Jesus the Good Shepherd Gives Us His Life

"11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10: 11)

Take a long look at this verse.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

Right away, our thinking should draw us to the most well-known, oft-quoted, yet least pondered verses in the entire Bible:

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Psalm 23: 1)

The LORD, YHWH, who was and is and ever will be, this same all-encompassing God is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:

"8Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Hebrews 13: 8)

Just as in the original Hebrew, so too the Greek and even the English translation leaves out the linking verb. There is no separating Jesus and "forever", for there is nothing without Him.

Jesus is the great "I AM", and He was not reticent to say so:

"58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." (John 8: 58)

Even when the Pharisees attempted to stone Him, Jesus was unphased:

"59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." (John 8: 59)

I believe that He disappeared right through them, as though invisible, yet his stance in the midst of them maintains that He is forever in the center of all things.

He is the Good Shepherd, and He gives -- present tense -- His life.

He did not just die on the Cross, then  leave us to ourselves. He died that we might have His life (John 10: 10), for He is the Life (John 14: 6), and He indeed is our life (Colossians 3:1-4)