The Snake Crushing, Spirit Comforting Shepherd Who Satisfies

Introduction

What comes to your mind whenever you think of Jesus Christ? For picture Jesus dying on the cross. Others think of Jesus healing people or walking on water. Others think of Jesus whenever He returns as the conquering king who judges His opponents. We see in Scripture several descriptions of Jesus Christ, especially in the Gospel of John as there are 7 “I Am” statements about Jesus.

Jesus is the Bread of Life

Light of the World

The Resurrection and the Life

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

The True Vine

The Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5)

Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

We could think of other titles and descriptions as well… One of the most significant descriptions of Jesus in both Old and New Testaments is that He will serve His people by being their Shepherd as this shows up over 10x in the New Testament alone! Why a Shepherd? Because Shepherds protect their sheep from harm - I’m not sure about you, but this is what I need each day. A Shepherd who knows His sheep, guides His sheep, and is willing to get dirty to fight for His sheep. Sheep have an owner - and if you’re a Christian, that owner is none other than this Good Shepherd who has rescued you and I from the domain of darkness and transferred us into His Kingdom as Colossians 1:13 tells us. This is only true of those who have trusted in Christ as Lord, though.

About a decade ago, one pastor shared what Psalm 23 looks like if we take out the work of our Good Shepherd.

1 my ... I shall be in want.

2 me ... me

3 my soul ... me

4 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear ... me ... me.

5 me in the presence of my enemies ... my head ... my cup

6 me all the days of my life ... I will dwell

It’s interesting what remains… The valley of the Shadow of Death - chiefly. In this life, we walk through times of stress, sorrow, and suffering - maybe that’s the path you’re walking right now and you’re in need of satisfaction and security. As we continue walking through our study in Psalms, today we come to Psalm 23 which will serve as an oasis for our searching and stressed out hearts. Many Christians have said that Psalm 23 is their favorite chapter in the entire Psalter and some have said its their favorite chapter in the entire Bible - and I’m sure some of you feel the same way. In God’s perfect providence, this Psalm was exactly what I needed this week and God had that planned out months in advance as He alone can do! This morning, we’ll look briefly at the Psalms before and after this beloved Psalm to see how in Psalm 22, Jesus is the Suffering King, in Psalm 23 He is the Shepherd King, and in Psalm 24 He is the Sovereign King. Friends, Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords… He is the roaring lion and the conquering king. But He’s also gentle and lowly to His people. This morning, we’re going to focus on our Good Shepherd who knows us, cares for us, and rules over us. Turn to Psalm 23 and let’s read what God’s Word says.

Psalm 23 CSB

A psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, 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 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

When life knocks us down, what a blessing to know that we have a shepherd who is with us still. Let’s pray and give thanks to Jesus for the grace that He gives to us each day.

The Shepherd Leads His Sheep

In a world disconnected from sheep - by and large - this Psalm might seem foreign to our ears in many respects. What is the big deal that God is the shepherd and we are His sheep? During COVID, one of the sayings that was thrown out about people who we disagreed with was what? (Sheep!) Why were people called sheep? Because, the argument goes, they went with the flow and followed what the majority did and didn’t ask questions. Why did our society resort to calling people sheep? Because sheep aren’t exactly the smartest or quickest animals out there. They are pretty vulnerable and they can do some questionable things if they don’t have protection… Therefore, sheep need a shepherd. David, we know, was a shepherd. He knew what it was like to defend his sheep from animals such as bears and lions. He likely also had to defend his sheep from other animals like poisonous snakes and things like that too. David knew what it was like to defend his sheep from harm and keep them safe… and in this Psalm of David, we see that the Lord is our shepherd - meaning that we are His sheep - meaning that He leads us and defends us and sometimes He smacks us with His shepherds staff whenever we do something that we’re not supposed to do… but He does this in love as a shepherd does to His sheep because the sheep belongs to the shepherd. Look at what Isaiah 43 shares about our God

Isaiah 43:1 CSB

1 Now this is what the Lord says— the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.

We have a God who has redeemed us, called us, claims us, and continues to guide us in this life! If you belong to Jesus, if He is leading you, if He is protecting you, if He has saved you, then and only then can you say the second part of Psalm 23:1 - I have what I need as the CSB translates it or “I shall not want” as other translations do. What does that mean? Does that mean that because of Jesus Christ, we no longer have needs in this life? No, we still have needs. We learned in school that every person has 6 core needs: shelter, clothing, sleep, food, water, and air. Without these things, we won’t survive. You can go 30 days without food, 3 days without water, around 3 minutes without air… but we can’t go 3 milliseconds without Jesus Christ sustaining our lives and holding us together. If you are here and you are a Christian, Psalm 23:1 is your testimony. God is my shepherd - and because of this truth, I have what I need because He gives it to me daily. The problem that we have with this at times is we want more than what we truly need. Think of the Israelites in the wilderness with the manna that fell from heaven. What did some of them want to do with it? They wanted to store it up and save it for tomorrow! What happened to that stored up manna? It went bad. There are times in Scripture where we see people storing things up in a good way - Joseph led the Egyptians to store up extra grain for 7 years of harvest to endure 7 years of famine - that’s not to say that there aren’t Godly people who might have “extra” - but the focus is on the needs… If you follow Jesus, you aren’t guaranteed everything that you want… but you are promised everything that you could ever need in Christ. He is sufficient! He alone satisfies! He alone has a perfect plan for His glory and your good!

One of the main problems that we have in life is that we lack the ability to be content and we have this burning desire to want more. This is something universal to all of us as humans - but we have to fight against it as Colossians 3:1-2 instructs us

Colossians 3:1–2 CSB

1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

This was our main passage at Camp Joy this week and I asked the students what some of the earthly things are that people set their minds upon and there were some really good answers: Money, Popularity, Pets, and iPhones just to name a few. Think about an iPhone, though. If your goal and what you feel like you need is to have a new iPhone because you think that getting it will fulfill the desire you have in your heart… what will happen in 12 months whenever Apple releases a brand new iPhone? You’ll have to get it because you’ll feel empty inside all over again. We need to be content in life with what God gives to us - this is what Psalm 23 is sharing with us. He provides. He leads us. He renews our life. He changes us. Think of one way that God has provided for you and led you over the last few months. Lindsey and I have reflected on God’s provision in our lives often the last 2 years as God led us here to FBC Salem literally out of the blue as we didn’t know anything about Salem and we didn’t know a single person from this church. God provided. Many of you have stories of ways that God has and is currently providing for you and sustaining you - even in hard times! Why does God do this? Not because we deserve it - but because 1 key word in Psalm 23:1 anchors our hope- MY. David doesn’t say that God is the shepherd, or a shepherd… He shares that the Lord is MY shepherd. The same God who created all things, sustains all things, leads us to good things not because we deserve them but because He desires to give us good things for His glory and our joy.

Due to the rise in social media and podcasts and other platforms, it seems like there are more voices to listen to than in any other point in history. In this type of world that is just loud all the time, it can be hard to know where to turn and who to trust to lead us. See, we’re all being led somewhere. It comes down to what we are seeking and how we are seeking it. People in our world want green pastures, quiet waters, and a renewed life. That sounds like an amazing thing to millions of people… but how do we get it?

Matthew 6:33 CSB

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Our world looks at this as though if we follow Jesus, He’ll lead us to the major F’s of society: Fame, food, friends, finances, and fitness. So many people approach Jesus with their end in mind and they view Jesus as their plane ticket to their intended destination… Friends, that’s not how Jesus leads His sheep. He doesn’t promise to take you where you want to go and give you what you tell Him you want… But He does promise to give you exactly what you need and take you exactly where you need to go. He satisfies His sheep and He leads them well

Matthew 5:6 CSB

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

So, I ask you, friend, who is leading you? Is it self, is it society, or is it this good shepherd? He alone satisfies our souls.

The Shepherd Loves His Sheep

Not only does the Good Shepherd lead His sheep, but while He guides them, He protects them. Not only does He lead us for His name’s sake as Psalm 106:8 tells us, He protects and defends us for His name’s sake as well. God has a reputation for being a mighty deliverer of His people. He has a reputation of being faithful to His promises. He has a reputation of being a victorious king who wins the battle. This should give us great assurance in life… but, there are times where we question the outcome. We question if God will really come through and defend us from the enemies we face in this life. One of the reasons that we question this is because people in this life let us down. Basketball players, think of this in terms of a simple pick and roll when you’re on defense. You get picked by the opponent and you can’t guard your man… so what does your teammate do? They jump out to defend the ball. But sometimes, our friends aren’t paying attention or they aren’t able to switch and the opponent makes an open 3 pointer. In this life we’re used to people not always coming through on defense and having our back on the basketball court, in the job place, and even with our friends and family members. We’re used to being burned and that hurts.

Think of the primary function of a shepherd: defend the sheep. Sometimes that means guiding the sheep to a nice pasture and running water, like verse 2 shares. Other times, though, that means playing defense against fierce animals with the intention of defeating the enemy and saving his flock. This puts the shepherd in harms way, but he protects his sheep because he loves his sheep. We have to understand what Psalm 23 is telling us - this beloved verse about going through the valley of the shadow of death… What has David just said? God leads us! Sometimes, God leads us into the valley of the shadow of death and He does so to protect us. Whoa! How do we make sense of that? Sometimes God says no to what looks like a mountain peak, and yes to the valley, because on the other side of the valley is a much higher peak that God has in store. Billy Graham once shared, “The will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us.” God leads us through the valley, He sustains us each step of the way, and He protects us during the valley with His rod and staff. He guards us and He guides us - for His glory and our good - and He does this out of His amazing love that He has for his sheep.

Psalm 84:11 CSB

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord grants favor and honor; he does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity.

How does this play out in reality? In the valley of the shadow of death, how can we find comfort and safety even there? Tim Keller passed just over a month ago and during his final few years on this planet, he dealt with cancer and can we acknowledge something this morning? Whenever a Christian dies with cancer, they don’t lose their fight! They win the war because cancer for the Christian is simply a vehicle that brings us to Jesus. We have to stop saying that cancer wins… it doesn’t. Keller shared this a little while back.

There have not been many times in my life when I felt “the peace that passes understanding.” But there was one time for which I am very grateful. . . . It was just before my cancer surgery. My thyroid was about to be removed, and after that, I faced a treatment with radioactive iodine to destroy any residual cancerous thyroid tissue in my body. Of course my whole family and I were shaken by it all, and deeply anxious. On the morning of my surgery, after I said my good-byes to my wife and sons, I was wheeled into a room to be prepped. And in the moments before they gave me the anesthetic, I prayed. To my surprise, I got a sudden, clear new perspective on everything. It seemed to me that the universe was an enormous realm of joy, mirth, and high beauty. Of course it was — didn’t the triune God make it to be filled with his own boundless joy, wisdom, love, and delight? And within this great globe of glory was only one little speck of darkness — our world — where there was temporarily pain and suffering. But it was only one speck, and soon that speck would fade away and everything would be light. And I thought, “It doesn’t really matter how the surgery goes. Everything will be all right. Me — my wife, my children, my church — will all be all right.” I went to sleep with a bright peace on my heart.

Everything will be alright. Why will everything be alright for the sheep in God’s pasture? Because He’s always with us. Because of the truth of Romans 8:18

Romans 8:18 CSB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Whenever you and I suffer, we feel like we’re walking in the valley of the shadow of death. Several years ago, I was convinced that my mom was going to either pass away or not remember who I was. She had a septic infection and the doctors didn’t know what the outcome would be. Since this point, my mom has straightened me up by sharing that she trusts in God’s perfect plan and that we must do the same and worship Him as He deserves… but in the moment as you’re walking in that valley with the enemy of death stalking your every step like a hunter does a deer, that’s unsettling stuff. That threatens to rob you of your happiness real quick - and it absolutely will! The Valley of the Shadow of Death tells us that we’re walking alone… Psalm 23 reminds us that nothing could be further from the truth. You have a Good Shepherd with His rod in hand keeping the enemies at bay. It doesn’t mean that we don’t face death… we do. It doesn’t mean that we don’t suffer. We will. But it does mean that while we go through those valleys, we don’t go through them alone. Our God is with us because He loves us. He provides us with joy that overflows even as we face our enemy of sin and death.

See, we hear this Psalm at funerals and understandably so… but this Psalm isn’t about dying, it’s about living under God’s provision and protection. John Piper shared in a sermon on Psalm 23 that God is like a heavenly highway patrolman - we have several patrolmen in our congregation and I don’t believe in bad luck one bit so I’ll just say it how it is, I’ve never been stopped but I’ve seen a lot of people be stopped because you have to chase them down. Patrolmen chase people down and they pursue them with justice and they give them a fine that they deserve… aren’t you thankful that the heavenly patrolman doesn’t give His sheep justice? He pursues us with goodness and faithful love - even whenever you and I aren’t good and even whenever you and I are not faithful. He is too fast for us to outrun. He is too strong for us to overpower. He is too faithful to even think about dropping us. As Romans 8:38-39 reminds us

Romans 8:38–39 CSB

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This is our hope. Our Shepherd loves us to the uttermost. He leads us in the mountains and in the valleys and He loves us each step of the way. Some wonder, though, how do we know that God remains with us and how can we trust in His plan whenever suffering strikes? Psalm 23 sounds good in abstract, but what proof do we have that God will actually help us in our time of need? Enter our 3rd and final observation

The Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep

Psalm 22 points us to Jesus as Jesus shared Psalm 22:1 at the cross. We see that Jesus is this Suffering King. In Psalm 23 we see that there is a good shepherd who is David’s shepherd. In Psalm 24, we see the conclusion to this Psalmatic Trio and it’s described as “The King of Glory.” In the midst of our rebellion and our running away from the things of God, how can we be assured that we will dwell in His house forever? Because Jesus identifies Himself as this Good Shepherd who seeks, saves, and satisfies straying sheep. Look at what John 10 tells us about Jesus Christ

John 10:10–18 CSB

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about 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. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

John 10:28 CSB

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

What has our Good Shepherd done? He has laid down His life for his sheep. He knows His sheep and He says that His sheep know Him. No one takes His sheep out of His hand. If you are a Christian, aren’t you thankful that Jesus Christ not only knows you, but He has saved you and secured you in His eternal grip and He won’t drop you? Jesus doesn’t lose His sheep. Y’all this is good news from our Good Shepherd. Here’s what Psalm 23 is telling is: This Good Shepherd not only protects and provides for His sheep, but He prevails over His enemies as well. Our Shepherd was crucified and killed - but as John 10 reminds us, He had the right to rise on the 3rd day because He had done no wrong.

See, if you are a Christian this morning, you share this same resurrection hope because your Shepherd has crushed that serpent once and for all.

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 CSB

55 Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Jesus is the shepherd who wins our freedom not just with rod and staff, but chiefly with a blood stained cross. He knows our darkest secrets. He knows our insecurities. He knows our failures and our flaws. He knows our inabilities. He knows our weaknesses. He knows that we are silly, straying sheep who get turned around a million times and who are prone to wander and forget His greatness and provision day after day… but do you know what Jesus says whenever He looks at His sheep? That sheep is mine. But it has a broken leg. It’s mine. But it’s stubborn… it’s mine. But it’s flawed… it’s mine. But it is just a dumb sheep… it’s mine. Jesus welcomes us as we are but He doesn’t leave us as we were - He changes His sheep because He loves us.

Psalm 23 is a passage we all know… but have we experienced it? Have you tasted and seen that the Lord is in fact this good Shepherd who lays down His life for you?

Application

We Must Be Led by Christ and Be in His Pasture

We Must Trust in Christ’s Love

We Must See that Our Shepherd Saves, Sustains, and Satisfies

We Must Be Willing to Lay Down Our Lives

As your pastor, 1 Peter 5 shares this charge to me and to our elders/pastors

1 Peter 5:1–4 CSB

1 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

God has called the pastors of His church to shepherd, serve, and suffer as examples of what the Chief Shepherd has done for us. This passage convicted me this week because Biblically, I’m called by God to shepherd each one in our church the way that Jesus shepherds us and to sacrifice for each one here and those that are not as well. Let me be the first to say that in reading this passage, I’m indebted to the mercy of Jesus Christ and I’m thankful for His mercy in the midst of my shortcomings as I attempt to point FBC Salem to the perfect Shepherd who lacks in nothing. Aren’t you thankful for His mercy whenever we fall woefully short?

Husbands, this is your call as well. To love your wife as Christ loved His church which means that you must be willing to do what? To lay down your life for her. In fact, if we are to love our neighbor as ourselves as Mark 12 instructs us to do, this means that we must be willing to lay down our lives for others because of our love for them, but also because of our love for Jesus Christ.

Isn’t it a blessing to know that we have a Good Shepherd who promises to be with us every step of the way in this life? In the mountain highs, He is with you. In the Valley of the Shadow of Death, He is still with you. Don’t wait until your funeral to experience Psalm 23. The Lord is the Good Shepherd… but is He YOUR Shepherd today? See, that’s the question that we all have to ask ourselves right now.