SCATTERED: God has concern for the weak sheep.
- Ezekiel 34:4-6.
- Matthew 9:36.
- Let’s start with the accusation that God is bringing against the shepherds of Ezekiel’s day.
- Just so we’re all on the same page: we obviously are not talking about literal shepherds. Rather, we are talking about the religious leaders of Israel. They were tasked with caring for the people of Israel. In particular, making sure they stayed close to their God.
- They were failing miserably at that.
- Unpack the specific phrases in vv. 4-6.
- Why would shepherds act like this?
- I think it usually comes down to focusing on what they are getting out of the sheep rather than actually caring for the sheep.
- You might think of a pastor today who gets his power and prestige as the leader of a congregation, but doesn’t actually care for the individual sheep. He wants to be a CEO type of figure, enjoying what he receives from his position but not wanting to be bothered with actually having to care for the people in his church.
- You might think of a deacon board who find the problems within its congregation to be a bother. There are a bunch of messed-up people who need intensive discipling and care, but that is going to take a lot of time and effort. Instead, they focus on being a policy-making board but largely ignore the actual people.
- In both cases, they enjoy what they get from a leadership position without wanting to do the difficult work of actually caring for the sheep.
- We see this in the New Testament too. Look with me at Matthew 9:36.
- So this is something that was true of the situation that Jesus was walking into.
BAD SHEPHERDS: The shepherds are held responsible for the sheep.
- Ezekiel 34:2-3, 7-10.
- James 3:1.
- Unpack vv. 2-3, 7-10.
- It’s important to realize that being a shepherd is a great privilege and honor, but it’s also a responsibility. There is accountability for the job you’ve done.
- These shepherds have failed. God is paying attention and is unhappy. Judgment will fall.
- I’m reminded of James 3:1, where it speaks of teachers receiving a stricter judgment.
GOOD SHEPHERD: Christ is the promised Good Shepherd.
- Ezekiel 34:23.
- Matthew 2:6; John 10:11, 14; Hebrews 13:10.
- Matthew 2:6 indicates that Jesus is the promised shepherd over Israel.
- John 10:11, 14 has Jesus claiming the mantle of the Good Shepherd.
- One thing that's important for us to grasp about the connection between Ezekiel 34 and John 10 is that this is a prophetic title.
- We can fairly easily understand the imagery here. We could also bring in the 23rd Psalm as another place we see that image used.
- But Ezekiel 34:23 makes this a predicted title of the coming Messiah. This is another way that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.
- We can presume too that when Jesus invokes this image in John 10, it is not taken by the Pharisees as a benign self-identification. Their expertise of the Old Testament would mean they would know what Ezekiel 34 has to say about the coming Messiah as well as the indictment of the poor shepherds. This would be just another reason they would be furious at Jesus.
- I want to look at three of the things this passage tells us about Jesus as the shepherd but let me talk first for a minute about shepherding in general.
- People really like the care part of having a shepherd. And that's true and crucial. It’s lovely to think that we aren’t alone in the wilderness but that we have a Good Shepherd.
- But a corollary truth is that you have to be led by the shepherd. He is the one directing you where to go to keep you safe.
- Today we have a lot of people who want to feel the safety while simultaneously being free to wander wherever they want. That, of course, is less an image of a sheep and more an image of a spoiled toddler, wandering through the house, making a mess wherever he goes.
- Those same Christians will then complain to God, asking why He didn’t protect them, when they have been actively flouting His guidance and direction for years.
- If you want a shepherd, you need to allow yourself to be led.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE ABOUT WHAT I CAN EXPECT FROM CHRIST AS MY SHEPHERD?
1. God is looking for the lost sheep.
- Ezekiel 34:11-15.
- Luke 15:1-32.
- As we discussed, one of the Lord’s complaints against the bad shepherds of Israel was their lack of concern for the wandering sheep.
- God intends to have a shepherd who will attend to the lost sheep.
- This, of course, makes us think of Luke 15: 1-32. It’s the only place where Jesus tells three stories back-to-back-to-back that all have the same point. That point? God’s desire to seek the lost.
- Unpack Ezekiel 34:11-15.
- This brings forward an important question for us as Jesus’ church: are we seeking the lost?
- I don’t mean if we are willing to let people walk through our doors to come to church. I mean if we are seeking the lost.
- This includes going out into the world.
- This includes having a heart of compassion and not condemnation toward those who are lost and who may have a mess of a life.
- This includes watching the road like the prodigal son’s father.
- We can make the church into something that is what is comfortable for us. We can make it into something where the resources are focused on giving us what we want.
- Do we have a heart for the lost?
2. Christ will rule among them.
- Ezekiel 34:16, 24.
- Zechariah 14:1-21.
- We have been talking a lot about relating this to us but this point directs us toward what God still intends to do with Israel.
- God is not done with Israel. He intends to regather them and to have Christ rule over them in the coming Kingdom.
- This is not metaphorical language. This is a literal rule of Christ.
- Zechariah 14 gives enticing details about what this will look like someday.
3. There will be showers of blessing.
- Ezekiel 34:25-31.
- We all know the hymn “There Will Be Showers of Blessing” but most probably don’t know that's a Biblical phrase.
- This passage tells of a future time when Israel is living with these type of overflowing blessings.
- Unpack vv. 25-31.
- This passage is most likely about the Millennial reign of Christ. It sounds incredible.
- I guess one way to put it is that the shepherd is going to bring them into a pasture of peace.
