John 10: Jesus, the Great Shepherd

The shepherd faithfully guides the flock, not one will he forsake;

They become tuned to the sound of his voice and not of a thief or fake.

He loves and leads and guides the flock as they go about each day;

He leads them to safety every night where they pass the darkness away.

The sheep hear his voice when its time to leave, follow him out the door.

He leads to pasture where they feed and drink along the shore.

Jesus used this illustration as He taught them so well each day,

But Israel rejected this notification and sadly walked away.

So Jesus speaks here even more clearly; He tells us He is the door.

He is the entrance to salvation; we, the sheep He died for.

He who is saved acknowledges truth and places His trust in Christ,

The perfect, sinless Son of God who became our sacrifice.

There were many who had come before, various national leaders,

Evil, selfish users of others, undeniable bottom feeders.

These false shepherds didn’t care about the people they led.

They saw them only as slaves to sell out, a source of their daily bread.

But there is a thief who would steal your soul; Satan is his name,

Deception, destruction, murder his goal, subterfuge his game.

The future of those who fail to heed God is dreadful indeed to tell,

An endless confinement of wretched woe in the fires of hell.

But there is no reason for that to be, for Jesus laid down His life.

The Lamb of God completely sin-free, freely paid the price.

He died to give life abundantly; takes away our guilt and strife,

Transforms us in our earthly walk, then grants eternal life.

He is the picture of a true shepherd, the opposite of the wolf

Who scatters the sheep and regards the lame as dinner on the hoof.

But Jesus Christ, our Great Shepherd, never abandons His flock,

Faithful and True, the Soon-coming King, the ever-solid Rock.

There was yet some very good news they would fathom later.

Jesus referred to another flock to which He would be the Savior.

He was referring to His church, which would come in a very few years.

Salvation for all, preached by Paul, and affirmed by apostle peers.

Oh how this passage confronts my soul, a good shepherd I long to be:

To teach God’s Word, share God’s hope; help others do better than me.

In this world with its phony leaders, we’re filled with utter disgust,

But oh what a faithful savior we have, a shepherd to love and trust.

© Copyright 2016 George M. Cuff, All Rights Reserved