He Is The Shepherd; We Are The Sheep

He Is the Shepherd; We Are the Sheep

Bible Blast: Read John 10:11-15

I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. John 10:14-15

The animals wait at the starting line, impatiently stomping their hooves on the track beneath them. They know their time is coming. They know in a matter of seconds the gate will be lifted, and they will be set free to run like the wind toward the finish line. Finally, they hear, “The race begins in five, four, three, two, one! And they’re off!” The crowd goes wild as the racers take off toward their goal.

That’s the scene in Emmaville, New South Wales, Australia, when the town’s Mining Museum hosts its most popular fund-raising event: sheep-racing. You heard me correctly. Sheep-racing. One of the town’s roads is blocked off for the event, and people pay a few dollars to watch the race. You may wonder what would motivate a sheep to run. The group of woolly racers are being moved along by sheep dogs, but that doesn’t always go as planned. In many such races, the sheep just kind of stop before they reach the finish line, or they turn around and start heading back toward the starting gate. If a sheep does actually become the winner, its owner wins about $100.

We may not be racers, but the Bible tells us that those who follow Christ are sheep. In Matthew 25 you can read about a time when Jesus separates people into two categories: sheep and goats. He refers to those who don’t follow him as goats and those who do as sheep.

You could do a whole separate study on why the Bible says we’re like sheep, but probably the most important reason is that sheep are great followers. Sheep know the voice of their shepherd, so when he calls they follow.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He does know us, and we know him. When he calls us, we need to stop what we’re doing and follow him, knowing we can totally trust him.

Girl Gab: If you know someone who has sheep, set up a time to go and ask questions about sheep and what they do. In the meantime, why don’t you and your mom come up with other reasons why Christians might be like sheep? Ask God to help you know his voice when he’s speaking to you.