"Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep'" (John 10:11).
This verse comes from the Gospel of John, one of the four gospel narratives in the New Testament. While the exact authorship of this gospel is unknown, it is most commonly attributed to the Apostle John, says the website Catholic Answers.
In some Christian denominations, this Sunday is regarded as "Good Shepherd Sunday."
The statement that Jesus is the "good shepherd" is less relevant now than it would be at the time it was spoken, evangelical leader Rev. Johnnie Moore of Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital — but it is still a powerful analogy.
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"Back then, sheep and shepherds were everywhere," he said.
Moore is president of the Congress of Christian Leaders. Twice appointed to the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom, he is also the author of "The Next Jihad" and "The New Book of Christian Martyrs."
In biblical times, as well as today, "Calling someone a sheep wasn’t exactly a compliment," said Moore.
"Sheep are impulsive," he said. "They’re not that smart. They’re rebellious often, and when they’re not being rebellious, they’re just following the crowd. Without a shepherd, they’re hopeless."
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On Good Shepherd Sunday, "we remember that however modern, affluent, powerful or secure we may become, we still need God," he said.
In God, "we find a shepherd who will care for us as we journey through life’s ups and downs."
In biblical times, a person would occasionally see a sheep "slung around the neck of the shepherd" out in the field, said Moore.
This meant either the sheep had been accidentally injured, or that the shepherd himself had broken the leg of a rebellious sheep to prevent it from running away.
"Whether it was life’s misfortune or the sheep’s mistake, the shepherd kept the sheep close until it healed entirely," he said.
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After the sheep was healed, they "stuck closest to the shepherd even when they could run again."
During life, "there are often more bad days than good days," said Moore.
And while skeptics might take the presence of bad days to try to test the faith of Christians, this is the wrong approach.
"Those who’ve gone through life’s ringer understand that the most important question to ask during life’s challenging days isn’t, ‘Why?’ but ‘Who?’" said Moore.
He continued, "'Who' is this God whom billions of people over hundreds of centuries have put their hope in?"
"See, if God was trustworthy then, God is trustworthy now," he said.
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God, said Moore, "is never closer to you than when skeptics think He's furthest away."
He added, "God doesn’t promise us life will be easy, but He does promise us he’ll never leave us," he said — just as the shepherd does not leave his flock.
"We can’t always understand God (if we could, he would not be God) — but He understands us," said Moore.
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