In the Old Testament, God is often portrayed as the shepherd of his people. In Psalm 23, a ‘sheep’ says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.” Mark tells us that Jesus was moved with pity for the crowd because, “they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Just as sheep are defenseless and totally dependent upon their shepherd, the people of Israel needed a shepherd to guide them. Like a shepherd, Jesus protects, guides, and nurtures His flock. In fact, He is willing to lay down His life for His sheep.
The Pharisees were well aware of the condemnation of shepherds found in Jeremiah 23 (and in Ezekiel 34) leaders of Israel who had led the people astray and had sought their own glory. These so-called shepherds were arrogant, selfish, and uncaring. In Jeremiah 23, the Lord says: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture…You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.” He then promises another shepherd that was to come later, “a righteous shoot to David.” That shepherd was Jesus, the promised Messiah.
As our shepherd, Jesus loves us and cares for us. He protects us from harm, seeks us when we are lost, goes before us to find the best pasture, and gives us comfort in the best places to lie down and rest. Psalm 23 promises that the Lord will care for us as a shepherd “all the days of [our lives].” We must trust our Good Shepherd – who looks after us and knows what is best for us. Sheep wander away from their shepherd because they don’t know any better. We wander away from God because we make terrible choices that could easily jeopardize our future lives. When we allow Jesus to be our Shepherd and we follow Him, our future is secure and we “fear no evil” for he is at our side.
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