Jesus, understanding the nature of sheep, referred to them in characterizing the Pharisees and others who did not belong to his fold and did not recognize who he was. My son-in-law, who spent two years there, told me that these shepherds are so close to their sheep that they literally call the sheep by name and the sheep come out of the flock. When I was in Israel I saw a little boy who could whistle and call his sheep as we call dogs. “The sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.” ( John 10:3.) They would know that he was the true shepherd who would find them and call them out of the world. Through the analogy of the sheep and the shepherd, the Savior also explained that his followers would recognize his voice. Indeed, Jesus is the gatekeeper “and he employeth no servant there.” ( 2 Ne. Jesus used this parable to illustrate that he was the shepherd who took care of the sheep at night he was the protector and guardian of the flock and no man could come into the fold without knowing the gospel and knowing his relationship to his Father in Heaven. At night all the individual family shepherds brought their flocks to the large fold and one man stood guard through the night instead of all the shepherds. In the summer and spring the sheep for an entire town were kept in a large enclosure open to the sky but with walls high enough to keep predators out. One, a large building with beams covered with tree branches and straw, was used in the winter for the sheep. He also was describing what would actually take place through his crucifixion and atonement.Īlso, in John 10:7, the Savior explains that it is through him as the Savior, and only him, that mankind can gain entrance into his Heavenly Father’s kingdom: “Then Jesus said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.” There were two kinds of sheepfolds in Jesus’ time. In the account recorded in John, Jesus pointed out that he was ready to give his life for all of the children of our Father in Heaven. This, of course, reminds us of the passage in 3 Nephi: “Other sheep I have which are not of this fold them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” ( 3 Ne. But the Savior points out that he is the Good Shepherd, that he knows his sheep, that they are known of him, and that he will lay down his life for them- all of them. Here the hireling shepherd is one who gives way instead of resisting Satan’s temptations. This may be an allegory about the wolf as Satan, coming in various ways to catch and to scatter the sheep. He compared the true shepherd to one who does not really care for his flock, who just tends sheep for a living: “But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.” ( John 10:12.) The Savior provided his disciples with ways of recognizing him. And through his lineage, Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, the Good Shepherd whose flock would take in all the world. 17:34–35.) At the time he was anointed by Samuel to be king, David was the shepherd of a flock in Bethlehem. When his father’s sheep were attacked by a bear and a lion, David slew them both. In introducing his mission among men, Jesus identified himself as the Good Shepherd: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” ( John 10:11.) In the Savior’s time and place, a shepherd who was the owner of the sheep not only loved them but would risk his life for them. And those he selected as his disciples could more easily understand what he had to say to them about their responsibilities in helping him carry out his divine commission. His followers could therefore more clearly perceive the truths that he was teaching them. His fellow Galileans understood the value of sheep, the necessity for a flock, and the responsibilities of a shepherd. It would have been natural for the Savior to refer to sheep and the flock in his attempts to teach the worth of souls as he went about establishing his ministry. Indeed, the Savior himself used these symbols often in his teaching. Certainly symbolism is apparent in the many references to the Shepherd and the flock. And it helps to remind us that he sent his beloved Son to guide us back to him-the babe born in Bethlehem of Judea, the Good Shepherd with an unparalleled, divine mission.Ī major part of our scriptures presents types and shadows of the coming of Jesus, his mortal ministry, and his mission as the Savior of all mankind. The shepherds’ scene is indeed symbolic: It brings to mind the care with which our Heavenly Father watches over all of his children, and the loving concern he feels for each of us. At Christmastime, our thoughts often turn to the biblical account of the shepherds watching over their flocks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |