Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3 NIV)
I love summer—not so much the heat and humidity—but everything else that comes with it. I love walking barefoot through the grass, wearing lighter clothes, heading outside without a jacket, and knowing the roads are free of ice and snow.
Today I’m sitting on my deck, enjoying the beauty of summer and the peacefulness of our backyard. Every so often, one of our sheep lets out a loud “baa,” usually because it’s looking for the others. They’ve also learned that when we walk to the barn, it often means they’re about to receive “lamb chow.” Compared to ordinary hay, it must seem like quite a treat! So whenever they see us outside, they’ll often call out, hoping to convince us it’s time for another helping.
Watching our sheep this spring reminded me of something I hadn’t really noticed before. When lambs are small, they can nurse from their mothers while standing. But as they grow, they become too tall to reach comfortably. Instead, they have to kneel on their front legs to lower themselves into the right position to nurse.
That simple picture caught my attention.
It reminded me that Jesus frequently referred to His followers as sheep, portraying Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows, protects, leads, and lays down His life for them.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11 NIV)
I know my sheep and my sheep know me. (John 10:14 NIV)
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16 NIV)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27–28 NIV)
Jesus also used sheep to illustrate the final judgment:
He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” (Matthew 25:33 NIV)
After His resurrection, Jesus entrusted the care of His people to Peter:
“Feed my lambs… Take care of my sheep… Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17 NIV)
Here Jesus explicitly calls believers His sheep and entrusts Peter with their care.
Throughout Scripture, believers are described as Christ’s sheep, and Jesus is revealed as our Good Shepherd. This imagery reaches back into the Old Testament, where David declared, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1), and the psalmist wrote, “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3).
Today, many people don’t like being compared to livestock. Yet the comparison reveals some beautiful spiritual truths.
Like sheep, we were created for community. We need one another.
Like sheep, we need nourishment—not only for our bodies but for our souls.
Like sheep, we need a Shepherd to guide us.
Like sheep, we need protection from dangers we often cannot see.
Like sheep, we must come to God with humility. Just as our lambs kneel to receive nourishment from their mothers, we come to our Shepherd on our spiritual knees, receiving the life and strength only He can provide.
Like sheep, we learn to recognize our Shepherd’s voice and follow where He leads.
And like sheep, we can always cry out to our Good Shepherd, knowing He hears us, cares for us, protects us, and faithfully provides everything we need.
Perhaps that’s why Jesus wasn’t insulting us when He called us sheep. He was reminding us of something deeply comforting: we belong to Him. We are known by name, lovingly cared for, and safely held in the hands of the One who laid down His life for us.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)
Good Shepherd,
Thank You for caring for us, the sheep of Your pasture. Thank You for providing for our every need, protecting us from danger, and comforting us with Your faithful presence and unfailing love. Thank You that we are safely held in Your hands and that You are always watching over us. Help us to seek You first, listen for Your voice, and follow wherever You lead. May we live each day with the confidence that we are deeply known, fully loved, and securely cared for by You. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus. AMEN.