The question is, which one will we hear and abide? I think sometimes we falter, hesitate in our allegiance (fidelity) because we’re fearful. There are many voices in the world that are calling out to us. So, when we hear Jesus talking about following the voice of the shepherd, he’s talking about faithfulness, loyalty, and a willingness to follow. He places this image in the midst of a discussion that Jesus has with these opponents that continue to question his authority to speak. Who is the Messiah, the one sent from God, the one who will speak a word of comfort, of challenge, and guidance? And will we know this voice?Īlthough we hear a word of comfort in the image of the Good Shepherd that doesn’t seem to be the point that John wants to make. If they had been his sheep, they would have known his voice, and responded to his promise of protection and security. In John’s account, Jesus responds by telling them that their opposition stems/stops from the fact that they’re simply not his sheep.
The religious leaders of the day couldn’t accept Jesus in this role, because he didn’t act as they expected a Messiah to act. This sensibility is reinforced by the 23rd Psalm, which begins with the line: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." By describing himself as the Good Shepherd, Jesus takes over the imagery of the Psalm, imagery that is used by the Psalmist to describe Yahweh’s relationship to the people of God. The reason we’re attracted to the images of sheep and shepherd, is that they provide us with a sense of comfort and well-being. And into this spiral of confusion, we hear Jesus saying to us: “My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. They appeal to our emotions, our needs, our desires, our pride, and our fears. In our day there are many voices calling out to us. If, then, we are part of Jesus’ flock, then we’ll recognize his voice and follow him. It would seem that sheep aren't all that dumb after all they know whom they can trust and whom not to trust, and they respond only to that one voice.
They know whom they belong to they know their shepherd's voice, and it is the only one they will follow. Therefore, sheep get very attached to their shepherds. When danger comes, they won't run off like the hireling. The reason sheep will only respond to the voice or call of their own shepherd is because they know that they can count on their shepherd to keep them safe. Not only that, but they will only follow the voice of that one shepherd. Jesus elevates a specific attribute of sheep – they can recognize the voice of their shepherd. There is a good reason why all these biblical characters were shepherds, and why sheep figure so prominently in biblical imagery: Sheep were, after all, the primary form of livestock in Palestine. He was making a comparison between Himself and God. When Jesus called Himself the “Good Shepherd,” there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that He was making a Messianic claim.
#The voice of the shepherd series#
In John 10 we find a series of statements from the lips of Jesus, in which he describes himself as the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11). Jacob, Moses, and David were all shepherds, and according to Luke, shepherds were the first people to receive the message of Jesus' birth. Sheep and shepherds are prominent images in Scripture.
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