Isaiah 40:9-11 O Zion,
You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”
Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.
He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.”
John 10:7-18 Jesus the Good Shepherd
“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 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. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 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.
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 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.”
When we read Jesus’ description of himself as the good shepherd, we might not realize how much that entails. Shepherds were responsible for every aspect of the care of their flocks. Shepherds had to lead the flocks to good safe pasture and to still clean water. If there were lambs who were hurt, the shepherd would carry them in his cloak next to his heart. When wild animals attacked, the shepherds had to kill them or drive them off, risking their own lives. Hireling shepherds would simply run away, leaving the sheep to their fate. David was willing to face Goliath with his slingshot because he had already killed many wild animals attacking his father’s sheep. (Slingshots were the ancient equivalent of long-range rifles, and most armies had soldiers who were deadly with slingshots in either hand.) Many ancient sheepfolds had high stone walls with a single door opening, and a doorkeeper who would only admit legitimate shepherds with their flocks.
At night, several flocks might be kept in a single sheepfold. At daybreak, the shepherd would call his sheep and they would follow him because they knew his voice. The sheep trusted the shepherd because he had already been kind to them.
When Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd, he is fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah. What does this mean for us? Face it, folks, many of us are battered and bruised, while some of us are facing health challenges, financial challenges, and worries of all kinds. We need a shepherd, someone who will care for us, help us, make sure that we have what we need and that we are protected.
As we are preparing for Christmas, let’s remember that we are not simply preparing for a baby in a manger, but for Heaven’s King, the Messiah, the One who has conquered sin, death, and hell. We can trust Jesus to be our Shepherd because He has proven Himself worthy of all honor and praise and glory.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we desperately need you to be our Good Shepherd and to deliver us from ourselves. Please enter our trembling hearts and make Your home there. It’s in Your mighty and precious Name that we pray, King Jesus. Amen.
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