The tale of the Good Shepherd: The heart of the Father
Many decades ago, a Lamb was slain — not for sins He committed, but for the sins of the world. The enemy thought he had won, believing the Lamb had been struck down and His sheep scattered.
But what the enemy didn’t understand was this: the Lamb was also the Shepherd — the One who had promised to never leave His sheep alone.
This story, however, didn’t begin at the cross. It began in the Garden of Eden — a tale we all know. The place where man once walked in perfect fellowship with God, and the place where man fell.
But God is never caught unaware. He knows the end from the beginning, and even before the fall, He already had a plan.
The death that man allowed in the garden could only be undone by the One who is Life Himself. Only the Source of Life could give back the life we lost.
Ezekiel 34:31 (GNT)
“You, my sheep, the flock that I feed, are my people, and I am your God,” says the Sovereign Lord.
Generation after generation, the Lord has reminded us of His love — calling us back to the fellowship we once shared, back to the beauty of His presence.
As a shepherd loves and tenderly cares for his sheep, so the Lord cares for us. But unlike any human shepherd, His love is perfect and never fails.
Jeremiah 50:6 (GNT)
“My people are like sheep whose shepherds have let them get lost in the mountains. They have wandered like sheep from one mountain to another, and they have forgotten where their home is.”
Even when we stray, His heart remains for us. The Good Shepherd is genuinely concerned for His sheep, and He patiently unveils His plan — revealing the full extent of His love.
In the fullness of time, Love Himself took on flesh.
The Shepherd became a man with one desire: to restore what was lost in Eden. To become “the way” for every soul that had wandered
1 Peter 2:25 (GNT)
“You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls.”
But even then, many did not believe Him. His own people rejected Him, except for a few. Yet He continued knocking, as He still does today — leaving us the choice to let Him in.
Unlike earthly shepherds who drive or discipline the flock with force, the Good Shepherd leads with love. He calls each sheep by name, and they follow — because they recognize His voice.
“The sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
(John 10:2-4 GNT)
He shields His sheep from danger, walks ahead of them through life’s valleys, gives them strength to go, and leads them safely home.
And when one sheep strays, His heart is moved:
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them — what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one that got lost until you find it.”
(Luke 15:4 GNT)
And so He laid down His life for His sheep. He made a mockery of darkness and liberated His own.
“I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way, I know my sheep, and they know me. And I am willing to die for them.”
(John 10:14-15 GNT)
If it had been only you — He would still have died. The sacrifice was for each unique individual.
His scars are a forever reminder: you were worth it.
Now, the Lamb who was slain is risen, and He is still calling your name — inviting you to be part of His flock.
He has become a mediator, pleading with the Father on your behalf.
He wants to offer you freedom- one you can only find in Him.
He wants you to go through life knowing that you are not alone, so that when you close your eyes on this side of eternity, you are sure this is not the end.
Because one day, the Lamb — the Shepherd — will sit as Judge.
“And the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
(Matthew 25:32-33 GNT)
This is the heart of the Good Shepherd: that no man should perish, that all would share in the blissful eternity He has prepared.
Happy Good Friday.