JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

 

A,  Introduction:  Recently, we’ve been talking about God’s help for us in the midst of hard times.  Last week we added a new element.  How do we deal with the fear we feel when we face life’s challenges?

  1. We all face circumstances that make us afraid—circumstances that are potentially dangerous or harmful to us, situations that are bigger than us, and greater than the resources available to us.
  2. But God’s message to His people is always: Fear not. I am with you.  Nothing can come against you that is bigger than me, and no situation is impossible or hopeless for me.
  3. Isa 43:1—But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel. Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine (ESV).
  4. Isa 43:2—When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you (NLT).
  5. Fear not doesn’t mean don’t feel afraid. It’s impossible to not feel fear when threatened.  When God says fear not, He means that when you feel afraid, trust me.  I will get you through this.
  6. In previous lessons we’ve referred to David, King of Israel, who wrote psalms (songs) about the many fearsome circumstances he faced. In these psalms we see how he dealt with fear.
  7. While being relentlessly pursued by men intent on killing him, David wrote: When I am afraid, I put my trust in you (Ps 56:3, ESV)…This I know, that God is for me (Ps 56:9, ESV).
  8. David was able to respond this way to truly frightening circumstances because he knew who God is, and he knew who he was in relation to God. And because of that. he knew God was for him.
  9. For is a tiny word that has a big meaning. The word for is used to indicate the object toward which one’s desire or activity is directed (Webster’s Dictionary).  David knew that God’s desire and activity was directed toward him.  Therefore, David did not fear.
  10. David wrote numerous psalms which give us insight into his understanding of his relationship with the Lord. His most well-known song is Psalm 23.  Note these lines:  The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me (Psalm 23:1-4, ESV).
  11. This is not a funeral psalm. The valley of the shadow of death is this life.  because this world is infused with a curse of corruption and death due to sin (going back to the first man Adam), we walk through the valley of the shadow of death every day.  Rom 5:12-14; Isa 25:7-8
  12. Before David was a king, he was a shepherd. Therefore, he understood the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep, and what it meant for a sheep to have a good shepherd care for him.
  13. We’re taking time to consider what it means to have the Lord as our shepherd so that we, like David, can say in the face of challenging circumstances: I will not fear, for you are with me.

 

  1. Almighty God uses many word pictures to describe Himself, His people, and the relationship that He desires with His people. One of those word images is that of a shepherd and sheep.  This particular image helps us see the value that we have to God as well as the care He provides for us.
  2. Almighty God created human beings to be His sons and daughters, to be a family that lives in loving relationship with Him. Sin has disqualified all of us for our created purpose. Rom 3:23
  3. God refers to men and women lost in sin as sheep who have gone astray (Isa 53:6). Jesus is called the Good Shepherd who came to seek and save lost men and women) and open the way for us to be restored to God our Father. Isa 53:6; John 10:11; Luke 19:10; Matt 10:6; etc.
  4. This image was loaded with meaning for the people group that Jesus was born into—1st century Israel, the Jewish nation. Sheep were among Israel’s most valuable possessions.  However, sheep are dependent creatures and require more attention and care than any other class of livestock.
  5. The Jewish people understood that a lost sheep is unable to free himself from his lost condition, unable to find his way home. The shepherd must find him and bring him home.  Because sheep have value to the shepherd, he will do all he can to bring lost sheep back home.
  6. To illustrate the value that lost men have to God and the effort needed on the part of the Shepherd to save the lost sheep, Jesus told several parables about shepherds going after lost sheep.
  7. When the religious leaders chastised Jesus for healing a man’s deformed hand on the Sabbath, Jesus replied: If you had one a sheep, and it fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you get to work and pull it out?  Of course you would.  And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep!  Yes, it is right to do good on the Sabbath (Matt 12:11-12, NLT).
  8. When leaders criticized Jesus for eating with sinners, He answered them: If you had a hundred sheep, and one went missing, you’d leave the ninety-nine and search until you found the lost sheep.  Then you would rejoice with friends (Luke 15:4-7).  Why?  Because sheep are still valuable to the shepherd even when they are lost.
  9. Everyone in that culture understood that the shepherd must be attentive to his sheep, including counting them, is to see who is up. If one sheep is missing, the shepherd’s first thought is that it is cast down.  Cast down is an old English term for a sheep on his back who cannot get up.
  10. Sheep sometimes turn over on their backs and can’t get up. They flail their legs frantically in fearful frustration and can die within a few hours, especially in hot weather as gas buildup cuts off blood flow.  Predators look for cast sheep because they’re easy prey.
  11. If the sheep count came up short, the shepherd would leave the rest of the flock and find the one that was lost. He searched diligently and quickly because every minute counted.
  12. There would be anxiety over whether the sheep will be alright, followed by the joy of finding it. The shepherd would set the sheep upright, help it to stand, rub it to relieve the pressure of gas buildup, and rub its legs to restore circulation.
  13. A good shepherd wasn’t disgusted with sheep that fell. He didn’t abandon them, he ran to find them, was relieved when they were found, and brought them home, carrying them if necessary.
  14. These parables not only illustrated the value of the sheep to the shepherd, they convey some of the dedication the shepherd had toward his sheep.
  15. A shepherd’s life was one of dedication to the welfare and protection of his flock. The fate of a sheep depended entirely on what his master was like.  A good shepherd meant well cared for sheep.  A bad shepherd meant neglected sheep.
  16. The shepherd was an owner, manager, protector, and provider. His job required constant alertness, especially at night when sheep are most vulnerable to predators.  It was a hard life that required long hours and the efforts of the who family.  Even children worked with the flocks. Gen 29:6; I Sam 16:11
  17. For David, Psalm 23 was not simply a poem. It was a heartfelt expression that came from his own understanding and experience.  He understood the shepherd’s concern for his sheep, as well as what was necessary to properly care for sheep—to guide them, provide for them, and to protect them.

 

  1. David opened his psalm with these words: Ps 23:1-2—The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (do not lack).  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still (peaceful) waters (ESV).
  2. These lines sound like poetry to us. But to an actual shepherd, they were filled with meaning.  Since sheep are dependent creatures, they need a shepherd to provide for them.  As a shepherd, David knew that God would provide for him.  Therefore, David was at peace.  He was content.
  3. David knew that because of their makeup, it’s almost impossible to get sheep to lie down unless they are free from fear, hunger, thirst, friction with other sheep, pests and parasites. Sheep that are restless, agitated, and discontented don’t flourish.  They must be able to lie down in peace.
  4. The shepherd has to address all of these issues before sheep can rest, relax and be content. In other words, the shepherd must make them lie down by dealing with their needs.
  5. Sheep who are hungry and thirsty will not lie down in peace and contentment. A shepherd must have a plan for moving and directing his sheep to provide pasture and water.
  6. If sheep are not properly led to adequate pasture and water, they will overgraze and destroy their own food source, and they will drink from polluted water and pick up parasites.
  7. Sheep, especially female sheep, need green pasture to produce a heavy milk flow to nourish their lambs. When God told Israel that He was giving them a land flowing with milk and honey, He meant that there is abundant pasture for grazing to ensure heavy milk flow. Ex 3:8
  8. Sheep need guidance as well as provision and protection, and there was a working relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. Shepherds mostly led their sheep by calling their names, as opposed to driving them.  Sheep recognized the voice of their shepherd.
  9. Since their only defense is to run, sheep are extremely timid and easily frightened into a stampede. Seeing their shepherd in the field had a calming effect on the flock.  This is why the shepherd had to stay with his sheep.  When sheep see their shepherd, they know they are safe.
  10. Sheep have a pecking order, and they butt each other for the best grazing spots. This agitation makes the flock uneasy, discontented, and restless.  But when they see the shepherd, they take their focus off of each other, direct their attention to their shepherd, and stop their fighting.
  11. David knew that a good shepherd stays with his sheep and that the shepherd is for his sheep. (Remember, the word for is used to indicate the object toward which one’s desire or activity is directed).  David wrote:  I will fear no evil, for you are with me (Psalm 23:4, ESV).
  12. David didn’t have all the details we have about God’s provision for His lost sheep. David didn’t know that God, the Good Shepherd, would incarnate and die as a sacrifice for his sins.
  13. But David knew the value he had to his Shepherd and the care and concern his Shepherd had for him as his sheep. Note what David did know about God and who he was in relation to God.
  14. Ps 8:3-5—When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you have set in place—what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? For you made us only a little lower than (the angels), and you crowned us with glory and honor (NLT).
  15. Ps 139:15-18—You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the darkness of the womb. You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.  How precious are your thoughts about me, O God!  They are innumerable!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! When I wake up in the morning, you are still with me (NLT).
  16. Ps 56:8—You keep track of all my sorrows, You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book (NLT).

 

  1. When Jesus was on earth, He took the title of Good Shepherd. He said:  I am the Good Shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11, ESV).
  2. Jesus’ audience was well familiar with shepherds and sheep. And, as good Jews, they would have been familiar with David’s life story and his psalm about the Lord as his shepherd.
  3. They knew the commitment that a good shepherd makes to his flock. A good shepherd’s life revolved around caring for his sheep, facing possible harm to himself while fighting off predatory animals like lions and bears.
  4. They were also expecting the Messiah (Savior) to come and deliver them from sufferings. Several of the Old Testament prophets described the coming Savior as a Shepherd:
  5. Isa 40:10-11—Behold, the Lord will come with strong hand…He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young (KJV).
  6. Jesus said that a good shepherd “calls his own sheep by name and leads them” (John 10:3, NLT). He further said:  I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me (John 10:14, NLT); I know and recognize my own (John 10:14, Amp).
  7. The audience knew that shepherds use their crooks (staffs) to return separated lambs to their mothers. Shepherd must know who is who in order to do that.
  8. The Good Shepherd shows us the heart of God toward His sheep because the Good Shepherd is God. The Shepherd knows and cares for His sheep as a group (a flock) and as individuals.  He sees me.  He knows my name.  He cares for me.  He came to seek and save me.
  9. To appreciate the fact that God the Good Shepherd is with you, you must know that He is for you, not because of who you are, but because of who He is and who you are in relation to Him.
  10. Through creation and redemption, we belong to the Good Shepherd who cares for us “watchfully and affectionately” (I Pet 5:7, Amp)). The Shepherd is our Creator as well as our Redeemer.
  11. When God made Adam, He made a son and a race of sons in Adam, since all of us were in Adam potentially. The Lord’s first pronouncement over us was:  Very good! Gen 1:31
  12. When we went astray into the pigpen of sin, our Creator (our Shepherd) incarnated and was born into this world to redeem us through His sacrificial death on the Cross. In doing so He opened the way for us to be restored to His family. I Pet 1:18-19; I Pet 3:18
  13. Our value to God does not come out of our successes or failures. Our value comes from Him and the reasons He created and redeemed us.  His help does not come because we deserve it.  His help comes because of who He is and who we are in relation to him.  Therefore, we need not fear.
  14. In the context of God knowing us before He created the earth and choosing us to be His own through creation and redemption (Rom 8:29-30) note what Paul the apostle wrote.
  15. Rom 8:31-32—Faced with all this, what can we say? If God is for us, who can be against us?  He did not even keep back his own Son, but offered him up for us all!  He gave us his Son—will he not also freely give us all things (Good News Bible).
  16. At the beginning of the lesson we quoted the prophet Isaiah: Isa 43:1-2—But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel.  Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine (ESV).  When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you (NLT).
  17. Isaiah was sent to Israel when they were abandoning God to worship false gods. But the prophet gives general information about God that applies to all people who belong to God.  Isaiah is the one who wrote that the Messiah will care for His flock like a shepherd. Isa 40:10-11
  18. God is our Creator and our Redeemer. God has called each us by name and says to us:  You are mine.  Fear not.  I am with you in times of trouble.  It will not destroy you.  I will bring you through until you are out.

 

  1. Conclusion: We have more to say next week about the Good Shepherd, but consider one more thought           as we close this lesson.  When you know who God is (the Good Shepherd) and who you are in relation to Him (a valuable sheep) you can respond to trouble like David:  I trust you Lord, and I will not fear because you are with me, and you care for me watchfully and affectionately.