Jesus as a shepherd is one of those iconic images that we may have seen in our Sunday school classroom or church fellowship hall as a kid. Maybe Jesus is even depicted carrying the lamb across his shoulders. This image of care, safety and protection likely shaped our understanding of Jesus and reminded us how much God cares for us. But as we get older, and maybe prefer to not rely on someone, how do we continue to remind ourselves of our need for a shepherd and the amazing shepherd that we have in Jesus?

Sunday is also Mother’s Day. Much like a shepherd reflects God’s commitment and dedication to us, do we also find motherly characteristics in Jesus/God? Are we OK seeing God as both a father and a mother? 



More so that just Jesus as the good shepherd, this passage focuses a great deal on Christology. The crowd wants to know if Jesus is the messiah and Jesus raises their claims when he says he and God are one. In the next verse it says the crowd picks up stones to kill Jesus when he says this. Why are they so offended by these words and why is it so important that Jesus and God are one?