Why in a picture does Jesus have a lamb around his neck?

Answer 1

When a shepherd has a lamb that keeps wanting to stray, the shepherd would break the lambs legs and carry the lamb on his neck, so that way the lamb would get so dependent and close to the shepherd. When its legs healed it would always stay close to the shepherd. Jesus is known to Christians as our Shepherd and he wants us to always depend and lean on him.

Answer 2

Because it was a safe and effective method to carry a lost or abandoned lamb. It distributes the weight effectively across the shepherds shoulders and body as well as the lamb. He could easily march across the likely rugged and rocky arab terrain. Most shepherds in those days were the youngest son of the family So they were young boys or teens. This also allowed their hands free to carry their rod or staff which was used to help them walk, to protect the sheep and count them as well.

There is absolutely no basis in fact regarding any shepherds ever breaking lambs legs as another poster commented. That myth started in 1955.

here is an excerpt from an article on pulpitandpen

“There are multiple problems with this concept, chief among them the lack of any documentation or primary sources whatsoever that suggest such a thing even happened. As far as I can tell it is pure myth. It is certainly not a biblical practice and has no scriptural attestation, and yet it is often repeated by pastors and teachers wanting to offer insight into the sheep/shepherd relationship.

The earliest record of it I could find [and seemingly the origin] was in the 1955 book “What Jesus Said” , written by Robert Boyd Munger.

A shepherd cares for his flock. Any farmer would tell you breaking their legs would risk your flock not protect them. Carrying them effectively and efficiently and safely would be the only reason.