The Wonder of Peace
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A Shepherd
When a shepherd is with the flock, all who are under the shepherd’s care feel a sense of peace.
Micah 5:4–5 (ESV)
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
5 And he shall be their peace.
A shepherd in biblical days lived with his sheep.
That means a shepherd knew everything about them; he nurtured, guided and always had his eye on his sheep.
The imagery of a shepherd brings emotions and images of care, provision, and protection.
All through scripture we have references to sheep and shepherds (shepherding). Both as a job or career…and the relationship between us and God. And there’s good reason as we’ll see today.
In the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 48 we see Jacob as he is dying....declare that God has been his Shepherd all of his life.
And then all the way in Revelation (chapter 7), we see Jesus declared the lamb and the Shepherd of life and salvation.
A shepherd brings peace to His flock. Our good shepherd brings peace to us.
And this isn’t just peace like our world sometimes thinks…peace on earth is what a lot of Christmas songs talk about…and for sure it is from scripture…but the image is no more war…people living in peace with each other.
Those things might be part of that truth. However, the one most ignored is that this Shepherd bring peace between us and God. Our sin separates us from God…and destroys peace. Jesus came to rid us of the guilt and shame…to bring peace so we can be with God forever.
The Wonder of Peace at Christmas
The wonder of Christmas includes a wondrous peace because not only was our Savior born, but that also meant our Good Shepherd finally had arrived. The baby born in Bethlehem would grow up to lead, guide, provide, protect, and bring peace to all who would follow Him as their Good Shepherd.
It is worth noting that the little town of Bethlehem where our Good Shepherd was born was known as the City of David. And of all the references of shepherds in the Bible, David, the once-upon-a-time shepherd boy, arguably wrote the most well-known Psalm that describes God as a shepherd.
We’re going to tie to scriptures together…this well known Psalm, and then a very well known passage from the New Testament as well.
Psalm 23 depicts God as the good shepherd who leads us towards wonderous peace as He gives care and direction to the ones who follow Him.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23 is a passage of peace. We often hear it at funerals…you might even recite it when in a difficult moment.
What does God’s presence in our lives (as the good shepherd) do for us?
David knew what being a good shepherd meant. He grew up as a shepherd and the son of a shepherd. And here’s what He wrote about His shepherd....“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 I lack nothing.
Right out of the blocks, David calls the Lord, “my shepherd.” And watch...David identifies himself not as a fellow shepherd but as a sheep. He says, “The Lord is my shepherd;” Psalm 23:1
Peace…because God provides.
In other words, David is saying, “God is the one who knows everything about me. God is the one who spends time with me, nurtures me, guides me, always has his eye on me, cares for me, provides for me, and protects me. The Lord is personally concerned for me because I am one of his sheep.”
And because that is David’s experience, he follows the declaration of the Lord being his shepherd with this consequential statement: “…I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
Because God is such a Good Shepherd, He takes care of all my needs. I have plenty to eat, good water to drink, and I don’t have to worry about wandering off and being lost. The big bad wolves in life are not coming to attack me because my shepherding God is leading me well and has my best interest at heart.
He’s restoring the upside-down places in my soul that verse 3 refers to in the Psalm and turning them right-side up as He comforts me with his tangible presence.
Why does our soul need restored? Peace - Peace between us and God.
He does all of those things.
In verse 4 we see a slight change. No longer is David writing…you do this or that…he focuses on himself.
And David isn’t just writing all of this so we have neat posters and Tshirts and Bible covers with the 23rd Psalm on them…like its just a cool poem.
David is speaking of reality. What’s real in life. God is and does all of those things....is the shepherd, gives rest, refreshment, healing...
....and then...
…right in the middle of this psalm…David writes…focusing on himself...
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…this is me…my location. My walk is not perfect nor is my environment.
But - You are with me.
That’s our present reality. We are in the shadow of death…sin brought death and we walk around sin’s symptoms all day long.
But....even so…as David writes, Even though....you are with me. (peace)
He is with me. …and it looks like David knows that there is more coming too…goodness and mercy will follow him....forever with God in His house. Notice the change of location....no longer in the valley of the shadow of death, but God house.
Yes, God is a Good Shepherd; therefore, I can be at peace because of Him and His presence in my life. And the promise of His eternal presence in eternity.
Let’s switch Bible locations now. OT to NT
Matthew wrote this Matthew 1:23
23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
He is Immanuel, the God (and Good Shepherd) who is with us. Present with us.
This is part of the nature and character of God. And I think…knowing this truth brings us peace. God is with us…just like a shepherd (the good shepherd) is with His sheep.
In the Gospel of John we have Jesus describing himself in a rather unique way. In John 10:1-6. And this is the other passage that we’ll attach to Psalm 23.
FIRST PART
1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Do you know why they did not understand what he was saying to them? It is because His audience was like sheep. And do you know how sheep are often characterized? They have been described as dumb livestock; sheep are not intelligent creatures. Many scholars believe that if sheep had not been domesticated, they likely would have become extinct thousands of years ago because they are so dumb and need so much care, attention, and leadership to succeed.
We can be sheep can’t we? We can be pretty dense, make the same mistakes over and over, wander off course, and we need help figuring out what to do and where to go.
We qualify as sheep in lots of ways and areas in our lives.
There are choices we know are wrong, but we do them anyway, indicating we are like sheep. The same arguments we have with our spouse because we keep doing the same dumb stuff indicate we are like sheep. The patterns of spending more money than we make and thus keep going deeper and deeper into debt indicate we are like sheep. Do you know why almost 50% of Americans make new year’s resolutions and less than 10% keep them? It’s because we are like lazy and undisciplined sheep!
Now before you say…Well, Ed we’re not that bad. I’m only repeating things that Jesus said. He said we’re like sheep.
And do you know when sheep thrive? It is when they have a shepherd who loves them like crazy, lives with them, leads them, knows them, and calls them by name. When the shepherd is with his sheep, he builds trust with them in such a way that just the sound of the shepherd’s voice causes the sheep to be at peace. That’s when David writes…I lack nothing. My shepherd is good.
“I shall not want” because I am so well taken care of by my shepherd. Following His lead I have everything I need. And from that what do we experience? Wondrous Peace.
Jesus continues this discussion in the second part of this passage from John....about this shepherd-to-sheep relationship in John 10:7-15. Now watch for how Jesus describes himself.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And the Good Shepherd laid down his life because of what was foretold in the prophecy of Isaiah 53:6
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
That passage in Isaiah is known as the Suffering Servant passage; it foreshadows what the Good Shepherd, Jesus, would go through for His sheep.
It’s a passage leading to peace for those who find themselves lost, in trouble, on their own, and outside of what they were created to be: led, cared for, and protected by their shepherd. There’s a passage that says Jesus goes after the lost sheep…(poster board). Matthew and Luke both record this story from the mouth of Jesus.
Jesus articulated how a Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. That’s precisely the mission Jesus was born to accomplish. He ultimately would go all the way to the cross to lay down His life to rescue us from everything that separated us and put us in danger leading to eternal death because of our sin. He came to bring Peace.
And our Good Shepherd not only secured our eternity by laying down His life but also leads us to places of peace in our lives right now as we follow Him in faith. Peace through secure hope.
That’s what the remaining verses of Psalm 23 convey.
Is Christmas sometimes frantic? Goodness sake…is life sometimes full of anxiety…? Fear? Doubt? All of these things are opposites of peace aren’t they?
Verses in Psalm 23 speak of what happens when we follow the Lord, our Good Shepherd. Jesus....
While all of the verses in Psalm 23 portray various aspects of what happens when a shepherd leads his sheep, let’s go back verse 2. It is comprised of two parts. The first: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:2
By nature, sheep tend to be unsettled, skittish, and nervous. Do you know when a sheep will lie down?
They lie down when they are confident that a shepherd is with them and watching over them. If sheep are fearful, at odds with other sheep, dealing with pests that are irritating them, or feeling unsettled due to hunger, they will have difficulty“lying down.”
When sheep are around running water, they get afraid. The Good Shepherd knows this and will make sure his flock as sufficient water. That’s the second part worth noting in verse 2. “He leads me beside still waters.” Psalm 23:2
Part of the nature and character of a good shepherd is that he leads his sheep.
NOT DRIVEN - LED
Notice that it does not say he drives them. Sheep cannot be driven; they must be led. They must know the shepherd’s voice and be able to trust the shepherd. Once they do, sheep will follow their shepherd because they know this is the person who puts them on the green pasture. This is the one who doesn’t make me try to drink from a fire hydrant of fast-moving waters. He leads me beside the still waters.
The shepherd is key.
Philip Keller, an East African shepherd with a lifetime of experience in this field, came to the realization of how important the shepherd-to-sheep relationship really was.
He said, “In the course of time, I came to realize that nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see me in the field. The presence of their master and owner and protector put them at ease as nothing else could do, and this applied day and night.”
The same sentiment is true about our relationship with Jesus as our Good Shepherd. His presence in our life has the same effect on us as His followers as sheep do with their shepherd. He brings peace and confidence that it is ok to lie down and rest because He is with us and taking care of us.
Perhaps that is what Jesus, your Good Shepherd, wants to remind you about most of all this Christmas. He is present with you. He is near you.
If those things are true then you can have His Peace.
Sound good?
Peace - we’re not talking happiness. That’s what the world is chasing after right now and in all the wrong places. Peace is something that can only come from God. That’s a truth statement. The more I study the idea of peace…the more I come to the conclusion that God is the source of peace…the only source. We were made for His peace.
A peace that other people will see and wonder about.
He will lead you, guide you, protect you, provide for you, give you what you need…not what you want…sometimes we need to take time to decipher between the two don’t we.
In the little town of Bethlehem, he was born for you, lived for you, gave evidence of a new way of life and a presented a new Kingdom for you, and then He died for you. Then he rose for you…defeating the power of death for you. So He can be with you forever.
He knows your name.
He is your good shepherd.
Amen?
We celebrate Christmas because he brought us wondrous peace for today and for eternity.