Good Shepherd
The Good Shepherd
Preached by Apostle Aje Pelser
Harvester Reformational Church, Cape Town, 13 October 2013
Jesus’ famous sermon about the Good Shepherd has its origins in the prophets as we can see by reading John 10 and Ezekiel 34 in juxtaposition:
Joh 10:11 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
Joh 10:12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
Joh 10:13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
Joh 10:15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Joh 10:17 'Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
Joh 10:18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.'
Joh 10:25 Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.
Joh 10:26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Joh 10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.
Joh 10:30 I and My Father are one.'
Ezekiel’s Prophetic Burden against the leaders of Israel during his time mentions some significant contrasts between good and evil shepherds. The Characteristics of the Good Shepherd stand out to show us Jesus’ pattern of shepherding in the Church today.
Eze 34:1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Eze 34:2 'Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: 'Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
Eze 34:3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock.
Eze 34:4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.
Eze 34:5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
Eze 34:6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.'
Eze 34:7 'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Eze 34:8 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock'—
Eze 34:9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD!
Eze 34:10 Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.'
Eze 34:11 'For thus says the Lord GOD: 'Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.
Eze 34:12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.
Eze 34:13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country.
Eze 34:14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
Eze 34:15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,' says the Lord GOD.
Eze 34:16 'I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.'
Eze 34:17 'And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats.
Eze 34:18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?
Eze 34:19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.'
Eze 34:20 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: 'Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep.
Eze 34:21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad,
Eze 34:22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
Eze 34:23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.
Eze 34:24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
Eze 34:25 'I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.
Eze 34:26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing.
Eze 34:27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.
Eze 34:28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.
Eze 34:29 I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore.
Eze 34:30 Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,' says the Lord GOD.' '
Eze 34:31 'You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,' says the Lord GOD.
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Bad Shepherds |
Good Shepherd |
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feed themselves |
feed the flocks |
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eat the fat and clothe yourselves with wool |
Became the Passover Lamb |
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with force and cruelty you have ruled them |
strengthened the weak healed those who were sick, bound up the broken, brought back what was driven away, sought what was lost – Luke 19:10 |
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Sheep scattered – no shepherding |
Shepherd gathers his sheep |
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Sheep became food for all the beasts of the field Hireling flees |
Shepherd protects sheep against beasts, wolves Lays down his life for the Sheep, delivers flock from their mouths |
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eaten up the good pasture, foul the water |
I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries will bring them to their own land I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down |
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and scattered them abroad, |
I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.' |
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Comparison and superiority Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, |
Judgment of the Shepherd between sheep and sheep, rams and goats
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Flocks serve as prey, no long term commitment |
Jesus son of David – the One Shepherd Covenant of peace and protection |
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Out of Zion, outer darkness |
Blessing of Zion – positional blessing Rain and Seasonal Blessing Increase Safety Deliverance from Slavery No Fear: Perfect Love Casts out Fear |
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Does not build, but consumes |
I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore |
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Not faithful and Always there |
Shepherd’s Presence assured |
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Don’t know the sheep |
Shepherd calls us His Sheep of His Pasture |
Characteristics of the Good Shepherd from excerpts of the LIFE OF CHRIST (Author: Dr Roy M. Gray; available from Miracle Bible College mbc@harvesterchurch.org.za )
Ward off the Wolves
[Those who teach error] will claim divine authority and mislead many, thus destroying their lives. Later Jesus will call Himself the “Good Shepherd”, giving life more abundantly, in contrast to “thieves and robbers” and the false “hireling” who allows the “wolf” to destroy the sheep (Jn. 10). Paul, later, warns against “grievous wolves”, and identifies their destructive work as being “speaking perverse things” (Ac. 20.29,30).
Shepherd Raising Jairus’ Daughter: Mark 5:41
He spoke a word of endearment to the young girl. He said, 'Little lamb, get up!' It's time to get up – from your sleep! Rise, My child! What a sweet touch, tenderness of tone, and yet it was the great Creator. Just two words. Talitha, diminutive of the word lamb; little lamb, most suitable, for the Good Shepherd was here to deliver her from the cruel wolf: and koum, rise, suitable to the use of 'sleep' as describing her temporary withdrawal from consciousness.
A Shepherd’s Compassion
He felt compassion for them because they “fainted' and were 'scattered abroad”. 'Fainted' is from skullo, to skin, flay, rend, and so, vex, trouble, annoy. In the passive it means, distressed, harassed. The meaning here may be 'hunted”, 'tired out”, 'exhausted by long, aimless wandering, footsore and fleece-sore”. A sheep's skin is very delicate. Is Jesus thinking of their literal following of Him (Al) or the fatigue of spirit by the heavy burdens of the scribes and Pharisees (Mt. 22.4; 11.28-30)? “Scattered abroad' translates rhipto, throw, or cast: in the passive, cast down, prostrate. It is a natural sequel from the first word, lying down, scattered about here and there. Such a condition is possible only when there is no shepherd.
Jesus the Shepherd of Souls
By Jesus and His death, becoming 'Shepherd and Bishop of your souls' (1 Pet 2.25). The Ezekiel passage suggests they are to be the shepherds, at least under-shepherds.
Teaching the Word restores the Sheep to their Shepherd
Shepherdless sheep. Matthew. Began to teach. It is lack of real teaching as to what to do that reduces men and women to the status of sheep without a shepherd. In one sense, yes, since Mark features action. Could not give them exhaustive treatment of the subjects, but a beginning at least. As He kept on with His teaching, unwilling to deprive them of the words of life, though it began to get late.
The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life
That makes Him the 'good shepherd'. He gives His life for the sheep. Jesus is never in doubt about this one feature of His life on earth – that He came to die for His sheep.
Unity between Shepherd and Sheep
The role of a hireling has just been described. To bring us back to a contemplation of Himself so as to indicate a second mark of a 'good shepherd' Jesus repeats His words, and relates them to a further revelation of the Good Shepherd's character. That is the 'relation full of tenderness which unites Jesus and His sheep'. He knows them, sees what a rich treasure He has in them (cf. the parable of the treasure in the field, Mt. 13), 'perfectly discerns all which He possesses in them'. He knows the 'inmost longing, the deepest necessity of the heart which He draws to Himself'.
But this knowledge is reciprocal. The sheep know the Shepherd. But since the Shepherd is all-important the wording is: I 'am known of mine', rather than 'they know me'. Believers know the Shepherd, the love He has for them (cf. Rom. 5.8), and what He is to them and will do for them. This is the basis of our faith – knowing Jesus and all that He is and does. This knowledge is so deep and inward that it is likened to the mutual knowledge of the Father and the Son (v. 15). But notice in v. 15 that Jesus puts Himself on the same level as His Father by saying 'know I the Father' rather than 'am known of the Father' as in v. 14.
'The knowledge which unites Jesus with His sheep' is 'of the same nature as that which unites Him to God. It is as if the luminous medium in which the heart of the Son and the heart of the Father meet each other, were enlarged so as to become that in which the heart of Jesus and that of His sheep meet each other'. (Godet)
In the Church
Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Pastors G4166 poime¯n
Thayer Definition:
1) a herdsman, especially a shepherd
1a) in the parable, he to whose care and control others have committed themselves, and whose precepts they follow
2) metaphorically
2a) the presiding officer, manager, director, of any assembly: so of Christ the Head of the church
2a1) of the overseers of the Christian assemblies
2a2) of kings and princes
To Summarize:
That Garden of Renown that Jesus ha prepared for His Sheep is the Church that He builds. In that Garden we find pasture, provision, safety, healing, rest for our souls and his rod and His staff comfort us. That One Shepherd that Ezekiel was referring to – David My Servant, was Jesus, a descendent of David. David understood the Shepherd's heart first before he became King, so did Jesus. Jesus not only risked his life but laid it down for us His Sheep. Like APostle Andre sings on his latest blues CD: 'the Lord is My Shepherd I don't want another one; He tells me He's my Father and reminds me I'm His Son.'
