4th Sunday of Easter
The Good Shepherd. Jesus gives his life for the sheep.
Bibelsk grunnlag
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:1-18). Jesus knows his sheep by name, and they know his voice. The hired hand runs away when the wolf comes, but the good shepherd gives his life. "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold." Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Betydning
The shepherd metaphor expresses closeness, care, and sacrifice. Jesus knows each person by name — faith is personal, not merely collective. That he gives his life "voluntarily" emphasizes that the cross was not an accident but an act of love. "Other sheep" points to the mission to the Gentiles — the flock is larger than Israel.
GT-forbindelser
Psalm 23 — the Lord as shepherd. Ezekiel 34 where God criticizes Israel's leaders (bad shepherds) and promises to shepherd the flock himself. Isaiah 40:11: "Like a shepherd he tends his flock." Genesis 48-49 about God as Jacob's shepherd. Micah 5:3 about the ruler from Bethlehem who will shepherd in the Lord's strength.
Liturgisk kontekst
White color. Traditionally called "Good Shepherd Sunday." Many churches use this day to pray for calls to pastoral ministry and shepherding service. Psalm 23 is sung or read.
Historie
The shepherd image is the oldest Christian artistic motif — from the catacombs in Rome (2nd century). The Good Shepherd with a sheep on his shoulders became one of the first images of Jesus, used before the crucifix.