In the Gospel of John 10:14-18 Jesus said, "14 I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." [1]
If I
had read this passage before, which I probably had, it did not mean
anything. This time around, I understand it and I just love it. Allow me to explain.
To begin, it is noteworthy that these are words that Jesus Himself said. He introduced Himself as the "good shepherd, not the "lamb of God" as John the Baptist described Jesus in John 1:29 and again in John 1:35. [2] Is it not interesting to note that Jesus did not say that He was the "lamb" but instead said, "I lay down my life for the sheep"? [3] In this one sentence, it is apparent that Jesus never thought of Himself as a "lamb" or a "sheep" but the "Good Shepherd" Who was willing to "lay down [His] life for the sheep [He knows]." [4]
Why did I put brackets around a quote and insert my own words? That is because I want to underscore the first part of Jesus' sentence: "I know my sheep and my sheep know me--" [Emphasis added] [5] To me that means Jesus was not referring to just any sheep but only His sheep specifically. Which sheep are His and which are not is as difficult a question that no one can answer as what does God look like. As usual I do not shy away from answering impossible questions. I think that Christ is not letting just any sheep be become part of His flock but only sheep that will follow their Shepherd. For sheep that wander off freely by themselves because they do not care for a shepherd or believe that they can do without one or do not like the Good Shepherd they have are not sheep that Christ will care for in His sheep pen. I do not think Jesus is going to chase after sheep that leave out of their own Free Will just as the father did not forbid his prodigal son to leave with his half of the inheritance or go after him when he was squandering his wealth to bring him back and lock him up. [6]
What kind of sheep, then, is Jesus going to have in His flock? The answer is in the passage first quoted above. They are sheep that "will listen to my voice" and "other sheep that are not of this pen." [7] I love this. This is so deep that no Jew at the time had any clue what Christ was talking about. [8] Many thought He was a demon while others disagreed because demons cannot heal the blind. [9] However, none of them thought that Christ was actually saying to Jews everywhere, then and in the future, that they were no longer the only sheep that were chosen for His pen, that there would be other sheep not of "this" Jewish pen. With six simple operative words--"other sheep not of this pen"--the Good Shepherd flung wide open the gate of His sheep pen to welcome all other non-Jewish sheep and among them pig-loving ones that will listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him.
For those who will listen to the Good Shepherd, whether Jew or gentile, they will be part of His flock, His "one flock" under "one [S]hepherd" [10] and for this one flock, the Shepherd had laid down His life.
"The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.'25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes." [11]
During consecration of the bread and wine at a Catholic Mass, the priest says: "(Priest) On the night he was betrayed, he took bread and gave you thanks and praise. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take this, all of you, and eat it: this is my body which will be given up for you....(Priest) When supper was ended, he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks and praise, gave the cup to his disciples, and said: Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all men so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me." [12] And at the breaking of the transubstantiated bread, the priest says: "(Priest) Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace. (All kneel down)" [13]
The Catholic Church believes that Christ is the "Lamb of God". The use of "lamb" to describe Christ is consistent with the words of John the Baptist quoted in footnote [2]. In obedience, I ought to attempt to conclude in favor of the Catholic Church that the "Lamb of God" is a proper description of the transubstantiated bread into the Body of Christ despite that Jesus said clearly, four times, that He, the Good Shepherd, was to lay down His life [14] without mincing words, without speaking metaphorically or parablolically. [15] Of course, I would much prefer all Catholic priests to substitute "Good Shepherd" in lieu of "Lamb of God" at the breaking of the transubstantiated bread. On the other hand, Christ, being humble and gentle, can be appropriately described as God's lamb, the perfect lamb [16] to be sacrificed for the forgiveness of Sin and to be raised up on the third day to triumph over death so that the rest of the lambs and sheep that are part of the Good Shepherd's flock can have eternal life.
[1] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A14-18
[2] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NIV
[3] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A14-16&version=NIV
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV
[7] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A14-16&version=NIV
[8] I am not saying that the Jews at the time were idiots. They did not know or did not want to believe that Jesus was the One Who came to fulfill the prophesies of the Old Testament. Are not the Jews, the few who are still patient believers in Judaism, still waiting for their Messiah? In fact, the Messiah did come. The Jews did not like what they saw and heard wanted Him crucified. By then Jesus had already said enough to give the world the New Testament and a New Covenant that "fulfills God's marital vows to His people. He has become 'one body' with them in the Church. This covenant is renewed in each Eucharist,
as we are joined intimately to His Body." See http://www.salvationhistory.com/studies/lesson/covenant_the_new_and_everlasting_covenant, Section V, subsection E, paragraph 24 (paragraph 24 is not numbered - it is counted)
[9] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A19-21&version=NIV
[10] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A14-16&version=NIV
[11] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+11%3A23-26&version=NIV
[12] http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/liturgy/holy-mass/the-liturgy-of-the-eucharist/
[13] Ibid.
[14] http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A14-18
[15] The word "parablolically" is not an adverb found in a standard dictionary. Since I am neither standard nor normal, I took the word "parable" and made it into an adverb.
[16] Putting it another way, in order to be the perfect shepherd, the Good Shepherd has to become the sheep (or lamb) in order to fully appreciate the limitations of the sheep (or lambs) so that He could to lead them effectively and safely back into His pen.
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