I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
– John 10:11
This is one of my favorite pictures of God, of Jesus in all the Bible. It’s Psalm 23. The Lord is my Shepherd. God is my Shepherd.
John 10:11 teaches us Jesus is our Good Shepherd.
Jesus, here in John 10, makes another one of these I am statements saying, “I am that Shepherd. I am the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep so that we might live.” That’s the verse right before this. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” So could I just encourage you to pause right now in your thoughts and think about how good a Shepherd God is? Think about how he has lovingly provided for you, and lovingly protected you.
And even as I say that I sometimes think about all the ways God protects me, knowing that we don’t even know. He protects us from so many things. We don’t even realize that he’s protecting us. And particular moments all day long, that he is protecting us in ways we don’t even see. Oh, the way he’s provided for us, protect us, the way he leads us, and guides us.
John 10:11 teaches us the extent of Jesus’ shepherding goodness.
I remember standing at a college conference, and the person leading in musical worship was just saying, “Why don’t you look back?” He’s encouraging these college students to look back at their lives and just see God’s faithfulness at different points. And I was so overwhelmed in that moment, thinking back to my life since I was in college. God has been so faithful in so many millions of moments, so can we just praise God for being the Good Shepherd of our souls and also pray for a heart that yields to his shepherding and leadership that doesn’t work against him or not trust in him?
Oh, God, we praise you as our Shepherd. Jesus, we praise you as the Good Shepherd who laid down your life for us on a cross so that we might have life and have it abundantly and not just the way you laid down your life for us two thousand years ago, but the way you right now intercede for us at the Father’s right hand by your Spirit leading us, guiding us, comforting us, protecting us, providing for us all glory be to your name, oh, God, is our Shepherd.
We praise you for your shepherding leadership in our lives… And we say in light of your Word, we trust your shepherding leadership in our lives. God, amidst whatever we’re walking through right now, we know you’re our Shepherd. We know you’re committed to providing for us, protecting us, leading us, to guiding us through whatever we’re walking through. God, we praise you as our Shepherd. We yield to you as our Shepherd. Lead us, guide us, direct us. Provide for us in all the ways you desire. Our trust is in you.
Prayer for the Bedouin People
And God, we pray. I think about praying for the Bedouin people who know what it’s like to be a shepherd. God, we pray for nomadic people, groups like the Bedouin to come to know you as their Shepherd. We pray for nomadic people groups all across. I think about North Africa in particular, and then throughout the Middle East. God, we pray for the good news of Jesus, the Good Shepherd… To spread to Bedouin and nomadic people groups all over the world… That they might know they are sheep, and you have laid down your life for them. Lord Jesus, may it be so. We pray all this according to your Word in John 10:11, which we love. In Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
