I am the good shepherd. I know mine and mine know me. Jesus reminds us that he will watch over us, protect us and be with us. A good shepherd is willing to risk his own life to protect his sheep. Jesus laid down his life and even rose again to bring us new life.

We explored the meaning of a good and bad shepherd. What if the shepherd went to sleep and didn’t protect the sheep from predators? Lions, tigers? Kids thought that would be a bad shepherd!

What if a sheep got lost? A good shepherd would go find him. A bad shepherd would let him go. He has 99 others! What’s one less! The kids said if he kept doing that he would have no sheep left after a couple of years!

Can you hear me? Probably not. There is no recording of my voice here. I mouthed words to the kids. They said they couldn’t hear me but could read my lips! What if you were talking while I was talking? Could you hear me? Probably not. You would miss the message. We are the sheep!

A good shepherd even takes care of the sheep who don’t listen or run away. How are we like those sheep?

He asks us to know him. He knows us! The sheep know his voice. Do you know Jesus and his voice? Read Psalm 23 again. What is a good shepherd like? We can trust that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. We just need to follow his voice and we won’t get lost. If we do get lost, the shepherd will come to our aid. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Stick close!

Sunday Gospel – 4/22/18 – John 10:11-18