The Good Shepherd John 10

Shepherds and Hirelings John 9: 40 John 10

The Good Shepherd

“In Jesus’ time, the Palestinian shepherd was noted for his protection of his sheep. Unlike modern sheepherders, the shepherd always walked ahead of his flock. He led them. The shepherd knew each of the sheep and usually had a name for each. The sheep knew his voice and trusted him and would not follow a stranger. Thus, when called, the sheep would come to him….

The Good Shepherd “At night shepherds would bring their sheep to a corral called a sheepfold. High walls surrounded the sheepfold, and thorns were placed on top of these walls to prevent wild animals and thieves from climbing over….

The Good Shepherd “Sometimes, however, a wild animal driven by hunger would leap over the walls into the midst of the sheep, frightening them. Such a situation separated the true shepherd—one who loved his sheep—from the hireling—one who worked only for pay and duty….

The Good Shepherd “The true shepherd was willing to give his life for the sheep. He would go in amongst the sheep and fight for their welfare. The hireling, on the other hand, valued his own personal safety above the sheep and would usually flee from the danger” (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1983, 43).

The Good Shepherd Exodus 3:13-14 John 8:58-59

The Good Shepherd The great challenge of our lives is usually not meditating on what we once were or wishing on what we may yet become, but rather living in the present moment as God would have us live. Fortunately, Christ can be in that moment for each of us since “all things are present” before him (D&C 38:2) and “time only is measured unto men.” (Alma 40:8.) To Moses, who was faced not with a dimming past or a misty future nearly so much as with the brutal presence of a godless Pharoah, Jehovah said, “I AM THAT I AM. … say unto the children of Israel, I AM … this is my name for ever. …” (Ex. 3:14–15.) Repentance and faith, service and compassion—now is always the right time for these. The past is to be learned from, not lived in, and the future is to be planned for, not paralyzed by. God has declared himself in the present tense. I am the Great I AM (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, September 1974).

The Good Shepherd Read John 10:11-16 What’s the Latter Day perspective on this passage? Who’s been a good shepherd to you?

Psalm 23

SHEEP  Tell me everything you know about sheep

SHEEP  Nearly two hundred times in the Bible, GOD's people are called sheep.  Sheep are very dirty. They need someone else to clean them.  Wandering from grass clump to grass clump, sheep chew away without looking up…. They become lost very easily.  Prompt rescue is necessary. Sheep can’t digest until they lie down. But sheep don’t have sense enough to lie down, even when their aching. You have to make them lie down for their own good.  They have an inherent “follower” nature. Sheep life is one long game of follow-the- leader.  Sheep are helpless against predators.  If sheep fall into moving water, they drown. Their coats, heavy to begin with, absorb water rapidly, adding poundage by the second, and sheep can’t swim. Sheep fear moving water and won’t drink from a lake or stream unless the water is still.

Psalm 23  Read by soldiers going to battle  Read by those who grieve at funerals  Read by the guilty, the lonely, the depressed, the forsaken  Read by Christians for daily living  David was an experienced shepherd who had experienced the Lord’s assistance  Please read Psalm 23 and make a list of 3 principles about Jesus Christ

Psalm 23  Shepherd Brother Principle The families of Old Testament times, when the patriarch died, he was succeeded as head of the family by his firstborn (and faithful) son. He received two portions of the divided inheritance, one for his family and the other for the whole family of his father (Gen. 48:22; Deut. 21:17). As firstborn son, he also held the right of presiding over the family. The role of family shepherd cannot be overlooked. The ‘shepherd brother’ was responsible for the herd, which would bring food, clothing, and income to the entire family. The shepherd brother was to protect the sheep at all costs, even to the point of death and needed to show battle wounds if a sheep was attacked by outside threats or animals. (See Daniel H. Ludlow, “What Laws Governed the Inheritance of Birthright in the Old Testament,” The Ensign, Sept. 1980, pp )

JOSEPH: THE Shepherd brother Who was the Shepherd Brother for Israel/Jacob’s family? Joseph AFTER JOSEPH WAS BETRAYED BY HIS BROTHERS, REUBEN BECAME THE SHEPHERD BROTHER (Reuben prevented Joseph’s death by suggesting casting him into a pit) Reuben of all the brothers had the most reason to be jealous of Joseph, for he was the firstborn. In Jacob’s absence, he was to protect his younger siblings. Reuben left once Joseph was cast into the pit. In his absence, it was Judah who saved Joseph’s life by suggesting that he be sold rather than killed. When Reuben returned to the pit and found Joseph was gone, he rent his clothes in despair and grief. He felt the burden of Joseph’s welfare. He would have to account to Jacob for the boy’s disappearance.

JOSEPH: THE Shepherd brother WHO LEAD THE FAMILY TO EGYPT YEARS LATER?  Reuben Upon arriving in Egypt, Simeon was bound and detained as a hostage. Reuben, who had charge of the brothers in Egypt, returned to tell Jacob that he had lost a second son. When the brothers returned to bring Benjamin, Judah, as shepherd brother, volunteered to protect Benjamin when Joseph wanted to detain him. Judah offered to be a lifetime slave in place of Benjamin (the ultimate price). Judah, who instigated the sale of Joseph into slavery, now would endure slavery for the favored son who had taken his place. Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and returned to his role as being the Shepherd Brother by caring for the family during the drought. DO YOU SEE THE SYMBOLISM?

JOSEPH: THE Shepherd brother Jesus, a descendant of Judah, would make intercession for the transgressor, would give his life for all of his siblings, and volunteer himself for them in the eternities. Jesus, our shepherd and brother, is responsible for them. He has given his life for them, showed the way to eternal life, and he will one day give an account for the flock.

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. In what ways has the Lord provided for your wants and needs?

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. When (and why) would the Lord need to ‘make’ you lie down? What else has the Lord taught about ‘rest’?

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. What’s another word for ‘restored’? Where else has the Lord taught using a pathway as an analogy? According to verse 3, what is the purpose of Him leading us? Can you pinpoint a time when the Lord lead you?

The Lord is my shepherd The sheep named "Chris" was found just outside Australia's capital, Canberra. Shearer Ian Elkins volunteered to shear the creature. An average Australian fleece weighs 11 pounds and takes approximately three minutes to shear. It took 42 minutes to remove Chris’ 18 inch fleece, which weighed 89 pounds.

The Lord is my shepherd Australian Sheep

The Lord is my shepherd Chris, before.

The Lord is my shepherd Chris, before.

The Lord is my shepherd Chris, after.

The Lord is my shepherd Chris’ wool

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Why the word ‘through’? What has the Lord taught about fearing? What are examples of the Lord’s rod/staff?

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Why would the Lord want to prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies? Restate ‘my cup runneth over’ using other words

The Lord is my shepherd 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. How could ‘goodness’ and ‘mercy’ be like sheepdogs?

The Lord is my shepherd Elder Lacader

The Lord is my shepherd Elder Lacader good-shepherd?lang=eng

The Good Shepherd “We need a shepherd because in innocence or ignorance—(occasion willfully)—we ‘have gone astray’. We wander here and scamper there, inspect this and nibble that, until at some point we look up and realize we are lost or about to be destroyed. We realize that we have done something stupid or something wrong and that we desperately need help; we are in trouble and frantically look about for our shepherd, our defender, our Savior” (For Times of Trouble, 204).

Psalm 23 Ponder experiences you have had when you trusted in the Lord and felt that He led or cared for you.

23 rd Psalm

The Lord Is my Shepherd, MO TAB

He is your Savior. Is He YOUR shepherd?

The Good Shepherd John 10