O Shepherd of The One True Flock

Michael E. Wood
December 24, 2011

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  John 10:7-16

While in the process of preparing for the last message to be preached at Atria in 2011, I was looking back through my files of poems from the preceding year for something to include in the message. The text from the week before was in reference to the birth of Christ in His coming as the Shepherd King, with the understanding that He came to save His people from their sins. Most of the following was written as a poem while closing out the year 2010.  While reading through, the music to “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night” came to mind, a closing verse was written, and thus this can be easily sung to the arrangement made famous by George F. Handel (1685-1759), in Weyman’s Melodia Sacra 1815.

O Shepherd, of the one true flock,
How sweet Your voice we hear.
For when the thief comes forth to steal,
Tis only You we fear.
Tis only You we fear.

As life abundant now You give
And lead us by Your hand,
That murderer can only do
Exactly what You planned.
Exactly what You planned.

For You have called us all by name,
And lead us forth with joy,
And though the devil take all things,
Our soul he’ll not destroy.
Our soul he’ll not destroy.

With pastures rich You now provide
For us with nothing lost.
For all we need, we find in You,
Who paid with blood, the cost!
Who paid with blood, the cost!

O Shepherd, You laid down Your life
For all Your Own, Your sheep,
That we may know, we are Your Own,
And all Your Own, You keep!
And all Your Own, You keep!

And thus our Father’s providence
In love for us ordained,
All things in life that He may bring
Forth faith, that is unfeigned.
True faith, that is unfeigned.

And for Your glory we proclaim
As those once lost in sin
All things that happen, only serve
The gospel without end.
The gospel without end.