Reading the first few passages from the Book of Genesis, I stopped when it was mentioned that Abel, one of the sons of Adam and Eve, was a “keeper of sheep,” or a shepherd. Obviously, Abel is eventually killed by his brother, Cain. This really struck me and made me think. It seems that this motif of the slain shepherd is very prevalent in the rest of the Bible as well as some modern works.
In John 10: 1-21, Jesus is referred to as the “Good Shepherd” who “lays down his life for (his) sheep.” This is referring to the fact that Jesus intended to guide his followers down the right path, away from any “wolves,” or evils that they may encounter, in hopes that they may some day reach eternal bliss in heaven. Jesus knows, however, that he must die for his “sheep” and in Christianity we believe that he died for our sins, so that we may get to heaven. His words, in the Bible, still guide us and help to keep us on the right path, away from the “wolves.”
As I said before, this motif of the slain shepherd comes up in modern works as well. One of my favorite movies is The Patriot and one of my absolute favorite quotes from that movie is said by the character Reverend Oliver as his church congregation looks on in shock when he decides to march off to fight in the American Revolution with the protagonist of the movie. Reverend Oliver explains: “A shepherd must tend his flock. And at times… Fight off the wolves.” In this case, the “wolves” that the Reverend is referring to are the British soldiers who are killing innocent civilians. Eventually, however, towards the end of the movie, Reverend Oliver is killed after assisting the protagonist’s son in the killing of a British captain. Clearly, this is very similar to Jesus’ death: dying in order to help another.
In John 10: 1-21, Jesus is referred to as the “Good Shepherd” who “lays down his life for (his) sheep.” This is referring to the fact that Jesus intended to guide his followers down the right path, away from any “wolves,” or evils that they may encounter, in hopes that they may some day reach eternal bliss in heaven. Jesus knows, however, that he must die for his “sheep” and in Christianity we believe that he died for our sins, so that we may get to heaven. His words, in the Bible, still guide us and help to keep us on the right path, away from the “wolves.”
As I said before, this motif of the slain shepherd comes up in modern works as well. One of my favorite movies is The Patriot and one of my absolute favorite quotes from that movie is said by the character Reverend Oliver as his church congregation looks on in shock when he decides to march off to fight in the American Revolution with the protagonist of the movie. Reverend Oliver explains: “A shepherd must tend his flock. And at times… Fight off the wolves.” In this case, the “wolves” that the Reverend is referring to are the British soldiers who are killing innocent civilians. Eventually, however, towards the end of the movie, Reverend Oliver is killed after assisting the protagonist’s son in the killing of a British captain. Clearly, this is very similar to Jesus’ death: dying in order to help another.