Sheep of the Good Shepherd

What does it mean to live like Jesus today?

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice” (John 10:14-16).

Growing up on a sheep farm in rural Southland, I learned a lot about sheep, so when I read the above verse, it deeply resonated with me. As I child, I remember my dad doing a lot for the sheep, but I don’t think he ever got close to laying his life down for them. Jesus, however, is a shepherd unlike any the earth has ever seen.

I vividly remember the night I entrusted my life into the hands of the Good Shepherd. I was ten years old, and was attending a night service with my family. At some point during the service, the Holy Spirit spoke a thought into my mind: ‘Follow me, and live how I want you to.’ An hour or so later, I surrendered my life to the Lord.

Despite ups and downs over the last 12 years, I have never regretted joining Jesus’ flock. He may have already called you; or you may be in the process of deciding whether to follow Him. Wherever you are, my hope for this article is that you may come to a greater understanding of what it means to be a person who responds to His voice and follows Jesus — otherwise known as a disciple.

In Corinthians, Paul writes, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Jesus is the only person who lived the human life the way it was supposed to be lived, so it makes sense that we should try to imitate Him as we go about life as His followers.

As I consider the life of Jesus, there are three different passages that stand out to me as showing some of His core character traits that we should seek to emulate. They show His ability to speak compassionately with truth and grace; His servant leadership; and His self- sacrificial love.

Truth and Grace

The first passage I want to focus on is the story of the women caught in adultery from John 8:1-11. The Pharisees bring an adulterous woman before Jesus, hoping to trap Him in an impossible situation. If Jesus endorses the decision to stone her, He will get in trouble with the Roman authorities, who did not allow the Jews to execute people. If He says she should be set free, the Pharisees will be able to point out that He does not stick to the Old Testament law and therefore could not be trusted. But Jesus, in His compassion, finds a third option - holding a perfect balance between truth and grace.

He brought truth to the crowd by forcing them to reflect on their own lives, and to the woman by telling her to sin no more. But He also brought grace by not condemning her for the crime she committed. This allowed her to receive an undeserved gift: a second chance at living in a godly way.

Both sides of Jesus’ response are grounded in His heart of compassion for the woman. In our culture today, we often think that it is compassionate to offer people grace. But as Jesus demonstrates, this only gives half the picture! How much truth and grace are we willing to bring to conversations with those around us? Do we courageously engage in uncomfortable situations for the good of others?

You might have a friend who claims to be a Christian but isn’t living that way; maybe they don’t mind getting drunk or are sleeping with their boyfriend or girlfriend. The most compassionate thing we can do in this situation is speak both truth and grace to our friend - pointing them in the direction of Jesus using the Bible. This is a really hard thing to do, but it’s the Christ-like option. Being a radical disciple means following Jesus’ example - speaking truth and grace with courageous compassion.

Servant Leadership

The second passage I want to look at is where Jesus washes the disciples’ feet in John 13:1-20. With His crucifixion imminent, Jesus spent His last meal with His disciples, teaching them about love and leadership through the action of washing their feet. Here we find Jesus taking on the lowest position; one that was, in fact, normally reserved for a non- Jewish slave. He gives the ultimate example of humility, putting others before Himself.

Of all people who have ever walked the earth, the only one who truly deserved to be served and treated as a king, was Jesus. It would have been well within his rights to have the disciples wash His feet, every day of His life. Peter even tries to tell Jesus not to wash his feet. But as Jesus says, “the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). He made it His mission to serve others, even though He deserved to be served as a king.

Would you like to get what you think you deserve, or are you willing to lead with uncompromising humility? Will you believe the lie that since you have done something for someone else, you should get something in return? Or will you, like Jesus, lead in humble service - serving for the sake of others, and for God’s glory rather than for personal gain. Will you help your flatmates with their jobs around the house, offer to lend a hand to a struggling team mate on a group project, or sign up to serve at church? Being a radical disciple means following Jesus’ example of humble, servant hearted leadership.

Sacrificial Love

The final part of the Bible I want to draw your attention to is one which describes one of the most significant events that took place in human history - the death of the Son of God. It is found in all four gospel accounts. Jesus willingly went to the cross, committing the ultimate act of sacrificial love by taking our sin on His shoulders, and laying down His life for us. John 15:13 says there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. That is exactly what Jesus did for us. He sacrificed everything He had, so that we might have a relationship with Him. This aspect of Jesus’ character underpins everything else He does. It should be the same for us, because without love we are nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). Our most important character trait as true disciples of Jesus is to be loving. It is our motivation at the core of every decision we make, and the very essence of who we are. If something you are doing results in you not loving God, or others, then I would question - why you are doing it?

What does sacrificial love look like for us today? It may look like putting yourself in a life-threatening situation; for example, doing missions in a hostile country. Here in New Zealand, in 2025, it might look like sacrificing our pride by not responding harshly when someone is getting on our nerves; sacrificing our desires by turning from sin; or going out of our way to help others when we are tired and annoyed.

What has this looked like in my own life? At the end of 2023, I had an incredible opportunity to join a campus ministry organisation to do full-time ministry. After much prayer and wrestling with the sacrifice of setting aside my career plans and the degree I had worked so hard for, I chose to say yes. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I have no regrets. Sacrificing my plans for God’s plans has allowed me to love others in the best way I can - by sharing the good news of Jesus with them. To be a radical disciple is to love others self-sacrificially, even when it is least convenient for us; this is what it means to love like Jesus.

BY THOMAS MENLOVE

Thomas Menlove (23) studied applied science majoring in PE and is now working for a campus ministry organisation.