John 10 - The Good Shepherd

Image from lds.org

In the parable of the Good Shepherd, as I read verses 1 – 11, I see that Jesus says he is the door. And reading 2Nephi 9: 41-42 gives me a better understanding the symbol of Jesus Christ as the door.

41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

 42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

To enter into the path that will lead us back to our Heavenly Father, we need to come unto Christ. He is by the gate welcoming everyone unto the gospel. As we make a covenant to follow Him and keep his commandments, we will be guided into the kingdom of God. In relation to the parable what a shepherd does for his sheep is similar to what Christ does for us. In the New Testament Institute manual we learn details about a shepherd’s life and responsibility over the sheep. Here is a passage from the manual that will help us see the similarities:

“Jesus’ station as the Good Shepherd is complete in every detail. He is the door of the fold, by which we must enter. There is none other. (John 10:9.) He is not a hireling but is the true shepherd of human souls, and ‘we are not our own’ (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), but he has purchased us with his precious blood. (1 Corinthians 7:23; 1 Peter 1:18–19; 2 Peter 2:1; Acts 20:28.) The shepherd provided the pasture on which the sheep feed. Jesus has given us his word. We are warned against the doctrines of men. Only the ‘pasture’ that the Lord provides is proper food for his sheep, and no man can be saved in ignorance of his word or without his revelations. The true sheep know his voice. The true Shepherd knows and owns his sheep and he calls them. We thus take upon us the name of Christ, for he owns us; we are his sheep; and, if we have his name, we can enter ‘by the door.’” (Matthews, The Parables of Jesus, pp. 75–76.)

In the parable we learn how the sheep recognizes their shepherd’s voice and follow him. The same is applied to us. We leave in a world where there are many voices calling on us, wanting our attention. It is essential that we learn how to discern Jesus voice among all the worldly noise, and as we listen to his voice we need to obey His commandments, He will guide us safely. The atonement makes Jesus Christ the most special of all shepherds; Jesus died for all His sheep, for all of us. 

I would like to shared a song that I love and was reminded of when I was studying the parable of the Good Shepherd. Here is the link:

http://grooveshark.com/s/How+Great+Shall+Be+Your+Joy/3Dh1s4?src=5