Original Drawing
This drawing, done by a member of our group, comes from Jesus’ I AM statement: “I am the Good Shepherd.” The structure of this mandala is based on a classic symbol: a triangle within a circle. In Christianity, this is a Trinity symbol. Again, I’ve given the original drawing a digital make-over.
The mandala has two main regions: one outside of the triangle, and the other inside of it. The region outside of the triangle is spiritually dry and desolate. The sheep of this region are spiritually malnourished. They live in darkness.
Now, the region inside the triangle is filled with the presence of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The grass is green, there is water (calling to mind Psalm 23), and we see the beginning of a beautiful sunrise. Here, the sheep are spiritually fed.
Here, in the center of the triangle, there is an interesting depiction of Jesus. He is not a meek and mild man. In this mandala, he’s illustrated as a shepherd that will feed and protect his sheep. He is a shepherd that will lay down his life for them. Jesus himself states he will lay down his life for the sheep. Twice in the John 10:11-15 passage. Based off what he did on the cross, I think he’s serious.
This Jesus leads his sheep into salvation.
Sometimes I think of Matthew the Tax Collector and Simon the Zealot. Matthew was collecting taxes from his own people and giving them to the Roman government. In the process, he likely became rather wealthy. He was considered a traitor among the Jews. Simon, on the other hand, was a member of a revolutionary party that wanted to rebel against the Roman Empire. I believe Simon would be labeled as having militant tendencies.
If I was building a team, I would be nervous about putting these two together.
Theologian William Barclay states: “The plain fact is that if Simon the Zealot had met Matthew the tax-gather anywhere else than in the company of Jesus, he would have stuck a dagger in him.”
The fact that Jesus could put these two men together and use them to bring about his kingdom speaks of a very strong leader.
Finally, Jesus reaches out to the sheep outside the triangle, calling them out of spiritual darkness.
In Part 3, we move on to Jesus’ statement: “I am the resurrection and the life.”