John 10 v 1/10
There is no more loved image than the picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd; this is woven into the imagery of the Bible.

In the Old Testament the leaders of the people were called shepherd and God was seen as the great Shepherd. In the New Testament Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, for He sees the people like sheep without any other shepherd.

We accept sheep as providing food and clothing, but in Palestine they were seen as not only providing wool, but also seen as rather like pets, and were kept alive, and some shepherds gave them names. In the evening the various shepherds would lead their flocks to a central pen which would be watched over by a gatekeeper, who would lock the door, and the next day the sheep would be collected.

Some sheep were left roaming and they would be gathered into an open field surrounded by walls where the sheep could go in and pass out, and someone hired would lie across the opening so the sheep would have to pass him.

Jesus said ‘I am the door’, meaning He would look after His sheep, and Jesus was indicating He was the only way to God, and later in the gospel would again say,’no one comes to the Father except through me’. I know this is totally unacceptable to an increasing number of people these days, but this is what the Bible states, so we should be prepared to accept Jesus’ words. The whole purpose of His life was to lead people to God, and made that possible by giving His life to do so. The only way into any enclosure is through a door, and Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Jesus also claimed to be the Good Shepherd, and as a good shepherd knew his sheep by name, Jesus knows us by name. Every time Jesus called someone in the Bible he did so by naming them. He was constantly teaching in His lifetime and we would do well to listen and act upon His words. All who have accepted Jesus as their Lord will have Him in their life to be a guard and a helper who will care for them

Of course there are now so many people who feel they can control their own destiny, fully able to stand on their own two feet, but they will take insurance out to provide cover for life after death. They will wait years for these policies to mature, but Jesus is offering maturity for eternity with immediate effect.

We all need security for peace of mind. I have met people whose homes were burgled and were not covered because they just didn’t get round to getting insurance. Despite the massaging of figures by the police and government, crime is still rampant. If someone breaks in to your house and ties you up it is more likely the burglar will be stronger and more ruthless than you. In theory you will send for the police, and again in theory they will come and assist you. (In practice these days it is more likely they will find some excuse not to attend) When you accept Christ you have the assurance of His help.

Jesus said, ‘follow me and you will find pasture and contentment whatever the circumstances. We can trust His word.