were Shepherds…could actually be…an untrustworthy bunch anyway…and certainly close to the bottom of the social scale at that the time…but …hired to verse hand…here…according 13…runs away… into this story and taking So…God himself…in Jesus…is stepping responsibility for the is unusual for Jesus sheep…that listeners… Not only were they being compared to common thieves… but…He… Jesus… was comparing himself to something could think that the unthinkable…no-one be a Messiah himself…would shepherd… not lose sight of the awesomeness of Let’s that…that God himself…stepped down into such the shadow of the difficult lowly circumstances…into circumstances that we can live in…to protect us… Nurture Us Slide - 4 Jesus is the Good only does he offer protection Therefore…if Shepherd…not for his is also the one who will nurture flock…he us… I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me (John 10:14-15) and I know the Father… He can nurture us He the us…help us grow…bring on…because himself…and one who made us is the one who cares for Father…are one…the us… Now the implication that went with the that the hired that…for listeners…was hands of not Jesus would have Israel’s past…had done this…and perhaps sparked within their the imaginations…a prophecy from past…Ezekiel 34… Where God to be them back himself…promises Israel’s Shepherd…to draw from their time in exile…and to…
Shepherds…could actually be…an untrustworthy bunch anyway…and were certainly close to the bottom of the social scale at that time…but the …hired hand…here…according to verse 13…runs away… So…God himself…in Jesus…is stepping into this story and taking responsibility for the sheep…that is unusual for Jesus listeners… Not only were they being compared to common thieves… but…He… Jesus… was comparing himself to something unthinkable…no-one could think that the Messiah himself…would be a shepherd… Let’s not lose sight of the awesomeness of that…that God himself…stepped down into such lowly circumstances…into the shadow of the difficult circumstances that we can live in…to protect us… Nurture Us Slide - 4 Therefore…if Jesus is the Good Shepherd…not only does he offer protection for his flock…he is also the one who will nurture us… I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father… (John 10:14-15) He can nurture us…help us grow…bring us on…because He himself…and the Father…are one…the one who made us is the one who cares for us… Now the implication that went with that…for the listeners…was that the hired hands of Israel’s past…had not done this…and perhaps Jesus would have sparked within their imaginations…a prophecy from the past…Ezekiel 34… Where God himself…promises to be Israel’s Shepherd…to draw them back from their time in exile…and to…