Jesus told us that hirelings won't protect the sheep, because the sheep aren't theirs, so they don't care for the sheep.
In John 10, Jesus describes thieves, robbers, and hirelings as those who will bring harm to the sheep. He is recapitulating what God told Ezekiel about the false shepherds who had eaten up and betrayed the sheep of Israel. But God promised a better shepherd, of the house of David, who would feed and protect His people!
Christ claimed to be that promised shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd who gives His life to save His sheep!
God's people are Christ's sheep because God the Father has given us to Him! Since we are His sheep, He will protect and save us, because we are His.
Thus, Jesus promises He will never run away from saving His sheep like some hired hand.
All His life, Christ lived out His refusal to run away from His duty to save His people. Even as a youth, He "must be about His Father's business."
He described to His disciples the death He would die. He explained how it would save us when He instituted the Lord's Supper. He waited for Judas in the Garden, knowing the horrible death that awaited Him. He meekly went to the cross to die.
But like sheep, His people could not grasp the Shepherd's method of saving His own!
Like sheep, Christ's people thought they were endangered when Christ was taken to die. Like sheep, they ran away when God smote Him for their sin.
We were too ignorant and foolish to grasp that, when our Shepherd was smitten, He was saving His sheep. He did His part as faithful shepherd.
And we always do play our part: as fearful and helpless sheep!
Praise God, our Shepherd never ran away from saving us! |
