The Good Shepherd

This week the assignment I chose to focus on was how Christ is the Good Shepherd. In John 10:1-11 Christ gives two parables related to shepherds and Christ. First was that He is the shepherd of the flock. The other is that Christ is the door of the fold. He is like the door because His is the only way unto salvation and eternal life. Also, I thought that it could mean that we must pass through Him to get to the Father; He is our mediator with the Father. There is so much symbolism of the Good Shepherd that I never picked up on or realized before a lesson I had a few months back. Our teacher explained the "pens" the sheep are herded into at night. These pens are made of stone or thick brush, have only one opening, and are tall with thorny brambles around the top to keep lions, wolves and other predators away. Many shepherds gather their flocks into the same pen and they take turns guarding the single entrance. If a predator does come to attack the sheep, a "good shepherd" will sacrifice himself to the animal. Usually doing so will satisfy the hunger and the predator will leave the sheep alone. When the shepherds come to gather their flocks, they need only call them. The sheep will only come to the sound of their master's voice. Also, typically the shepherd has a name for each sheep and they respond to their individual name when called. These are all very symbolic of our Savior: Only one way to salvation (doorway), gives us gospel and covenants (green pastures and protective barrier), sacrifices Himself for us (good shepherd), His people know Him and He them (sheep only answer to their master). By giving his life for the sheep it proves his deep love and devotion to the meek and lowly in his care. Like the good shepherds, Christ shows His deep love and commitment to each of us by His willingness to sacrifice Himself for us. It is also a deep honor and a most important duty of the shepherd to put the sheep before himself.
Christ also talks of other sheep in other folds. He mentions the Nephite and Lamanite people as being some of those sheep, but as He spoke to them of other sheep in various parts of the world who had no knowledge of Him. He then left to show himself to those other sheep.