When Jesus refers to himself as “the good shepherd,” the particular characteristic that he seems to want to emphasize is that he is willing to risk his life for the sake of his sheep. In other words, a hired hand, who is being paid five dollars an hour, let’s say, to look after someone else’s flock, doesn’t really have all that much invested in their well being.

Thus, when a predator appears, the hired hand is likely to quickly disappear. Perhaps, if he’s a religious hired hand, he’ll shout out, “God be with you! I’ll pray for you!” before he goes, heading for the hills. But either way, the hired hand is not sticking around to fight for the flock—let alone die for them.

Why? Well, because they are not his sheep. They belong to somebody else. And when push comes to shove, you’re not liable to put your own life on the line for something that you don’t personally own.

The good shepherd, on the other hand, has everything invested in his flock. The sheep are not only his livelihood; they are also, in a sense, his extended family. After all, he has bought and bred these sheep. He has doctored them when they were sick … fed them when they were hungry … found them when they wandered off. And more to the point, he will lay down his life to protect them, if need be.

I am struck by this image as we journey into the Season of Lent, because, as we all know, that is exactly what happened. Jesus laid down his life for us. Anyone who suggests that narrow-minded religious leaders and a nervous Roman governor conspired together to take Jesus’ life is missing a crucial element of the story. No one took Jesus’ life. He gave it!