Jesus the Good Shepherd
Read John 10:11-18.
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter. Jesus died on the cross and then because of the power of God’s love Jesus rose from death to life. Jesus is alive! That’s such an amazing thing that we celebrate it on Easter Sunday, but we also celebrate it for 7 Sundays!
Today we hear Jesus say that he is the Good Shepherd. A shepherd is a person who takes care of sheep. So what does it mean that Jesus is our Good Shepherd? Let’s watch the video and learn more.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He cares for the sheep. You and I are the sheep that Jesus cares for. But not just us, Jesus cares for all of God’s people all over the world.
Jesus says that the Shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. Jesus knows each of us. Jesus knows what we are good at. Jesus knows what we are worried about. Jesus knows what we need. Jesus knows us and Jesus loves us and Jesus cares for us. And we know Jesus. That’s why we pray, we learn about Jesus by reading the Bible, we learn about Jesus by sharing his love with others, we learn about Jesus by serving others just as he did.
Jesus says that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. We know that Jesus died on the cross and then because of the power of God’s love Jesus rose from death to life. We know that his body was put in the tomb and a big rock was rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb. We also know that the rock was rolled away and that Jesus is alive! Jesus lives! Jesus is alive and he loves and cares for us and for all of God’s people.
Discuss
- How do we know Jesus cares for us?
- How does Jesus help us when things are difficult?
- How does Jesus help us care for others?
Song
I Just Wanna Be a Sheep. ButterflySongMusic.
Activity
Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are his sheep. He knows us and we know him. He cares for us. Here’s a way that your family could care for someone else. College students are going to taking their final exams in the next couple of weeks. Why not put together a care package and mail it to them? You could make a card or write a letter. Send along some snacks like microwave popcorn, chewing gum, granola bars, or really any treats you enjoy as a family. You can purchase them or you can make them. Don’t know a college student? Call your church office and see if they can suggest one you could send the care package to. Or if you can’t find a college student, consider making a care package for a high school student. Or someone who lives alone. Or someone else you know who could use a kind gesture from your family. It’s a way we can show we care to someone else.
Activity
A group of sheep is called a flock. In the gospel for today from John, we hear Jesus talk about all of God’s people being part of one flock. The Good Shepherd cares for all of us. No matter how big the flock is, there is always room for more sheep. Jesus’ flock extends all across the world. Barbara Kerley wrote a book called One World, One Day. In it, we see one day all across the world. We see children who do similar things, but often in different ways (obviously, before the pandemic). All of God’s people, all over the world, are part of one family – God’s family – and Jesus, our Good Shepherd, cares for and loves all of us.
The link below takes you to a reading of the book One World, One Day by Mrs. Garcia. It’s a great book.
Prayer
God, as we continue to celebrate Easter, we thank you for Jesus, who died on the cross and then by the power of your love rose to new life. He is alive! Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He knows us and cares for us. Help us to share his love and care with othersa. Amen.
Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home. There will be a new one for each Sunday while we are unable to gather together physically in our congregational buildings. Contact him at dfugate@iksynod.org.