"Our Good Shepherd"
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Introduction: This Psalm, outside of John 3:16, is probably the most well known passage of Scripture in the Bible. In just about every funeral I’ve attended or done, it has been quoted or stated in the program. It has been quoted in pop culture, found even as the first line of the rap song “Gangsta’s Paradise,” and numerous other mediums. It has a profound impact on culture, but it has even greater meaning for those that know Christ.
The impact of this Psalm on believers is one of great comfort. But the question is, why does it, and what significance does it have for us as God’s people? And how does this Psalm point us to Jesus and our lives as His followers, His church?
CTS: Trust Jesus, our good shepherd.
I. Jesus Shepherds Our Lives (1-3)
I. Jesus Shepherds Our Lives (1-3)
The LORD is my shepherd: The identity of the LORD is again, Yahweh, the covenant name of God, the Great I Am of Exodus. This is the self-given name of God, given to Moses to tell the Egyptians and to tell the Israelites. I am that I am, reminding us of his infinite power and self-existence, his holiness and being set apart from us. But with that, comes this description by David, no doubt using his own experience and one that is used throughout Scripture.
Shepherding is a common theme throughout Scripture. Complex yet described of many characters and God himself. One commentator (James Mays) says:
Psalms Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)
The primary duties of the shepherd’s vocation were provision and protection for the flock. The shepherd pastured the flock, led them in the right way when they had to move, fended off predators—pastoral activities described in the psalm. The sheep were his responsibility, and he was accountable for their welfare
God is described as a shepherd of Israel, God’s people in a number of places.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.
Kings were called to the task of shepherding as well, highlighting the humble aspect of what it meant to be a true godly king. Though Israel’s kings often failed in this regard, they were still called to it, and they were judged on that very calling.
1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
Later on, God would intend that certain men in the church would be to the office of elder/pastor. These men are called undershepherds as they guide they flock, leading them to Christ, the good shepherd, and protect the flock from wolves.
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
But why is it that the theme of shepherding is used by David and the rest of Scripture? It’s because God’s people often act like sheep. And sheep are often described in Scripture in a negative connotation.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Sheep are not only dependent creatures; singularly unintelligent, prone to wandering and unable to find their way to a shepherd even when it is in sight. - Leland Ryken
We are naturally obstinate and wander. I am reminded of a video I once watched of a sheep getting its head stuck in a large crack in the ground. The person/shepherd pulled the sheep out and then not seconds later, he hops and runs and gets himself stuck again in the same crack, just a little further down the path. Is that not a description sometimes of us? Is that not showing how much we need a shepherd?
We see the importance of the Shepherd description. God is the ultimate shepherd of His people. We see as we read earlier in John 10 that Jesus describes himself as the shepherd. He is the shepherd, the fulfillment of verse 1. Jesus is the shepherd. Yahweh, Israel’s shepherd, would come and put on flesh to be lead His people from a greater slavery, to a new Exodus, shepherding them from slavery to sin and death.
The provision of the shepherd: To know Christ is to not want. Why won’t we lack what we need or what we want? Because Jesus our Good Shepherd gives everything through his guiding hand and staff. But remember this:
Psalms Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)
It does not leave those who say it to fill it out with what they want out of their own subjective wills. It has its own agenda of what the LORD does to fulfill one’s needs
This all has touching points, no doubt as David is reminding God’s people as he does often of their own exodus journey and through their lives as His people, related through songs and prayers.
I do not lack: Deut 2:7
7 For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” ’
He makes us lie down in green pastures, water to rest by: Led to the places of provision that God gave His people, relates to us today. God provides for every need according to his agenda, not our own. He leads us to rest in His provision.
He restores my soul: Ps 30:3
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.
He leads me in paths of righteousness: Exodus 15:13
13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
All of these point us to Christ, who has delivered us in our own exodus. It is Christ that leads us, promises to provide and give us rest in Him. He feeds us, sustains us, quenches us. He restores our soul from death, for sin has brought that death upon us. He leads us in righteousness, for He is the completely righteous one. This righteous one has revived us through His own death and resurrection to give us resurrection life. He shepherds us throughout our lives, leading us to where we need to be and where to, promising his presence and his provision all along the way.
For his name sake: He does this according to the sake of His own name. For His ultimate glory does our lives reflect. The sheep are not in it for the glory of us, ourselves, but the shepherd who guides, leads, protects, and delivers us. He is the righteous one, we are not, yet he leads us in that righteousness so that His name sake would be declared.
Application: The questions we need to ask ourselves: Are we being led by the shepherd, or are we running and straying to where we want to go? Are we trusting Jesus, His Word, His will for us, or are we trying to go where we want to go? Does our home reflect a reliance and trust in Jesus as the shepherd of our homes? Does our church reflect a reliance on Jesus, or on our own ingenuity and our own ideas? Is our trust seen in the way we do our finances and in the day to day activities of our lives?
Have you ever lacked from what you needed? Do we trust Jesus as God’s people, or do we trust in someone else, or even ourselves more than we trust Him?
II. Jesus Crushes the Skull of Death (4)
II. Jesus Crushes the Skull of Death (4)
Walking through the shadow of death: David uses a clear picture of the description of the danger he faces. What David has in mind here is a path will hills alongside, much like a canyon, where robbers and criminals would camp out and try to steal and hurt people passing through. There were areas like this throughout, and still are today. Travelers have to be alert and often go at certain times of the day when many people are traveling through the area so at to have numbers on their side when they travel.
With this picture in mind, we see how David faces death. Much like this canyon, the sheep of the flock need protection, a guiding hand, one that would lead them through this death valley.
Death is the enemy that surrounds all of us. Death has entered the world, we all face it. Sin has brought that death about. We live in a world, fraught with dangers and death all around us. Diseases, cancer, health issues, technology, war, riding at high speeds every day…death is a reality that all of humanity faces.
The enemies surrounded David, and David had many threats throughout his life. Goliath threatened his life. Saul threatened his life. Wars threatened his life. His own Absalom threatened his life. Yet David recognized that Yahweh, his shepherd, was with him through it.
The guidance of the shepherd: The guidance of that shepherd as we talked about earlier also guides us in our lives through the dangers we face. God’s people are led by the shepherding hand of God. We are led by the shepherding hand of Jesus. The shepherd kept two different tools with him. A rod, which was used for defense against predators that would attack the sheep, and the staff that would guide the sheep safely. Those two are important for us to consider. First, let’s consider the staff.
The staff: The staff was meant as a guiding tool of the shepherd. Sheep are often stubborn, and need to be led through physical means to keep them out of danger. The shepherd would use the physical force of the staff to move the sheep where they needed to go. Jesus, as he shepherds us, sometimes has to use the staff to direct us away from danger to to guide us through the danger to safety on the other end. Sometimes, the sheep get themselves into danger, and the shepherd lovingly disciplines them so as to get the to safety. The reason why David says this is comforting is that God still cares for his sheep, and desires their safety. Like any good parent, discipline is to lead the child in the right direction, away from the danger. When we are disciplined by the Lord, which will happen to us if we know him, it is a loving act to restore us to the paths of righteousness.
The rod: The rod was meant to fight off the predators. This was weapon that would bash the skull of the predator, the wolves, and keep them away. Satan prowls around like a like lion, seeking whom he may devour. Jesus our good shepherd fights off the enemy. He fights off death for us. How? Jesus walked through the valley of the shadow of death himself for us. It was there at the cross where he died, where he took of the rod of his righteousness and sinlessness, and crushed death for us. He crushed the enemy, the serpent, and crushed death.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
The shepherd has defeated death the rod of salvation. He has broken it, given victory over it. The sheep of Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, never have to fear death. We never have to fear the danger of death, and we are confident as God’s people that Jesus is always near, even in the darkest of moments. Moments brought upon ourselves, where he lovingly disciplines us. Moments of where we all face natural death. Many of us have lost loved ones to the enemy death, at least to physical death. Cancer has racked our loved ones bodies, or maybe just natural old age. Some in tragic circumstances and unexpected ones. But without any hesitation, I can say this: death for the believer is not the end. It is only the beginning.
III. Jesus Leads Us Home (5-6)
III. Jesus Leads Us Home (5-6)
A place prepared for us:
David understood that it was God alone that would sustain him and keep him from death. He knew from his own experiences that the shepherd would lead him to the place he needed to be. He knew that God was going to set him up right in front of the enemies that surrounded him, to provide for him food, to anoint his work. David trusted God was with him and providing for him, even when all seemed lost.
The cup of David overflowed even in the midst of those dark days, where the enemies were many, and the friends were few. He knew God anointed him as king, and he knew that God was intending to use him. Wherever God led him, it was goo enough, because God was with him. Do we view God as enough for us? Is he enough to say, that whatever we go through, my cup overflows, because Jesus is enough for me?
How can David say that? Because he knew that God’s goodness has been with him all the days of his life. God’s mercy, even when he sinned and messed up badly, was with him. God had to pop him a few times, get him back on the right track, but that’s mercy. That’s God’s goodness.
For the believer today, we say alongside David, that we have this intimate relationship with our shepherd, Jesus. He is our good shepherd. The enemy has no hold on us. Death is defeated. Satan is defeated. Sin is defeated. We sit in front of our enemies and enjoy the meal of God prepared for us. He cleansed us, washed us, and has given us his goodness and mercy. Jesus gave all of that as a gift to us through faith in him. That he died and rose again as a big celebration in front of our enemies. We are His, not theirs.
Dwell in the house of LORD forever:
That through the death of Jesus, his defeat of the enemy, crushing its skull, we are now able to dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Interestingly enough, some claim that the Jews had no sense of eternity. I think this is just one place where we see that this isn’t true. David knew that eternity was real, that death had no hold on him, that he would dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Jesus is leading us home church. It’s a journey. Trials, tribulations, sickness, heartache, death. The enemy seems to be winning sometimes. Sometimes we get ourselves into some terrible places. Yet the wonderful merciful Savior Jesus, our good shepherd, leads us home. He has to push us, discipline us, but always towards the greener pastures, to the home he has prepared for us, purchased by his own death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.
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.”
Because Jesus, our good shepherd, has defeated death and will do so once and for all. Jesus will throw death in the casket, with its head bashed in, and lock it and throw it into the lake of fire. Death dies forever. The resurrection of Jesus ensures that. It ensures that we will make it home, no matter what comes. We currently dwell in his presence, and will forever dwell in his presence in His house, forever.
The question I ask you today is this: Is this eternal home of the LORD going to be your home?