Jesus Christ the Lord Is Our Good Shepherd

We have come out of a very difficult time. We still are in a difficult and strange time. And we are facing challenging times ahead of us. We have experienced, are experiencing, all kinds of emotions — anger, anxiety, frustration, fear, disappointment, despair, confusion. It was hard to find joy, peace, calm, patience, gentleness, kindness. It became harder to love. Tensions are running high. Conflict is boiling just below the surface and sometimes bursts out into the open. What to do, how to love, when a brother or sister in Christ disagrees with me, has very different viewpoints, sees and understands things differently than me? How to love? How to die to self? In times like these, what does it mean to be and to live as God’s kingdom people? How is it possible to live the kingdom life? During the next few Sundays, I want to show you that this is possible, to show you why and how it is possible to be and live as God’s kingdom people here and now. And, the first reason this is possible, is because Jesus Christ, our Lord, is our Good Shepherd. I want to take you back to Psalm 23. Let’s read Psalm 23.

1. The LORD, Yahweh, is my shepherd

This Psalm begins with a simple but profound and awesome proclamation of faith and truth — The Lord is my Shepherd. The LORD, Yahweh, the great I AM, the only, true, living, eternal, holy God is our shepherd. Just think about this. Yahweh, the all-powerful God, the Creator of heaven and earth is our shepherd. Jesus says in John 10:11 & 14 — “I am the good shepherd.” Jesus is the Sovereign Lord and he is our Shepherd. Isn’t this amazing? The Lord, the Son of God, who came to earth, became human, died, was resurrected, ascended to heaven, was glorified, and now rules the universe sitting at the right hand of God the Father — He, the Sovereign Lord is our shepherd. The LORD is my, our shepherd — He lives a close, personal, intimate relationship with us. We are his people. He bought us with his blood. He sealed us with his Holy Spirit. We belong to him. This gives us confidence for life, no matter what life may throw at us. The LORD is our shepherd — He loves us. He cares for us. He is going out in front of us, leading us. We can follow Him with confidence and joy in all circumstances. But this can happen only when we accept Him as Lord, listen to his voice, and follow Him. This Psalm teaches us three things about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

2. Jesus is our Provider

First, Jesus is our Provider, therefore, we will lack nothing. We lack nothing because He cares and provides for all our needs. As the Sovereign Lord He is in control. He directs people and circumstances all around us to meet our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Green pastures and quiet waters provide food and water. They are also places of safety that provide rest and security. We find rest and security in Jesus when we abide in Him. During this time, when you experienced all kinds of feelings, when your mind was reeling and trying to make sense of what was happening, what did you do? Did you seek refuge, help, rest, and peace in our Shepherd? Did you share those feelings with him, give over your burdens to him? Even when we go through difficult times, we follow Jesus with confidence, because He will provide. It may be in ways totally different than what we expected or wanted. He knows best what we need. He restores our souls, refreshes our lives, revives our bodies, and strength when we abide and rest in Him.

3. Jesus is our Guide and Protector

Second, Jesus is our Guide and Protector. Therefore, we will not fear. Life’s journey can take us along many different paths. We face difficult circumstances as now. Jesus the Good Shepherd is our Guide who leads us in the right paths. The paths of righteousness are the ways of God, which Jesus taught and showed us, which are revealed in God’s Word. We follow Jesus in the right ways of living. We obey Him. We study and obey his Word. And so we do what is right. We live holy, kingdom lives that glorify God. He will guide us through this time and the times ahead, if we will listen to, hear and follow his voice. Jesus is also our Protector. Life’s paths take us also through dark valleys. At this time we are going through a dark valley, and for many, this is the dark valley of death. But whatever life and the world throw at us, whatever may happen, we will not fear. Yes, it may be frightening, but we will not fear. Because Jesus, the Sovereign Lord, the Good Shepherd, is our Protector, and he is with us. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us. Therefore, “we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Heb. 13:6) And even when we have to face physical death, even then we will not fear because we know that Jesus the Good Shepherd has laid down his life for us. He has gone through death before us. He conquered death. Now, he will be with us. He will guide us through the shadow of death. We will be resurrected with a new life, eternal life, and we will live in his presence forever.

4. Jesus is our Host

And then, Jesus the Good Shepherd is our Host, and therefore, we will dwell in His Presence always and forever. As the gracious Host, He welcomes us into his house, into his presence. The table speaks of a feast that the Lord is preparing for us. He welcomes us with respect and honor by anointing our heads and refreshing us with oil. The overflowing cup speaks of abundance and joy. When we count our blessings we are overwhelmed with the Lord’s goodness and love. He blesses us beyond abundance, with more than we need. As our Host, Jesus provides security and protection. We are facing many enemies today. And now we are facing this virus and its consequences—uncertain future—financial hardships, a possible changed way of life, new normal. But the Lord is our Host and he protects us. And then the beautiful ending in verse 6. Because Jesus is the Good Shepherd this is what will happen. His goodness, his faithful, loyal love will follow us, actually, it pursues us. God is good and faithful. He loves us. His love pursued us so much, that he sent his Son as the good shepherd to die for us. His love still pursues us. Even in these difficult times, even when we forget about Him and become preoccupied with self and all that is happening to us, His love pursues us and is with us. Jesus is the gate, and whoever enters through him will be saved (John 10:9). Through Jesus, we can enter into the presence of the Lord. Jesus is with us always and He lives in us through the Holy Spirit as he promised in John 15. We can enjoy his presence with confidence every day, all the days of our lives, in all circumstances. Jesus is also the gate to eternal life. Through Him, we will enter into, enjoy, and live in the Lord’s presence for eternity. Conclusion Because Jesus Christ the Lord is our Good Shepherd we can face this crisis and whatever lies ahead of us. We can live as God’s kingdom people in the midst of all that’s happening. We can persevere with faith, love, and hope. What must we do? We must make sure that Jesus is our shepherd. We must believe in and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then, we must listen to his voice, keep our eyes fixed on him, and follow him as our Good Shepherd. When we abide in Christ every day, He, the Good Shepherd, empowers us by the power of the Holy Spirit to live his kingdom life every day. His power, His Spirit, comforts us, guides us, and restores us. We must refuse to allow fear to dominate our lives. Dark valleys are frightening. Dark times are terrifying. The world is a scary place. It causes anxiety when you don’t know where the next meal will come from. It is frightening when you are seriously ill. It is terrifying when you are standing at death’s door. But the Lord tells us to be strong and courageous. As one author said, “Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is trusting God and his Word even when circumstances seem impossible.” Courage is keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus our Good Shepherd. He is with us always and wherever we go. His provision, his presence, his guidance, and his power protect us. Because Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, lives, we live, and we can live the kingdom life for his glory.