Larry's Lines

The Bible presents the shepherding ministry of the Lord Jesus from three different perspectives.

(1) As the Good Shepherd, He died for the sheep (John 10:11, 15, 17-18);

(2) As the Great Shepherd, He lives for the sheep to perfect them (Heb. 13:20);

(3) and as the Chief Shepherd, He will return to gather His sheep and take them to Heaven (I Peter 5:1-4). These three titles tell about His ministry to us in the past, present and future. Psalm. 22 describes the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep; Psalm. 23 describes the Great Shepherd’s provision to us “all the days of our lives.” Psalm. 24 is a victory Psalm that announce the arrival of the King, the Chief Shepherd, who will defeat His enemies and reward His people.

The Good Shepherd ( John 10; Psalm. 22) He willingly gave His life for the sheep.

The Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20-21; Psalm. 23) One of Jesus’ present day ministries is one who perfects His people. He is ministering as our great High Pries (Heb. 4:14-16; 8:1-2) He is our Ad­vocate (I John 2:1-2) The phrase “make you perfect” in Heb. 13:21 is a translation of the Greek word Katartidzo, an unfamiliar word today, but one familiar to the Greek speaking people of the early church. To the soldier it meant “to equip an army for battle,” and to the sailors, “to outfit a ship for a voyage.” The Great Shepherd wants us to be complete in Himself. He wants to equip us for battle. He uses the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17) The purpose of this perfecting ministry is so that we can be better service to Him. He want to work in us so He can work through us to ac­complish His will on the earth. Psalm.23:6 impresses on us the fact that the Great Shepherd will take care of us. Jesus has promised to take our burdens and our cares. He is “My Shepherd.” We must stay close to Him and He will stay close to us. We must obey Him. he cares for us.

The Chief Shepherd (I Pet. 5:4; Psalm. 24) One day he will return and gather His sheep and take them to Heaven. (John 14:1-3;.I Thessalonians. 4:13-18)

Why does God compare His people to Sheep?

• Sheep Are “Clean” Animals. This means that they are acceptable to God. Our acceptancecomes only through the merits of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians. 1:6) The nature of the creature determines its appetite, and it is the nature of the sheep to desire the pasture and not the “garbage dump.” 2 Tim. 2:19, “Let everyone that named the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
• Sheep Know Their Shepherd. John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and are known of Mine.” The sheep know the shepherd”™s voice and obey it, but they will not follow if they hear another. There are many “voices” calling today, and some sound religious. The child of God will not follow when he hears the voice of strangers (John 10:5) God’s voice to us today is the Word of God, taught by the Spirit of God. It is encouraging to know that Christ knows each of His sheep by name.
• Sheep Desperately Need A Shepherd. Without the loving care of a shepherd, the sheep would be helpless. Unless we follow our Shepherd, we will go astray (I Peter 2:25)
• Sheep Are Useful Animals The Good Shepherd has every right to expect His sheep to be useful. In return for all He does for us, we should be useful to Him. We should be giving our all to the Lord (Rom. 12:1-2).
• Sheep Flock Together. It is the nature of sheep to want to be with the flock; and it is the nature of the believer to want to be with one another The New Testament knows nothing of isolated Christian living. We need to be identified with God’s people. We need to be steadfast. We need to be in the Lord’s house (Heb. 10:25). The isolated sheep is always in danger.