A Fulfilling Life

[Jesus said,] “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give [my sheep] a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

John 10:10-11

When Jesus lived on the earth, he taught people using illustrations or stories that were about things they understood. He talked about planting seeds and growing crops. He talked about candles and salt. He also spoke of sheep to illustrate his teachings, because that was something the people understood. Shepherding was one of the main occupations of the Israelites in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament shepherds were among the first to visit baby Jesus when he was born.

Jesus told the people that a true shepherd calls his sheep and they come to him because they know his voice (see John 10:2-3). He also said a shepherd would sacrifice his life for his sheep. He told them that he was the Good Shepherd, and that he had come so that people could have a rich and satisfying life. Some versions of the Bible call it abundant life.

Jesus didn’t mean that people who believed in him would become rich with money and possessions. He wasn’t promising they’d have the best of everything that life had to offer. His promise wasn’t about things you can own and buy. It was about having a personal relationship with him and a better life by knowing and loving him. Because Jesus, the Good Shepherd, sacrificed his life for everyone’s sins, life has purpose.

Having the newest game system, all the latest movies, or a big allowance might seem like a desirable goal, but money can’t buy the things that matter the most—peace, purpose, and contentment. Those things come by knowing the Good Shepherd and being one of his sheep. When you do that, you have a fulfilling life here and a future with Jesus in heaven.

Look up sheep on the Internet or in a book, and try to find out five facts about sheep and shepherds. Do any of them apply to you and your Good Shepherd? How?