If you were to say “Good Shepherd” to some people, at least in most countries, chances are your words would conjure up the images we see in stained glass windows; a tall, friendly-looking, thirty-something man, fair of skin and eye, with long, flowing, golden-brown locks and soft hands, dressed in a full-length white robe, a little lamb nestled in his big, strong arms, while more sheep rest at his feet.
That image in the window, in its various versions, is probably the most familiar representation of the Good Shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ – the One Who seeks out the lost, brings them back from the darkness, and leads them to good pastures.
But the verse also says, He “giveth His life for the sheep.” Why did He do this? The reason is because we have been separated from God because of our sin. If we could see how abhorrent our sin is in the sight of a holy and righteous God, we could not imagine why He would want to give His life (a sacrifice) for us. Not only did a price have to be paid, but it had to be done in real history, in time and space. It could not simply be the “idea” of a sacrifice. There was never another plan except this; the plan that He should come into the world and suffer and die for our sins was laid in eternity past. But the plan still had to be executed, the suffering had to be endured, the sacrificial death of the perfect Lamb offered to the justice of God. The Lord Jesus did this and here in John 10 we hear Him say that He never had any other intention but to lay down His life for His sheep. He came into the world to die for us. He laid down His life, in our place, and paid, on our behalf, the debt of all our sins. “The Son of Man came … to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Do you see how great salvation is? It is the greatest sacrifice in the world. When the Lord Jesus came into the world His sole purpose was to save His people from their sins. Think of how many other things He might have done for the world, how many problems He might have solved, how many gifts He might have given us, how many ways He might have changed the world. But He did this one great thing: He gave Himself to die for His sheep to save them from their sins. And now, to you, He offers this free gift – “so great salvation.” If you are without it, don’t delay in accepting it! Take your place as a guilty, lost sinner deserving nothing but the judgment of God for your sin. Repent of your sin, and accept the Good Shepherd as your own, personal Savior. Accept Him today; this is a time sensitive offer!
God’s Word tells us that the Savior is coming back again to take us to be with Himself, and if you are not ready you will be banished from His presence to spend all eternity in hell and the lake of fire. The Bible says, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near” (Isa 55:6). “Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). Once you have accepted His offer of salvation, you will be safe and secure, forever, in the strong arms of the Good Shepherd – not merely an image in a stained glass window, but a living, glorified, almighty Savior.