Jesus the Good Shepherd
Psalm 23:1-3
John 10:11
The 23rd Psalm is one of the most popular chapters in the Bible. David the author of the Psalm compares God’s love and guidance to a Shepherd caring for his flock of sheep. David had spent many years of his life as a shepherd and was well acquainted with the characteristics of sheep.
About all I know about sheep personally is that they are fun to ride. I had class mates in school that had sheep on their farm in Kansas. After school we would walk to his farm about ½ mile out of town and try to ride bucking sheep. You can grab a handful of wool and go for a fast ride until you got bucked off.
Psalm 23:1-3 David describes how the Shepherd provides for his flock.
Psalm 23:4-6 David describes how the Shepherd protects his flock.
This morning we are going to look at the first half of the Psalm – How the Good Shepherd Provides for His Flock.” Next Sunday we will look at the second half.
John 10:11 Jesus declared that He is the Good Shepherd.
A good shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep. He will risk his life to protect his sheep because losing a sheep is losing a part of himselve. A shepherd loves his sheep, and will risk everything for them. Being a shepherd is not just an occupation. He knows the identity of each sheep and each sheep is part of his heart. He knows their weaknesses and which ones tend to stray. He knows what they like to eat and what they shouldn’t eat.
The Psalmist notes that a good shepherd provides nourishment for his sheep. He provides restoration and guidance. Like a loving father watching over his children a good shepherd watches over his sheep.
I. “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1)
David begins the 23 Psalm by saying: “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
David didn’t say, “The Lord is a Shepherd.” The Lord is not one shepherd among many. The Lord is one Lord God creator of the Universe. Just as Jesus said “He was not a way or a truth or a life.” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the only way to heaven. The Lord is the only Shepherd.
It is important that you can say, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
#A Sunday school teacher visited a young boy from his class who was dying. The teacher wondered what he could say to the boy. After a short visit the teacher told the young boy, “Remember, the Lord is your Shepherd.”
To help the boy remember the truth the teacher asked the boy to hold up five fingers and repeat the words, “The Lord is my Shepherd.” The teacher asked the boy to repeat the words touching each finger. When the little boy counted to the ring finger, he grabbed his own chubby finger with the other hand, repeating, “My…my Shepherd.” “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
The next morning the little boy did not wake up. He was asleep in Jesus. The parents found his chubby hand still holding his fourth finger. In death the Lord was his Shepherd.
It’s not enough to say, “The Lord used to be my Shepherd.” It’s not enough to say “The Lord will be my Shepherd someday.”
Jesus is your Good Shepherd. He is a kind Shepherd: When self-proclaimed religious executioners wanted to stone to death a woman captured in the act of adultery, Jesus stayed their hands. He told the woman to “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)
Your Good Shepherd can take care of sickness. When a woman sneaked up behind Jesus and touched the hem of His garment, she was immediately healed. (Mark 5:27)
When disciples were caught in a storm and believed they would be tossed into the sea and drown Jesus came to their rescue walking on water and calmed the sea and saved them.
When the multitudes were hungry Jesus fed them with five loaves and two small fish.
Jesus is a wonderful Shepherd. He wants to be your Shepherd.
II. “I Shall Not Want” NLT
“I have everything I need.” NIV - Psalm 23:1b
David is not saying that God has provided financial wealth to meet his needs. He is saying “I am completely satisfied with God’s management of my life.
We can agree with the Psalmist that only the Lord can meet the deepest needs of our life.
When material things of this world become your master you are in a continual state of dissatisfaction. The more you get the more you want. It’s a fallacy to believe that if a man or woman is wealthy and prospering it is a significant mark of the blessing of God upon their lives.
People in Laodicea received this commentary from the Lord (Rev. 3:17) “You say, I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
Jesus said it is impossible to serve two Masters. It is either serve the Lord only or endure the oppression of a hard taskmaster.
In his book, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23” W. Phillip Keller (1920-1997) gives insight into the life of a shepherd and characteristics of sheep. Keller was born in East Africa and trained in agriculture. For years he was a sheep rancher.
He writes that the welfare of any flock is entirely dependent upon the management afforded them by their owner.
He tells about the manager of a sheep ranch next to his. The rancher was indifferent to the welfare of his sheep. He neglected his land and gave little time to his flock letting them shift for themselves. He did not protect them from dogs, cougars and rustlers. He did not move them to new fields but made them gnaw away at bare brown fields. He did not provide shelter from storms and blizzards and the sheep suffered because of no shelter.
Keller remembered watching the sheep huddled near the fence staring wistfully through the fence to lush rich pastures on the other side. The owner ignored their needs. Why should he care they were just sheep fit only for the slaughter-house.
Jesus is your Good Shepherd. You can trust Him to meet the deepest needs of your heart and life.
# In the film that came out several years ago the story is told about the first Jamaican bobsled team to go to the Olympics. John Candy plays a former American gold medalist who became coach of the Jamaican team. The players grow to like their American coach and affectionately call him “sled-god.”
However in the story, the dark history of the coach comes out. The coach had been an Olympic bobsled gold-medalist. But afterwards, it was discovered that he had broken the rules by weighting the U.
S. sled, bringing disgrace on himself and his team.
One of the Jamaican bobsledders could not understand why anyone who had already won a gold medal would cheat. Finally, he asked his coach to explain.
“I had to win,” he said. “I learned something. If you are not happy without a gold medal, you won’t be happy with it.”
Psalm 23 captures the secret of contentment in life. It is - to trust in God, rather than in things to bring happiness.
III. “He makes me to lie down in Green Pastures.” NIV (Psalm 23:2)
“He lets me rest in green meadows.” NLT
Keller says that sheep require more attention that any other livestock. Sheep just can’t take care of themselves. They need a shepherd to care for them.
Unless their shepherd makes them move on, sheep will actually ruin a pasture, eating every blade of grass, until finally a fertile pasture is nothing but barren soil. Sheep are near-sighted and very stubborn, but easily frightened. An entire flock can be stampeded by a jack rabbit.
Sheep have little means of defense. Their only recourse is to run. They have no homing instincts like a dog, cat or horse. It a sheep gets lost it is lost until someone finds it.
Cats seem to know where home is. Several years ago, when our cat “Smokey” was still with us. He was missing for several weeks. We thought that was the last we would see of him. Yet after three weeks we heard a loud meowing at the front door and there was Smokey pulling a broken leg along behind him. His finding his way back home cost us nearly a thousand dollars in Veterinarian expenses.
Sheep have no sense of direction. They have to be led to lush green grass. The good shepherd leads his flock to green pastures to satisfy their hunger needs.
Sometime Sheep have to be forced to lie down for rest. “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” NIV
Philip Keller says that in order for sheep to lie down four things are required:
1. They have to be full. Hungry sheep stay on their feet searching for another bit of food.
2. They must be unafraid. They will not lie down if they’re fearful. The least suspicion of wolves or bears and they stand ready to flee.
3. They must be content. If flies or fleas are bothering them they’ll not lie down.
4. Sheep will not lie down unless there is harmony in the flock. If there is friction over the butting order among them, they simply cannot relax and lie down.
Have you noticed that occasionally God makes us lie down? We rush about trying to meet this engagement and fulfill obligations. Once in a while God has to say, “You need to lie down,” by allowing illness, or heartbreak to stop us and reevaluate our priorities.
When we fail to do as Jesus said in Mark 6:31, “Come aside … and rest awhile.” We come apart.
IV. “He leads me beside the quiet waters.” NIV
“He leads me beside peaceful streams.” NLT (Psalm 23:2b)
When the shepherd leads that means he must go first. The shepherd is willing to face any dangers that lie ahead. The shepherd knows the best places to find still water. Sheep will not drink from rapidly running water.
There is something tranquil about peaceful streams and quiet water. If you have walked or rode your bike on the Los Alametos Trail you ride along a peaceful stream and on your way back you can stop at the Almaden Lake and look out on the still water. As you watch the ducks and birds you can meditate on the blessing of the Lord.
You can stand near Niagara Horse Shoe Falls in Canada and enjoy the mighty rushing waters. It is awesome but not tranquil. The Lord leads us to quiet water and we are refreshed in our body and soul.
For the Lord to lead means you are willing to be led.
The Gospel Song reminds us of God’s guidance:
He leads me! Oh, blessed thought!
Oh, words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whatever I do, wherever I be,
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leads me
Philip Keller tells about one of his Ewe Sheep that refused to be led. She had an excellent coat of wool and clean and alert, but she was restless, never satisfied, always looking for a way to get out of the fence to the other side. She was an escape artist. She also taught her lambs to escape and then began to lead other sheep through the holes she would find or make.
Her lack of contentment was spreading to other sheep. Philip Keller had to put her down for the sake of keeping his flock of sheep under control.
When you follow the Lord he always has your best interests in mind.
V. “He restores my soul.” NIV
“He renews my strength.” NLT (Psalm 23:3a)
When a sheep wonders from the flock the shepherd will search until he finds the lost sheep and restore him to the flock.
When a sheep becomes cast it especially needs to be restored. A “cast” sheep is a sheep that has turned over on its back and can’t get back up again. When this happens all the sheep can do is bleat and frantically kick into the air.
If the shepherd doesn’t arrive within a short time, the sheep will die. (When the sheep is on its back gases build up in its body and cut off blood circulation to the sheep’s body. On a hot day the sheep can die within hours.) That’s one reason the shepherd is always looking over his flock, counting them to see if they are all on their feet. If one is missing he thinks, “One of my sheep is cast and I’ve got to find it.”
The Bible says that all of us like sheep have gone astray. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” (Isaiah 53:6) We wonder about searching for answers in life. We try this or that to try and meet our needs, but they all fall short. Jesus the Good Shepherd searches for us and finds us and lifts us up in His Arms and restores our soul and renews our strength.
VI. “He Guides me along right paths bringing honor to his name” NLT
“He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” NIV (Psalm 23:3b)
When Jesus finds us he guides us on the path of righteousness. The right path does not mean it is the easiest path.
The Lord always gives us a choice to follow His guidance. He does not drive us along the path of righteousness. We must choose to follow Him. It is our choice to follow Him. We need to do as we sometime sing:
“Lead on O King Eternal we follow not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning wherever your face appears.
Your cross is lifted over us; we journey in its light:
The crown awaits the conquest; Lead on, O God of might.”
To submit to the Leadership of the Lord means we are willing to “Go where He wants us to go and do what He wants to do and be what He wants us to be.”
Jesus said in John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me.” Jesus your Good Shepherd knows how to speak to you because he knows your name. (John 10:3) Jesus knows all about you and knows what is best for you.
This morning are you listening to the voice of Jesus? Can you say from the bottom of your heart, “The Lord is my shepherd?”
This week why not read the 23rd Psalm every day. Use the 23rd Psalm as your prayer guide. Jesus is your good shepherd.
Let us pray
