Understanding the roles of Christ as the Good Shepherd and Lamb of God helps us more fully trust his guidance and care.
My favorite of Christ’s names is the Good Shepherd. There is something about that title that has always felt especially personal and reassuring to me. In his address “Good Shepherd, Lamb of God,” Elder Gerrit W. Gong discusses Christ’s titles of Good Shepherd and Lamb of God, stating that “of all His divine titles, no others are more tender or telling.” But what exactly do those titles mean, and why are they so telling?
When I think of what makes a good shepherd, I think of someone who notices when a sheep has wandered, guides it gently back, and protects it from danger. I picture someone who knows the individual needs of each sheep such that even the most vulnerable sheep are not overlooked. I am confident that Christ is the perfect shepherd, because he knows each of us by name, seeks us when we stray, and protects us from the dangers of the world.
Christ is not only the Good Shepherd—he is also called the Lamb of God. Elder Gong reminds us that “as Lamb of God, our Savior knows when we feel alone, diminished, uncertain, or afraid.” Because Christ has given his life as the Lamb, he understands our fears and trials fully. That understanding shapes the tender care with which he guides and protects each of us.
Photo by Inayat Ullah
I experienced a glimpse of that tenderness during a college study abroad in the British Isles. At a small sheep farm in Dingle, Ireland, I held a lamb no more than two weeks old. She rested completely in my arms, and I thought about how she was fully dependent on the shepherd’s care. In that moment, I vividly understood how completely we are in Christ’s hands. Like that lamb, we are vulnerable, a vulnerability that Christ understands. But we have Christ as our shepherd—a shepherd who is willing to leave the 99 to rescue the 1.
To truly feel safe in the arms of my Shepherd, I’m learning to seek his voice through prayer and scripture study because as we come to know the Good Shepherd, we begin to recognize how deeply we are loved, how deeply we are understood, and how securely we are held. As we come to understand the role of Christ as the Good Shepherd, we can trust completely in his care
To learn more about Christ’s role as the Good Shepherd, read Elder Gerrit W. Gong’s talk “Good Shepherd, Lamb of God.”
Source: General Conference
—Ellie Lallatin, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Find more insights
Read Emma Freestone’s Latter-day Saint Insights article “Believe You Are Beloved” to discover more about Christ’s role as the Good Shepherd.
Take a look at Elder Randy D. Funk’s general conference address “Come into the Fold of God” to better understand the blessings of having Christ as our shepherd.