Let’s talk about it this Sunday.