The Good Shepherd

Do you know the story of the "Three Little Pigs?" Raise your hand if you do. (Pause.) I just love that story. I’m going to retell it, and when I do, I need the boys to “oink” when I say “pig,” and the girls to “howl” when I say “wolf.” Everyone should “baaa” like sheep when I mention sheep. Let me hear you practice your noises. (Pause while kids practice). Is everybody ready?

 The story begins with the mother pig (Pause for “oink”) sending her three little ones out into the world to make their own fortunes. The first little pig (Pause for “oink”) built himself a house of straw, the second little pig (Pause for “oink”)  built a house of sticks, and the third little pig (Pause for “oink”)  built a house of bricks.

The big, bad wolf (Pause for “howl”) went to the first little pig's (Pause for “oink”) house and knocked on the door. "Little pig  (Pause for “oink”), little pig (Pause for “oink”), let me in," he said.

The little pig  (Pause for “oink”) answered, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in," replied the wolf  (Pause for “howl”).

The first little pig's (Pause for “oink”) house of straw was not very strong, so the wolf  (Pause for “howl”) easily blew it down, and the little pig  (Pause for “oink”) ran to safety at the second little pig's  (Pause for “oink”) house.

The wolf (Pause for “howl”) went to the second little pig's (Pause for “oink”) house and knocked on the door. "Little pig (Pause for “oink”), little pig (Pause for “oink”), let me in."

The little pig  (Pause for “oink”) answered, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in," replied the wolf (Pause for “howl”).

The second little pig's (Pause for “oink”) house of sticks was not very strong, so the wolf (Pause for “howl”) blew it down, and the two little pigs (Pause for “oink”) ran to their brother's house.

The wolf (Pause for “howl”) went to the third little pig's (Pause for “oink”) house and knocked on the door. "Little pig (Pause for “oink”) , little pig (Pause for “oink”), let me in."

The little pig (Pause for “oink”)  answered, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in," replied the wolf (Pause for “howl”).

No matter how hard he tried, the wolf (Pause for “howl”) could not blow the brick house down! The wolf (Pause for “howl”) decided to go down the chimney, but the three little pigs (Pause for “oink”) had a pot of boiling water. "Yeow!" cried the wolf (Pause for “howl”).

Having outsmarted the big, bad wolf (Pause for “howl”), the three little pigs (Pause for “oink”) begin to sing:

“Who's afraid of the big bad wolf (Pause for “howl”)?

Big bad wolf (Pause for “howl”), big bad wolf (Pause for “howl”)?

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf (Pause for “howl”)?

Tra la la la la.”

There have been many stories written about a big, bad wolf (Pause for “howl”). You have probably heard about "Little Red Riding Hood," "Peter and the Wolf (Pause for “howl”)," and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Pause for “howl”)," but did you know that Jesus once told a story about a big, bad wolf (Pause for “howl”)? In the story that Jesus told, the good shepherd is Him, and the sheep  (Pause for “baaa”) are us. The wolf (Pause for “howl”) in Jesus’ story is God’s enemy. 

Here’s what Jesus said in the Bible:

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for His sheep  (Pause for “baaa”). A hired hand will run away when he sees a wolf  (Pause for “howl”)  coming, because the sheep (Pause for “baaa”) don't belong to him, and he doesn't really care about them. When the hired hand runs away, the wolf  (Pause for “howl”) will attack and scatter the sheep (Pause for “baaa”)."

"I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep  (Pause for “baaa”) and My sheep  (Pause for “baaa”)  know Me--just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. I will lay down My life for My sheep (Pause for  “baaa”)."

Jesus is the good shepherd, and we are His sheep  (Pause for “baaa”). He knows us and He loves us. He will protect us when God’s enemy or anyone tries to hurt us. When we trust Jesus, we can say, "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf  (Pause for “howl”)?"

God, thank You for sending Your Son to be our good shepherd. He gave His life for us. Help us to follow Him and trust Him to protect us from the evil one. In Jesus' name, amen.