Now the Shepherd comes out with a cruise of oil in His hand. He gets down on His knees and He begins to do something very strange. He places some oil on His hands and one by one He anoints the heads of each and every one of His sheep. No shepherd has ever done such a thing before, it is unheard of. The Shepherd has esteemed His sheep higher then sheep, He has exalted them. They do not deserve such honor, but because He loves them He has anointed them; declaring them forever His.
The Good Shepherd is different from the other shepherds. His care for the sheep is not an occupation; He truly and deeply loves His sheep. They are not livestock to Him, they are family; they will never be sold, and they will never face the slaughter. His sheep are set apart from the other shepherds’ sheep, they are no longer mere dumb sheep, they are His children and He has declared them thus.
As Children of God we have been adopted into His family. We are no longer vile, putrid sinners. We are anointed heirs of God Himself. We do not deserve the honor, but because He loves us, He has set us apart as His. Everyone that looks upon us, or comes near us, every angel of Heaven and every demon of Hell, even Satan himself now knows we are His; we cannot be taken away from Him, and He will never give us up. Though all Hell stand against us, though we are beaten and weak, we shall prevail because Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep.
