Christ the Good Shepherd

Byzantine mosaicists (5th century) — c. 425–450 · Mosaic lunette · Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna

“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” — John 10:11 (KJV)

About

In a small Ravenna mausoleum usually linked with the empress Galla Placidia, this lunette mosaic of about 425 shows Christ young and beardless in gold and purple, seated among His sheep, a golden cross for a shepherd's staff.

The Meaning

It is John 10 in coloured glass: the shepherd is a king, yet He sits down among the sheep. His rule is not driving but gathering — He is in the middle of His flock, and the flock rests around Him.

For Us Today

Christ knows His own and calls them by name (John 10:14). If you are His sheep, stay close to the Shepherd's voice — a sheep's safety is never distance from Him, but nearness.

Image: Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons — the file’s page. Tap the picture to open the full-size original there.