“I Am the Good Shepherd”

All Posts Archived Lessons New Testament Old Testament Book of Mormon Doctrine & Covenants Search “I Am the Good Shepherd” CFMCorner Apr 22, 2023 21 min read Updated: Jun 24, 2025 CFM: April 24–30 John 7 ( INT ), 8 ( INT ), 9 ( INT ), 10 ( INT ) Videos and Podcasts Video/ Podcast ​Lesson Extension ​Additional Materials Scripture Central John 7-10 ​ Follow Him John 7-10 ( Part 1 , Part 2 ) Transcripts Line Upon Line John 7-10 ​FHE Lesson Teaching with Power John 7-10 ​ Don't Miss This John 7-10 ​ ​CFM New Testament John 7-10 Handout ​Unshaken John 7-10 ( Part 1 ) ​ ​The Interpreter Foundation John 7-10 ​ Study helps by Jonn Claybaugh ​Teaching Helps with John Hilton John 7-10 ​ ​Talk of Him John 7-10 ​ ​Ponderfun John 7-10 ( not yet posted ) ​Talking Scripture John 7-10 ​show notes Resources and Insights about this Week's Lesson Feasts & Holy Days Several weeks ago, in our lesson " Be Not Afraid ," we reviewed several of the religious Holy Days. In this week's lesson, we come back to two of the festivals that are specifically mentioned by name: The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) and The Feast of Dedication (Hannukah). Understanding these traditions and how they were observed can greatly enhance one's understanding of the topics and symbols covered in this week's materials. Here is a segment from our earlier lesson to recap some of the most applicable highlights. The Feast of Tabernacles was a festival that Christ observed. Also known as Sukkot, this holiday commemorates the Israelites' 40 years of wandering in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. During this time, they lived in temporary shelters or booths (tents), known as sukkot, as protection from the elements and to remind the people of the “cover” that the Lord provides. Immediately following Sukkot, there is a festival called Simchat Torah , or “Rejoicing in the Torah.” This commemorates Moses returning from Mount Sinai to give the people the Law as it was engraved upon stone tablets by the finger of the Lord. In Taylor's lesson on Scripture Central, he draws some interesting parallels between this event and the Savior drawing in the sand with his finger on the Temple Mount, be sure to check it out. In the Gospel of John, Jesus attends the Feast of Tabernacles and makes a significant statement about himself: “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” ( John 8:12 ). This statement was made during the festival's celebration of the lighting of the four golden lampstands in the Temple, which illuminated the entire courtyard. This was traditionally part of the Hakhel gathering. The light symbolized God's guidance and presence during the Israelites' time in the desert. Jesus, by referring to himself as the light of the world, was making a claim to be the embodiment of God's guidance and presence, the one who would lead his people out of darkness and into the light of salvation. The Feast of Tabernacles also involved a symbolic water ceremony where water was poured out on the altar in the Temple. This water ceremony symbolized the pouring out of God's spirit and his provision of physical and spiritual life. In John 7:37-38 , Jesus stood up and proclaimed, " If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." Jesus identified himself as the source of spiritual refreshment and fulfillment, which was symbolized by the water ceremony during the Feast of Tabernacles. These are a few of many examples where Christ used the feast days and symbols to teach important gospel principles and to reveal his identity as the Messiah. The Feast of Dedication , or Hanukkah , is also mentioned in John's gospel (John 10:22 INT ). In John 10:1-21, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd who cares for his flock and lays down his life for them. This passage is set in the context of a debate with the Pharisees, who are questioning Jesus' authority and challenging his claims to be the Messiah. The events leading up to the celebration of Hanukkah also involved a struggle for religious and political authority. In the 2nd century BCE, the Seleucid Empire, which ruled over Judea, attempted to suppress Jewish religious practices and impose Hellenistic culture on the Jewish people. The Jewish priest Mattathias and his sons, known as the Maccabees, led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire and ultimately succeeded in reclaiming the Temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees are often seen as heroic figures who defended Jewish religious and cultural identity against the forces of assimilation and oppression. In this sense, they can be seen as shepherds who protected their flock from harm. There are some scholars who suggest that Jesus may have had the events of Hanukkah in mind when he spoke about being the Good Shepherd. In this interpretation, Jesus is positioning himself as a shepherd who defends his flock against the forces of oppression and assimilation, much like the Maccabees did in their time. Christ used this festival to teach about his own identity, to proclaim himself as the “good shepherd” who would lay down his life for his sheep. How knoweth this man his letters? Many years ago, while in Ohio for undergrad, I had a fantastic voice teacher who was also a Jewish Cantor and Rabbi. His name is Jerry Kopmar. Dr. Kopmar knew that I was a member of the Church, and we would sometimes talk about the similarities between our cultures. Jerry had tremendous respect for the Church, and on several occasions, he told me, “You Mormons, and Us Jews, we are cousins, maybe not kissing cousins, but cousins.” Jerry was a wonderful example for me and helped me to appreciate better how similar our religious traditions and beliefs were. One of the things Dr. Kopmar respected most about the Church was its focus on education. In Jewish culture, education is extremely important. On numerous occasions, Jerry would tell me, “You will never, ever, ever meet an illiterate Jew. It just doesn't happen.” Several years later, I was reading the account in John 7 where “the Jews marveled, saying How knowest this man his letters?” I was familiar with the standard response, “Jewish leaders were surprised that Jesus was literate because he did not have a formal education.” However, that explanation didn't sit right, and Jerry's words kept coming back to me, “You will never, ever, ever meet an illiterate Jew.” The more I thought about it, and the more I learned, the more the “illiterate” explanation didn't make any sense, especially in reference to Jesus. Christ was a very observant Jew; his parents raised him as such. He received his Bris at 8 days old; he was taken to the temple at 12 to perform his Bar Mitzvah, where he blew doctors and scholars away with his advanced knowledge of scripture. One of the most significant parts of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony includes a public reading portion of the Torah, where a young man must not only read from the Torah but he must chant the traditional musical notation of the Torah, demonstrating an understanding of how the vowel points and cantillation practices work. Records pertaining to these cantillation and public reading traditions date back to at least the Second Temple period. Some are even found in the writings of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ecclesiastes ( Who Made Up the Way We Sing the Torah? ). This indicates that these were traditions that would have been observed, preserved, and passed down during the lifetime of Christ. Additionally, Jesus had spent the last several years teaching and doing public readings in synagogues and sermons throughout Israel. His notoriety and reputation preceded him, which is why the Jewish leaders were actively seeking him out to interrogate him. Some of the Jews that were questioning Jesus were trying to catch him in his words. These were lawyers and scribes who were very aware of Christ's reputation and the things he was teaching, so why would they be surprised that he was literate, let alone marvel? In light of all the miracles he had performed, it was his being able to read that caught their attention? That just seems odd, and it doesn't add up. There has to be more to the story, and further investigation into the history reveals that there probably is. First of all, what do we know about the letter themselves? The alphabet that the Jews were using at the time of Christ was virtually the same as the alphabet they still use today for their sacred texts; it is called Katav Ashurit , or “Assyrian Writing.” In English, it is referred to as the Imperial Aramaic Alphabet . This is the script that most people are familiar with today when they think of Hebrew. However, historically, archeological evidence indicates that the development of this script occurred sometime during the 5th Century BC, during the reign of the Persian Achaemenid Dynasty. Archeological translations of the Benhistun Inscription explain that during King Darius' reign, Darius mandated the use of the Imperial Aramaic Script throughout his empire. This is the same King Darius that Daniel served, the one who threw him into the lion's den. At the end of the Book of Daniel (12:4-9 INT ), Daniel is instructed to “shut up the word, and seal the book.” This was the same time period that the Jewish Scribes adopted the Katav Ashurit form of the script. Prior to this, the Jews used an earlier Paleo-Hebrew form, known as Katav Evrit, or “Hebrew Writing,” which was an alphabet that was shared by both the Israelites and the Phoenicians during the reign of King David, around 1000 BCE. This alphabet more closely resembles its earlier ancestor, the Proto-Sinaitic Script , which dates back to around 1900-1800 BC, the time period of Abraham, and archeological evidence proves that versions of this script were in circulat