Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He cares for His feeble, sickly, wandering sheep. He knows them all by name. The distress of every sheep and every lamb of His flock touches His heart of sympathizing love, and the cry for aid reaches His ear. One of the greatest sins of the shepherds of Israel is thus pointed out by the prophet: “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.” {5T 345.2}

Jesus er den gode hyrde. Han har omhu for sine svage, sygelige, omstrejfende får. Han kender dem alle ved navn. Den smerte, som hvert får og hvert lam i hans hjord lider, rører hans medfølende hjerte og råbet om hjælp når hans øre. Profeten påpeger en af de største synder hos Israels hyrder med følgende ord: »De svage dyr styrkede I ikke, de syge lægte I ikke, de sårede forbandt I ikke, de adsplittede bragte I ikke tilbage, de vildfarende opsøgte I ikke, men I styrede dem med hårdhed og grumhed. Derfor spredtes de, eftersom der ingen hyrde var og blev til æde for alle markens vilde dyr; ja, de spredtes. Min hjord flakkede om på alle bjerge og på hver en høj banke og over hele jorden spredtes min hjord og ingen spurgte eller ledte efter dem.«