Jesus, Our True Shepherd

Sermon April 26, 2026, John 10:1-10

Jesus, Our True Shepherd

Reverend Fred Okello

We all came into this world through relationships. Right out of the womb, we are owned by someone: a mother, a father, a family. As we continue through life, we encounter friends, neighbors, and even strangers who walk alongside us through our journey. Relationships are what shape us. They provide us with comfort, identity, and love.

However, there is one thing we all learn throughout life: People do not stay. Time betrays us. Distance betrays us. Moreover, death betrays us. The people we grew up depending on, our parents, our families, our best friends, or our neighbors, might not be around anymore. Some have passed away; others have lost touch. And it hurts.

A lot of us can relate to that. When we were younger, we thought we could never live without our parents. They were our everything. However, now here we are, some of us living our days without them by our side. That is just life here on earth.

But when we look at the Gospel of John, chapter 10, Jesus offers us a new perspective. He says, “I am the good shepherd… I am the gate… I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.”

Friends, what Jesus is saying is this: He knows us. He cares for us. He will lead us along the path of safety. He will never abandon His sheep. Jesus says He is the way to safety, the way to peace, and the way to life.

Jesus does not come and go like the people in our lives. Family, coworkers, neighbors… these people will enter our lives for a season, then leave. However, Jesus does not leave us.

Even though Jesus lived thousands of years ago, we can still feel His presence with us today. We have never physically seen Him, but we know Him. We remember Him. We experience His presence still today. That feeling and that relationship are more than just blood ties! That feeling and experience is God’s love!

That feeling and experience of Jesus will never be the case for another person. Not our mothers, fathers, friends, politicians, and significant others. Why? Because Jesus is not bound by time or distance, his presence with us will always remain. Jesus is the invisible image of God, the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15).

What does that look like for us today? We should not put our full trust in humanity. Your family and friends are great, but they are only here for a period. If we put all our hope into them and rely on them for everything, we will be devastated when they are gone.

Sometimes it feels like everyone in the world is against you or that no one understands you, but Jesus is there. His words are always with you. He speaks to us today through the Bible and guides us along the path of safety. He is with us always and will never leave us as a shepherd cares for his sheep. We will never be alone.

In a world full of voices trying to speak to you (opinion, pressure, social media), we as Christians must recognize Jesus’ voice. When we hear the voice of Christ, it will give us peace, direction, and truth. We must learn to hear His voice.

When we herded as children on open ranges, we were taught to count the animals and make sure none were missing. We did it dozens of times a day without thinking. By nightfall, we could rest easy, knowing each sheep had a place in the fold.

The fields were not empty. Beyond the grass and hills, danger lived quietly. In the caves, hyenas made their home. Rarely would you see one during the day, but you always knew they were there. At night, they grew bold, slipping near homes and circling the edges of the flock.

But worst of all, they hid behind trickery. Hyenas could sound like many things: odd calls that strangely resembled things you know. It made the stray animal believe it had found company. It would hear the sound of what it believed was another and think it had returned to safety. But safety, it was not.

In summary, people are temporary, Jesus is forever. People will forget us, but Jesus knows our name. People will fail us, but Jesus will never be unfaithful to us.

Friends, life must change. People will come in and out of your life. You will build new relationships and lose others. But Jesus will never change. He has promised never to leave nor forsake those who follow Him.

So, continue walking in this life by holding onto Him. Hold onto the living shepherd. In Jesus, we have eternal comfort and life.