Jesus, the Good Shepherd
Jesus in the Psalms • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 16 viewsThis series explores the presence of the Messiah in various Psalms.
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Welcome
Welcome
Good morning!
We’re so glad you’re here, whether you are here in person or joining us online, thank you for joining us this morning.
If you have your Bible with you, please open up to Psalm 23 this morning.
If you have the YouVersion Bible app on your phone, you will find the sermon notes available under the menu then click on Events and you should see First Baptist Church of Pharr listed there. There are also printed sermon notes available as well, if that is your preference.
Introduction
Introduction
As a hospital chaplain, I have probably read this verse a couple hundred times over the last two years as I have ministered at the bedside when a loved one is gravely ill. I have read it as my have passed into eternity and I have read it at funerals and memorials.
These words have brought comfort to millions… billions of people over the years.
Author, James Johnston, wrote...
Many people have taken false comfort from Psalm 23. They want to believe that God is their Shepherd, but they do not listen to Christ or follow him. None of God’s blessings come to us except though Jesus Christ. Christ is the great Shepherd for God’s people. If you do not belong to Jesus, God is not your Shepherd. If you know Jesus and love him, Psalm 23 is for you.
James A. Johnston, Preaching the Word: The Psalms: Rejoice, the Lord Is King—Psalms 1 to 41, ed. R. Kent Hughes, vol. 1, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 245.
A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, 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 runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
[pray]
Jesus is our Good Shepherd
Jesus is our Good Shepherd
The word here that is translated “Lord” in English, is the Hebrew word, adonai. In the Old Testament, this word refers to God, Yahweh, Jehovah. This psalm of David is saying that God is the Shepherd.
However, when Jesus spoke of Himself, He called Himself "the good shepherd"....
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. I lay down my life for the sheep.
The good shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep. Picking up on a theme we discussed last week, I told you that Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy: "The Lord knows his own" (2 Timothy 2:19).
The Shepherd knows his sheep and he will go to great lengths to take care of his sheep and protect them.
A little further down in the book of John, the Jews asked Jesus to tell them plainly if he was the Messiah...
25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, knows who we are and he provides for us and protects us. It could very well be that Jesus had Psalm 23 in mind when he said these things.
There are some takeaways that we can find in this psalm. When we look at it from the perspective of Jesus being our Good Shepherd there are some things that we can understand… some expectations that we can draw from this beloved psalm.
Principle: Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want...
Principle: Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want...
The classic translation says this...
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The classic Spanish translation says...
1 Jehová es mi pastor, nada me faltará.
…which translated into English means… “I shall lack for nothing.” This is likely the best and most literal translation of the original Hebrew.
WARNING: We must remember that this does not mean that God will automatically give us everything that we ask or desire. Can you imagine how spoiled we would be if God gave us our every desire? God is not in the business of granting wishes. He is not a magic genie, nor is he a vending machine. Rather, God cares for his sheep by providing for their needs.
Let’s take a look at some of our needs that are listed in this psalm...
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for rest and refreshment.
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for rest and refreshment.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
This is a picture of abundant life.
The author of the book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Philip Keller, say that sheep only lie down when they are safe and satisfied...
It is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of their social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.
The shepherd has to provide for the physical, medical, social, and emotional needs of his sheep. Our Good Shepherd does the same for us...
John 10:10b (CSB) I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Even more deeply than our physical and emotional needs, the Good Shepherd cares for us spiritually as well. The Good Shepherd provides for the needs of our souls...
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for restoration and righteousness.
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for restoration and righteousness.
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
We have talked about this need for restoration and righteousness over the last several weeks as...
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
When one of us strays from God, the Spirit of God seeks us out and draws us back to God. Jesus told the story of the shepherd that sought after the lost sheep to return it to the proper place...
4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ 7 I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
This is restoration!
Isn’t that comforting to know when we lose our way—and let’s just be honest here, we ALL lose our way from time to time—Jesus cares enough to send his Spirit to draw us back up out of the weeds and get us on the right path again.
Brothers and sisters, has the Good Shepherd found you yet? Some of you may be here today and feel that you have wandered far away from God. You might have slipped into that condition inch by inch, but today you might be looking around saying to yourself “How did I get here? Can there be any of this restoration for me?”
I have good news for you today. You are not alone, someone is looking for you today. The Spirit of God has led you here today with the purpose of bringing you back to his righteousness—that means that he wants to put you back onto a right path, back into his blessing, back into a prosperous relationship with him.
We talked about this idea of righteousness, of blessing, last week. The Spirit will always be there pointing the way back to God. We can find righteousness through relationship with Jesus, through relationship with his Word, and on the right path back to God’s glory.
This is the abundant life that God wants for you. And if you follow him, you will live in that abundance of God’s provision.
But also God’s wants to provide for a secure life...
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for protection in trouble.
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for protection in trouble.
4 Yea, 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.
There are times that our lives can seem dangerous and lacking. When we get in these situations where we seem to be losing the game of life, our first thought is to question God. “Are you sure about this God? Do you think we’re going the right way? It sure does look dangerous around here. I’m not sure I can do this.”
I can tell you from having gone through years where it seems like I’m walking on thin ice that the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ has been there to catch me, just when I feel like I’m about to plunge into the icy abyss.
The best news that we can here is that Jesus promises to be with us. When the going gets tough, the Good Shepherd is with his sheep and he protects his sheep.
“I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me” (23:4b).
Jesus reminded his followers before he ascended into heaven, and he reminds us...
Matthew 28:20b (CSB)
20b And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Psalms, Volume 1—Rejoice, the Lord Is King (Psalms 1 to 41) (Secure Life)
The Shepherd’s presence is the answer to our fear. Jesus himself trusted God the Father through the valley of death—and God was faithful to him. Jesus, our Shepherd, traveled through the valley of the shadow of death and came out triumphant on the other side. We will not fear because our Shepherd is with us.
Principle: Jesus had a Shepherd in God and we also have a Shepherd.
We all walk through some dark valleys in life. As a hospital chaplain I witnessed a lot of “the worst day ever” for people who started out their day never knowing that tragedy would strike before the end of the day.
At the end of the day, we need a Good Shepherd who cares for us on our worst day.
James Johnston wrote “Jesus is never closer to us than at the moment of death.”
In the end, if we have Christ, then we have the power to overcome death and to live in God’s presence for eternity. We have this because we have a Shepherd who cares for us and will never leave us.
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for provision.
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for provision.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
The psalm makes a little shift here in imagery from the sheep and shepherd to the host preparing a meal for the honored guest. However, the honored guest is seated in a place of honor for all his enemies to behold.
Perhaps all of the mocking enemies taunted the honored guest for trusting his Lord...
8 “He relies on the Lord; let him save him; let the Lord rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.”
There are also echoes here of the messianic banquet that Jesus promised...
11 I tell you that many will come from east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
This celebration meal is a promise of friendship with the Shepherd.
15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.
Because we are friends, we do not have to wander about hoping for a place to call home, nor for a friend who will love us...
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for love or for a place to call home.
Because I have a Good Shepherd, I shall not want for love or for a place to call home.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Last week we talked about blessings. We said that our happiness is not found in the content of the blessing, but in the relationship. This verse speaks to that idea. Our relationship here is with the Lord, with the Good Shepherd.
Sometimes when we travel, we can find a warm and inviting place to lay our head at night. We might be in a hotel or at somebody’s house, and even though we feel warm and welcome, they might even tell us to make ourselves at home—but sleeping somewhere else is never as restful and refreshing as sleeping in our own bed at our own home.
Home is where we find our family:
those who will accept us when we are tired at the end of a long day
those who will forgive us if we are a little bit grumpy
those who will give us our space and let us decompress
those who will be there ready for us to visit or talk
those who will allow us blow off steam about what happened during the day
At the end of the day, Jesus knows what it is like to be a sheep, living in this world. Jesus forsook his status in heaven to become human and walk this earth as one of us. He also walked through the valley of the shadow of death.
When we are at home with him in the House of the Lord, we will find the joy of Heaven. We will not find our joy in the streets of gold or the mansions that bear our name. We will find our joy—we will be home because that is where Jesus is.
Conclusion
Conclusion
3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
Let me ask you this… Has Jesus Christ prepared a place for you in heaven? Is he yearning for the day that you will be able to join him?
Let me tell you, if he knows you he cares for you and if you know him and believe in him and make him the master of your life, you will have a place at his table when he comes to take us home.
If we can figure out how to trust our Good Shepherd with life and follow the prompting of his Spirit, we can truly step into the life that he is leading us toward...
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
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