Shepherding

The True Shepherd

Jesus opens this passage with an illustration, one that every listener would have understood. Thieves and robbers attempt to enter the sheepfold by climbing over the wall. A sheepfold normally consisted of four walls of stone, with one door and no roof. The fold is Israel (v. 16), and …

IllustrationThe Hole in the Fence

A father was telling his young son the story of a young lamb that one day found a hole in the fence and wandered away from the fold. He told of the terrors and dangers faced by the sheep. He told of how the shepherd went out into the cold, stormy night seeking the lamb, and of th …