The gate is the legal border entry point. John 10:14-15 says, “I am the good shepherd. The Good Shepherd was introduced in contrast to the thief. He is everyone. Note: If kids can’t find their own spoons, use this as an opportunity to point out that Jesus is a far better shepherd than we are. The meaning behind the parable of the Good Shepherd could apply to illegal immigrants. 2 But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The parable of the good Samaritan provides an example of risk-taking love. In the gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 1, Jesus said, “Anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and robber.”. . The parable of the Good Shepherd in John’s Gospel is a rich source of meditation for Christian leadership. Jesus does not specify that the victim who was attacked and abandoned. This parable gives Christians boundaries for their religion, and establishes God's leadership. He is anyone. Followers of Christ will treat others with kindness, serving them as if they were serving Christ Himself. The Eastern Churches use this selection 10:9-16 for feasts of great Bishops. Since it's from Jesus himself, it's completely and totally authoritative. As we look at the parable of God as the Good Shepherd today, allow your faith and affections to be stirred by God’s promise to guide you into the matchless life he has in store for you. We meditate on the words of the parable together and we ponder what they mean. But, during Lent, one of the ways we learn of God’s love for us is through the Parable of the Good Shepherd in the Gospel of John (John 10:1-16). At the same time, as though side by side, but actually also under [Roman] authority, there was a so-called king, who, on the one hand, was a puppet, and, on the other, was a tyrant with full authority. Jesus the Good Shepherd - The Meaning Jesus is the good shepherd to His believers just as the shepherds were of their livestock. He would gather the sheep into a sheepfold at night for their protection. In true Atrium fashion, we approach this parable very intentionally with the children. Good works will result from our relationship to the Shepherd. Say: Today we’ll explore a story Jesus told about being a shepherd . 1 * “Amen, amen, I say to you, a whoever does not enter a sheepfold * through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. Christ wants us to be moved by a love that pays no attention to racial, religious, or socioeconomic categories. [1] The Church finds in this parable the example of perfect leadership for our spiritual leaders. A Roman procurator, who officially represented the Roman emperor, ruled Judea in the Saviour's time. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. CHAPTER 10. The unregenerate live in the opposite manner. So the meaning of John 10:11 is:- Jesus says that he is the good shepherd and that as a good shepherd, he will give his life for his sheep, (or, little flock - Luke 12:32). The sheepfold was a pen, a cave, or an area backed by stone walls. The Parable of the Good Shepherd. A shepherd tended his flock day and night. COOL STORY GAME Quick Change. . The core message of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats is that God’s people will love others. In the "Good Shepherd Parable" (John 10:1-19), Jesus taught us some of the most powerful and important foundations for Christianity. The United States is the sheep pen. The Parable of the Good Shepherd Background Focus: the shepherd and his sheep (Matthew 18:12-14, Luke 15:1-7) The primary sheep and shepherd parable of Jesus, recognized as authentic by many scholars, is the shepherd who searches for the one sheep that is lost and leaves the ninety-nine to do so. The Good Shepherd. 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