John 21:17 …Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. **** In this painting, Christ is depicted in the role of the Good Shepherd. He holds firmly to the rod, representing the law of His Father. It symbolizes the commandments and teachings that help to keep us, His flock, safe. Christ’s countenance expresses the mercy of the Atonement and the path back to our Father. If we should stray from the safety of His flock in this life, we know that our Shepherd will find us if we call out to Him. We have also been given the charge, like Peter, to help our Savior in the work of bringing salvation to His flock, to feed His sheep. We will have the chance to bring nourishment to those who come across our way if we are willing to serve.