When we think about the Christmas story, our minds often go to familiar scenes: a manger, angels singing, and wise men traveling from afar. Yet one of the most striking details in the story is easy to overlook. God chose shepherds as the first recipients of the announcement that Christ had been born. He did not send angels to kings, priests, or the powerful. Instead, He appeared on a quiet hillside to ordinary men watching sheep. That choice was not accidental. It was a preview of who Jesus would reveal Himself to be.
Years later, in John 10, Jesus stood before a crowd and declared, “I am the good shepherd.” Those words would have echoed all the way back to that night outside Bethlehem. The shepherds who first heard of His birth may not have understood everything then, but Christ later made clear what His coming truly meant. Christmas was not only about a baby being born; it was about God coming to His people as a Shepherd who would lead, protect, and save His flock.
1. The Shepherd’s Identity
Jesus begins with a bold declaration: “I am the good shepherd.” In John’s Gospel, this statement is loaded with meaning. Jesus does not say He is merely a shepherd, or one option among many. He says, “I am,” using the same divine name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Every Jewish listener would have understood the weight of those words.
This means Christmas is not just the story of a remarkable man. It is the story of God in the flesh. Jesus is not simply a moral teacher or spiritual guide. He is the eternal “I AM,” the self-existent Son of God who stepped into humanity. Without the deity of Christ, there is no true Christmas message and no salvation. The shepherd who speaks in John 10 is the same God who spoke creation into existence.
2. The Shepherd’s Investment
Twice in John 10, Jesus says, “The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Earthly shepherds risk their lives to protect their flocks, standing between sheep and predators. History tells us of shepherds who fought wolves and jackals with their own hands. They protected sheep from death.
Jesus does something far greater. He protects His sheep by His death. Rather than merely defending against danger, He lays down His own life. Scripture tells us, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). His sacrifice defeated sin, death, and the grave. Christmas reminds us that Jesus was born to die, so that we might live.
3. The Shepherd’s Intimacy
Jesus also says, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep” (John 10:14). This is not distant knowledge. It is personal and loving. The Shepherd knows His sheep completely. He knows their weaknesses, failures, fears, and wounds, and He still loves them.
No sheep is invisible to Him. No sheep is unwanted. No sheep is too far gone. Even when we feel unknown or overlooked by others, the Shepherd knows exactly where we are. Scripture reminds us that God knows even the number of hairs on our heads. There is no need to pretend, perform, or impress Him. We are deeply known and deeply loved.
4. The Shepherd’s Invitation
Jesus goes on to say that He has “other sheep” not yet in the fold. His flock is not small, and His invitation is not narrow. The Shepherd’s call reaches beyond one group, one place, or one background. His heart is wide, and His desire is to gather more sheep.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus demonstrated this shepherd’s heart. He stopped for the overlooked, welcomed children, spoke to the rejected, and pursued those others had written off. The same Shepherd who came for us now calls us to share His message so others can be brought into His care.
Resting in the Shepherd’s Care
Psalm 23 ties all of this together with a familiar promise: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” The Shepherd leads to green pastures and still waters. Yet many believers struggle here. We know the words, but we still try to find our own rest, our own solutions, and our own security.
God calls us to rest in His care, not our own. The Shepherd knows where the pastures are. He knows when to carry the sheep. He knows how to prepare a table even in the presence of enemies. When we stop striving and start following, we find the peace only He can give.
Reflection QuestionYou may know the Christmas story and the words of Psalm 23, but do you truly know the Shepherd? Are you resting in your own care, or are you following and trusting the Good Shepherd to lead you today?