Post by foxjj on Dec 16, 2022 22:49:38 GMT
The Shepherd And His Sheep
When reading the Old Testament we learn that Israel consider Yahweh to be their Shepherd as we see in Psalm 23:1-3: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." These verses have been used as words of comfort for all Bible believers. In them we hear of the God who leads and comforts His people. The verse’s encourage each one to know that Our Heavenly Father will always be there in times of need, bringing us into a place of safety and peace.
The Old Testament sacrificial system offered at the Temple in Jerusalem required large numbers of sheep. Because of its close proximity to Jerusalem, sheep were bread in the fields just outside Bethlehem, which were used in the required Temple sacrifices. As we know Bethlehem was also the town where Jesus, of whom John the Baptist called: “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” was born. Interestingly, on the night of Jesus birth it was to shepherds that the heavenly host proclaimed the good news: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
This was the Messiah of whom Israel had been waiting and of whom the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)
When Jesus began His ministry, He would often use the example of shepherding and sheep in His teachings, such as in John 10:2-5: “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
In one of the well know portions of John chapter 10, Jesus made a profound statement concerning His identity: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life —only to take it up again.”(John 10:14-17)
One can only imagine the confusion that such a statement made among His listeners. Here was a Jewish teacher claiming not only to have followers among the people of Israel, but will also be calling followers from the Gentile nations. Not only that, He also claims equality with God. To the Jewish leadership, this was blasphemy, deserving of death. Notwithstanding, because of the evidence of His healing and teaching ministry, many were prepared to continue listening to, and even follow Jesus.
When comparing Psalm 23 and John chapter 10 we can see that The Good Shepherd cares about us in both our daily life, as also our spiritual life. Jesus came into our world to show the way to The Father, and lay down His life in order that His sheep can receive forgiveness, and spend eternity with Him. It was Paul who wrote concerning Jesus: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)
At Calvary, The Lamb of God was slain, consequently, there is now no other sacrifice for sin. Jesus’ atoning sacrificial death was the one and only Divinely Appointed Sacrifice for sin. Through His death as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, Jesus is offering redemption to all who repent and call upon His name as Paul explained in Romans 3:23-25: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished —“
Jesus, both as the Good Shepherd, and the Lamb of God, offers redemption to you and I.
Today, let us give thanks for The Good Shepherd.
John Joseph Fox.
When reading the Old Testament we learn that Israel consider Yahweh to be their Shepherd as we see in Psalm 23:1-3: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." These verses have been used as words of comfort for all Bible believers. In them we hear of the God who leads and comforts His people. The verse’s encourage each one to know that Our Heavenly Father will always be there in times of need, bringing us into a place of safety and peace.
The Old Testament sacrificial system offered at the Temple in Jerusalem required large numbers of sheep. Because of its close proximity to Jerusalem, sheep were bread in the fields just outside Bethlehem, which were used in the required Temple sacrifices. As we know Bethlehem was also the town where Jesus, of whom John the Baptist called: “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” was born. Interestingly, on the night of Jesus birth it was to shepherds that the heavenly host proclaimed the good news: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
This was the Messiah of whom Israel had been waiting and of whom the prophet Isaiah wrote:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)
When Jesus began His ministry, He would often use the example of shepherding and sheep in His teachings, such as in John 10:2-5: “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
In one of the well know portions of John chapter 10, Jesus made a profound statement concerning His identity: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life —only to take it up again.”(John 10:14-17)
One can only imagine the confusion that such a statement made among His listeners. Here was a Jewish teacher claiming not only to have followers among the people of Israel, but will also be calling followers from the Gentile nations. Not only that, He also claims equality with God. To the Jewish leadership, this was blasphemy, deserving of death. Notwithstanding, because of the evidence of His healing and teaching ministry, many were prepared to continue listening to, and even follow Jesus.
When comparing Psalm 23 and John chapter 10 we can see that The Good Shepherd cares about us in both our daily life, as also our spiritual life. Jesus came into our world to show the way to The Father, and lay down His life in order that His sheep can receive forgiveness, and spend eternity with Him. It was Paul who wrote concerning Jesus: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)
At Calvary, The Lamb of God was slain, consequently, there is now no other sacrifice for sin. Jesus’ atoning sacrificial death was the one and only Divinely Appointed Sacrifice for sin. Through His death as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, Jesus is offering redemption to all who repent and call upon His name as Paul explained in Romans 3:23-25: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood —to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished —“
Jesus, both as the Good Shepherd, and the Lamb of God, offers redemption to you and I.
Today, let us give thanks for The Good Shepherd.
John Joseph Fox.
