Jesus Christ: The Promised Shepherd
The topic of Jesus as Shepherd is a glorious one that spans all of history and the entire scriptures
from Genesis to Revelation. To explore it is a wonderful experience. However, what is the relevance for you and me. You see, we think about shepherds at Christmas time. We sing
“While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground…”
“To shepherds as they watched by night appeared a host of angels bright;”
Or we watch our children dramatize the birth of Christ on the stage and there are inevitably a couple kids dressed as shepherds. And we see images of shepherds on Christmas cards or perhaps we have a manger scene on our front lawn with shep herds standing nearby.
But when the Christmas season is over and we pack up our decorations and put away the cards, the thought of shep herds leaves our thoughts completely. In fact, a sermon about the fulfillment of prophecy about Jesus as a Shepherd will probably escape your minds and maybe your hearts by the end of today.
Today, let us make this personal and focus on the Shepherd Himself, His heart, His nature and how He fills the vacuum in the hearts of all men, women and children. And how He fulfills prophecy.
Let us pray for God’s revelation and then begin
In 1971 I was 15 years old and there was a song on the radio that I loved. It had a captivating, sweet, melancholic melody and the only words I really heard and remembered were Alone Again Naturally. I loved that song for decades and then one day my sister told me that it was a about a guy that wanted to kill himself. I was shocked because I had never really listened to all the words. The song was by Gilbert O’Sullivan and the words went like this:
In a little while from now
If I'm not feeling any less sour
I promise myself to treat myself
And visit a nearby tower
And climbing to the top
Will throw myself off
In an effort to
Make it clear to whoever
Wants to know what it's like when you're shattered
Left standing in the lurch at a church
Were people saying, My God, that's tough
She stood him up
No point in us remaining
We may as well go home
As I did on my own
Alone again, naturally
To think that only yesterday
I was cheerful, bright and gay
Looking forward to who wouldn't do
The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down
Reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch
Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt
Talk about, God in His mercy
Oh, if he really does exist
Why did he desert me
In my hour of need
I truly am indeed
Alone again, naturally
It seems to me that
There are more hearts broken in the world
That can't be mended
Left unattended
What do we do
What do we do
Alone again, naturally
Looking back over the years
And whatever else that appears
I remember I cried when my father died
Never wishing to hide the tears
And at sixty-five years old
My mother, God rest her soul
Couldn't understand why the only man
She had ever loved had been taken
Leaving her to start
With a heart so badly broken
Despite encouragement from me
No words were ever spoken
And when she passed away
I cried and cried all day
Alone again naturally
Alone again naturally
These words certainly and beautifully capture the real experiences and emotions of people. You could say it’s a very de pressing song, but it speaks to the reality that millions people live in. Perhaps even you who are listening to this may be experienc ing depression, isolation, abandonment, and heartache. Maybe someone here is even thinking about suicide. There is a desperate cry in the song where it says “What do we do? What do we do?”
There is an answer to these questions in the Bible. Let us look and see what the Bible says about Jesus. In Matthew chapter 9 it says that Jesus traveled tirelessly through many villages and towns and preached and taught and healed the sick and loved all the people. He met all kinds of people with all kinds of problems who suffered physically, emotionally, spiritually, and had nowhere to turn to for help.
Matthew 9:36 (ESV): When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and help less, like sheep without a shepherd.
The answer to this sad song and its message is Jesus, the Great Shepherd. I hope you agree that this a topic of extreme relevance. It applies not only to the Jews of ancient Israel but also for us today.
Today we will talk about:Jesus, The Promised Shepherd.
The first time God is described as a Shepherd is when Jacob (aka Israel) was blessing Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, before he died.
Genesis 48:15 (ESV): And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,…”
So in the very first book of the Bible we see a man living with God, as his shepherd.
But there is another man who made the same declaration. In Psalm 23 King David declares that the Lord is His shepherd but he also describes how the Lord behaves as a shepherd. So, this Psalm is also prophetic. Let us look at this Psalm and see how it is a prophetic description of Jesus.
Psalm 23:1: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
David, the Psalm writer makes this all-encompassing statement about the provision of the Lord and that He will provide for every need. Does Jesus fulfill this description?
Indeed, the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:19 (ESV) And my God will supply every need of yours according to
his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Everything that we need in comes through a loving relationship with Jesus. And then Da
vid goes into details about how he meets our needs.
Psalm 23:2a: He makes me lie down in green pastures.
Did Jesus fulfill this description?
Mark 6:34 (ESV): When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:38-40 (ESV): 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties.
Jesus fed people spiritually and He also was concerned with feeding them physically
Psalm 23:2b: He leads me beside still waters.
This refers to satisfying thirst. We can experience both physical and spiritual thirst. Emotional and spiritual thirst can manifest as a nagging restlessness, a longing for something, but not necessarily anything well defined. We try to satisfy it with shopping, traveling, movies and entertainment, career advancement, parties, etc. But the thirst remains.
Jesus addressed this:
John 7:37-39 (ESV): 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Psalm 23:3: He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Did Jesus restore souls? In Matthew’s gospel we find this quote from Jesus Himself:
Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus, the Shepherd is the one who can restore your soul, not going to see a movie or going out to your favor ite restaurant or drinking a super strong cup of espresso or immersing yourself in Facebook or taking a long hike or playing golf. These may provide temporary superficial distraction and relief. But Jesus is claiming that He can provide deep restoration of the inner person.
What about “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake.” Let’s talk about that when we get to the next verse.
Psalm 23:4a: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;”
We will all walk though the valley of the shadow of death? In fact, we will all actually die. What assurance can we have that The Shepherd will accompany us?
As we look at the life of Jesus Christ we see the eternal Son of God Himself who “was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He arose from the dead.”, as stated in the Apostle’s creed.
Christians, who put their faith in Jesus Christ and follow Him, are worshipping the only God who has suffered and died. There is no other. And He died in a most terrible way. He was tortured and humiliated until He died. Jesus experienced the entire process of dying. Therefore, anyone who dies on this Earth, even under the most cruel of con ditions, can call out to Jesus and know the He understands how it feels and what it is like. We can have confidence that He can shepherd us through the dying process.
We have this confidence because of His resurrection. When we are dying we are cut off from all our loved ones and friends but Jesus Christ as a risen Shepherd makes himself available to us for help and comfort when we are dying.
This cannot be said about any other god worshipped by mankind!
Hebrews 13:20-21 (NIV): 20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought
back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with every thing good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Psalm 23:4b: your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
The staff is for guiding and rescuing. The shepherd nudges the sheep to get them going
and he pokes them to make sure they don’t stray too close to a rushing river or a steep embank ment where they may fall in.
Likewise, our Great Shepherd may poke us when we are doing something that may harm us. “My dear child, why are you watching this movie? I taught you in Philippians 4:8 to think only about whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent, whatever is worthy of praise. Do you really think this movie is any of those things?” Or He may be guiding you with His staff when you hear His voice saying:
“My child, do you really need to drink so much to make yourself happy? Why don’t you make yourself available to be filled by my Holy Spirit and you will be filled with so much joy, so much power, so much illumination and understand ing that you will be overflowing with joy, strength and vision. You will not need drink to cheer you up.” Jesus most certainly leads us with His voice. Here is what Jesus said:
John 10:27-30 (ESV): 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.
But also refers to defending and protecting His sheep. The rod is an instrument of authority, unification and defense. Jesus says that unlike the “out-sourced” shepherd or shepherd for hire, he will fight to the death for his sheep.
John 10:11-13 (ESV): 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
But Jesus fights for His sheep. He has fought for us and will fight for us to ensure our eternal life. He has fought to the death for us.
Psalm 23:5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Here is one occasion when Jesus fulfilled this.
In April of 32 AD Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem. Jesus had made his triumphal entry. He had vio lently cleansed the temple of dishonest currency exchangers, the sellers of sacrificial animals, and other merchants. The Jewish leaders in the temple were poised to arrest Him and kill him. He was surrounded by enemies. But as Passover approached He prepared a supper for His disciples. As He agonized inside and cringed beneath the gathering weight of His pending suffering, He fed His disciples, washed their feet, served them bread and wine and taught them the most profound lessons about their relationship to Him and His Father. While He was being crushed by the approaching darkness and pain, He was comforting them.
While Satan was mounting His greatest ever assault on Jesus, Jesus was hosting His disciples at the Passover meal, washing their feet, teaching them, singing with them.
So, Jesus prepared for His suffering and death by dining with His friends, initiating a New Covenant and cele brating the Passover. Then the next day He became the great Passover lamb for the whole world. The shepherd be came the lamb!
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forev er.
David brings his Psalm to a conclusion by declaring that goodness and mercy would follow Him every day. We know that David’s life was difficult. He fought in many battles. He made big mistakes and did things that were obvious ly very bad. His family was full of strife and violence. His throne was nearly usurped by his own son. But still he saw and acknowledged the hand of God and His goodness and mercy following behind him and caring fo
And ultimately his hope and expectation was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
David believed in the resurrection and eternal life with God.
Did Jesus fulfil this expectation?
Here are His words on the night when He was betrayed.
John 14:1-3 (ESV): 1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to pre pare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
Jesus was preparing to become the sacrifice that would make it possible for all believers to live eternally secure with Him. Jesus made 23:6 possible. Without Him there would be no “dwelling in the house of the Lord forever”. In the very last book of the Bible, where we learn about things to come, we see the last reference to a shep herd in the scriptures and it is a powerful scene.
Revelation 7:9-17 (ESV) :9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Bless ing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
We see here that the Shepherd became the sacrificial Lamb for all of mankind, and then the Lamb becomes the Shepherd. And the Shepherd will be the centerpiece of heaven.
Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
[Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us, Authors: Dorothy A. Thrupp, Henry F. Lyte]
You are among those bought by the blood of the Lamb of God when you repent, call out to God, receive His attention and then follow the great Shepherd. It is only then that we can receive the blessings of this song. If you choose not to listen to the voice of the Shepherd, do not desire for God to know you and do not follow the Shepherd as He teaches and guides you and if you desire for God to leave you alone then surely you will ultimately and eternally end up being Alone Again Naturally and forever.
Now is the perfect time to ensure that you are listening to Jesus, calling out to and being known by the Shep herd and following His guidance and teachings. Start today.
Prayer: Dear Jesus Christ, Great Shepherd of God, hear me as I call out to you. I do not want to ignore you. I want to be known as one of your sheep. I want to be saved through your sacrifice on the cross, as the Lamb of God. I want to have the hope of eternal life through your resurrection as the eternal Great Shepherd. I want to grow to love you. Please teach me to hear your voice and to obey you. Let goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life and then let me dwell in the House of the Lord forever. Thank you, Great Shepherd, for all you have done for me. Amen.