Literature

Of all the four gospels, the gospel according to St. John starts with Jesus Christ and his oneness with the Father since the beginning of time. It progresses with the story of John the Baptist, unlike the rest of the gospels which starts from the birth of Jesus. Johns gospel also presents longer conversations about the teachings of Jesus. It does not contain the stories about the baptism of Jesus, his temptation, transfiguration, exorcism and the Last Supper. Instead, it concentrates on the teaching about the Holy Spirit (Kruse 18).
    The Book of Psalms on the other hand is a collection of prayers, praises and hymns to God written by David. Psalms is written in poetic form which deals with various subjects such as Gods creations, wisdom, worship, war, sin and evil, justice, judgment and the coming of the savior-- the Messiah (gotQuestions.org).
    Both are books in the bible-- the Book of Psalms written in the Old Testament and the Gospel of John written in the New Testament. Although they are books written in different times by different authors both books contain parallel subjects such as the ones written in Psalm 23 and and John 10. Both scriptures contain the subject of the shepherd and his sheep, however the subject was treated differently in these scriptures. This paper seeks to know the comparisons and contrasts of the treatment of the shepherd and the sheep in the scriptures of Psalm 23 and John 10.
    Both scriptures also have different ways on how they were written. As mentioned earlier, Psalm was written in poetic form. John 10 however was written in prose form as a parable taught by Jesus to his disciples. Both scriptures also tell that God is similar to a good shepherd.
    God as a good shepherd is evident in the all the lines of Psalm 23.  Verse 1 says,  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  God as a good shepherd already knows what people need in life. He will therefore provide what is truly necessary in ones life. Verse 2 says  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.  Like a good shepherd, God gives time to let his children rest and reflect on all things that happened to him and her to have a peace of mind. God also does not force his children to do things that they are unable to do. Verse 3 says  He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake.   Like the good shepherd, God returns his children who have lost their way in life. He is merciful and always ready to forgive. God gives chance to his children to return to the right path and be with Him. Verse 4 says  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  Struggles are part of ones life. Moreover, no one can escape death. Although these sad events happen in life, like the good shepherd, God will always be with us every step of the way and He will never leave us. God will save and protect his children. Verse 5 says  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows.  Even in the presence of enemies, God will always be our shield and protection. He will never leave us.    Lastly Verse 6 says  Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  Everything good will be ours because we will be under Gods protection and we will live with Him in eternity.
    In the parable of the good shepherd written in John 10, Jesus proclaims himself as the real good shepherd who tends to all his sheep. According to the parable of the good shepherd those who do not enter by the gate is a thief and a robber. Whereas the shepherd enters through the gate because the gatekeeper knows him. When the sheep hears his voice they will follow him, because the sheep knows the voice of their shepherd. When he brings them out of the sheepfold they will follow his voice. They never follow a stranger because they do not recognize his voice. Jesus said that he is the gate for the sheep and all who came before him are the thieves and robbers. Because He is the gate, whoever enters through Him will be saved. According to Jesus, a thief comes only to steal, to kill and destroy but He came to give life-- a life of abundance. He is the good shepherd who lays down his own life for his sheep. The good shepherd knows what is his and those that belongs to him knows and recognize him. There are other sheep that do not belong to the fold but he must also lead them., so that there will only be one flock with him as the shepherd. Being the shepherd, it is Jesus mission to lay down his life as commanded by God the Father. Because of the things the He said, the Jews were divided. Some thought that He was possessed and was out of his mind. It was the Feast of the dedication, which was taking place in Jerusalem and Jesus went to the temple. The Jews gathered around Him asking if He was the Messiah. Then Jesus answered them,  I told you and you do not believe me. The works I do in my Fathers name testify to me. But you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they shall never perish.  (John 1025-28) Because of what He said, the Jews picked up rocks to stone Him and they said that they are stoning Him for blasphemy.  You, a man, are making yourself God.  Jesus said.
    The Lord speaks of the blindness of His listeners referring to the pharisees. He is the true shepherd in contrast with the pharisees who teach error and are more preoccupied with their own interest. The Lord being the good shepherd, has shown this by sacrificing His life for his sheep through His death on the cross. When he said that  other sheep that does not belong to this fold , these refers to the pagans, gentiles and other non-believers. Jesus distinguishes Himself from false shepherds who led the people astray. These false shepherd include the political revolutionaries as well as pharisees and scribes, self-style religious leaders who misled the people and put heavy burden on them.
    The shepherd is committed to the flock and he is responsible for them. If a sheep is lost, he makes all the effort to find it and bring it back. The shepherd is an image of God and the good shepherd is what God is like. A shepherd rejoices when a lost sheep is found as God rejoices when a lost sinner repents and comes back to Him.
    As the sheep stays within the fold, so must we if we want to belong to God alone. We must remain faithful and loyal to him. The world is full of destruction and it is so easy to lose sight of God. How can we maintain our connection with God This we can do through prayer, through scripture reading and fellowshipping with fellow believers.
    Jesus was rejected by the Jewish religious leaders of His time. So he formed a community which he called his disciples and taught them everything before He leaves them. All these teaching come from His Father.
    Jesus carries out His mission ans shepherd in communion with His Father, and the Fathers role as shepherd of His people is realized in His Son. Therefore, Jesus and the Father not only life but also power. Jesus Christ mirrors the goodness power and love of the Father. Those who follow Jesus belongs to His flock, as the disciples listen to their shepherds message and live it.
    In the book of Psalms it is shown how the shepherd protects his sheep. On the other hand, the parable of the good shepherd in John 10 shows that the shepherd not only cares for his sheep but also the sheep themselves know their shepherd and therefore follow him.