Christ is our Good Shepherd Adrian D. Van Bredai Sermon prepared for 20 November 2005 (Christ the King), fourth sermon. Readings: Psalm 23 (and Ezekiel 34: 11-24 and Matthew 25: 31-46) (17 minutes) Theme: “Christ is our Good Shepherd”

Introduction *Did any of you read Barry Ronge’s ‘Spit and Polish’ two weeks ago? He was again bewailing the fate of the English language in light of a decision by the Australian Bible Society to produce an SMS version of the Bible. And so, in response he decided to try his hand at reworking Psalm 23 in SMS language. Here is the result*: Da Man’s got my back. Now dat’s what I’m talkin’ about. I’m chillin’. But seriously, there is a hip-hop version of the Psalm 23 – it starts and ends like this *: The LORD’s out in front 'n He's got my back. He gets me to the spot where I can true chill with Him. He shows me how to find the free 'n quiet flow. Put'n' me back on track when I get outta whack. … My soul's crazy buggin' with Your overflow, God! For real – His goodness an' fava' will both be gettin' with me ev'ry day of my stay here. An' yo! check it – I'm go'n’ be all up in the house of the LORD – 4-ever. *The problem with Psalm 23 is that most of us have no experience of sheep or shepherds. I mean, have any of you ever worked as a shepherd? Or do you have a close relative who is a shepherd? Or actually even spoken to a shepherd? No, I didn’t think so. Given that an analogy is supposed to shed light on something unfamiliar be comparing it to something that is familiar, the use of a shepherd is probably not very helpful for us in the 21st Century! And so, in response to this, there have been numerous attempts to reformulate the Psalm in language that is more familiar. One of the better reworkings of Psalm 23 is the Japanese one, which goes like this*: The Lord is my pacesetter. I shall not rush. He makes me stop for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness which restore me. He leads me in the paths of efficiency through his guidance in peace. Even though I have a great many things to do each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here. His timelessness will keep me in balance. He renews me in the midst of my activities with his oil of tranquillity. My cup of joy overflows. Surely harmony shall be the fruit of my hours, and I shall walk in the pace of the Lord and dwell in his house forever. The problem with this kind of reworking, however, is that the metaphor of ‘shepherd’ is so deeply woven into the fabric of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, that to remove or reword it causes the entire thread to disappear*. Consider how the idea of sheep and shepherds permeates our scriptures: • *In the Old Testament o Kings are referred to as shepherds. o God is referred to as the Shepherd of Israel. o When Jewish leaders fail their people, they are contrasted with shepherds. o The prophecies of the Messiah are illustrated with the image of a shepherd. o Sheep are central to OT sacrifice and their blood is used in Passover. • *In the New Testament: o Jesus calls himself a shepherd. o He calls us his sheep. o He is called the lamb of God.

o o o o o

Christ the shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. The Lamb of God becomes glorified. Christ the shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus tells Peter to shepherd His sheep. The word shepherd in Latin becomes pastor in English.

So, this shepherd metaphor is rich and evocative, and we would be foolish to remove it from our Bibles or to try to translate it into something else. But have you seen pictures of sheep and shepherds in the Middle East*? They don’t look very regal* – it looks dry and barren* and not very inviting at all, actually.

Pastoral Imagery So what I’d like us to do is to paint a few pastoral pictures of our own, pictures that are evoked by Scripture*. I want you to close your eyes for a moment – go ahead, I just want you to use your imagination. See if you can formulate a picture in your mind now of what God must be like as a shepherd. Can you get a sense of him as a shepherd? … What would he look like? What attitude would he have? … What feelings would he evoke in you? How would you experience being one of his flock? Okay, you can open your eyes. Would some of you like to share how God as a shepherd makes you feel? Now, I want you to hang on to that sense that you have created, as we look at some of the pastoral language of the Scriptures. Provisioning. Now the first thing*, is that God as a Shepherd provides for our needs* – “I shall not be in want” (Ps 23:1). Isaiah prophesies that the coming Messiah will feed his flock like a shepherd*. Do you know that beautiful section from Handle’s Messiah? He shall feed his flock like a shepherd And he shall gather the lambs with his arm, with his arm. Think, for example*, of how God led the Jews out of Egypt, through the desert, and into Israel – like a shepherd. And then in the desert, when the people were hungry and complaining, God says*, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you.” And he says, “At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God” (Ex 16: 4 & 12). Isn’t that wonderful? To be assured that God will provide for our every need? Good Pasture. *Flocks of sheep were constantly on the move in the Middle East. Although the fields, even in the desert, would green in Winter and Spring, they were dead in Summer and Autumn. And so the shepherd would have to constantly rove from place to place, looking for better pastures for his flock. *But God as Shepherd makes us lie down* in green pastures – he leads us beside quiet waters – he restores our soul (Ps 23:2-3a). God’s care for us is constant, not seasonal. He provides us full time with a good place to pasture – to refresh our selves. Isaiah promises this, when he says*, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest” (Is 32:18). Our reading from Ezekiel emphasises this good place. Look at what God says about how he will provide good pasture for his people*: “I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines … I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel” (Ez 34: 13b-14).

Isn’t that a beautiful image – this beautiful, sheltered, plentiful place of rest? Try to picture this place in your mind’s eye. Presence. *And then the shepherd is always there, with his sheep – David says*, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps 23:4, KJV). Isn’t that good to know – that God is with us, all the time – even, or especially, in the darkest times of our life? We have this promise from God many times in the Scriptures. In Exodus, God says*, “Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.” (Ex 29:45-46) And then in Ezekiel, God renews his promise, saying*, “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.” (Ez 37:26-28) Isn’t this a comforting image – the idea of God being with us, close to us, all the time – no matter what we are going through in life; no matter how we feel about him? Sustenance. *And then, there is a sense, running through this entire Psalm, of God sustaining us – a sense that God carries us, holds us, protects and comforts us. The main image that this Psalm evokes in me personally, is a sense of being embraced and held by God. *Do you connect with this picture? *How about this one? There is wonderful imagery in the OT about God sustaining us*. One of the Psalmists calls out to God, saying*, “Be their shepherd and carry them forever” (Ps 28:9). Isaiah, prophesying about the Messiah, says*, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Is 40:11). And God, himself, says in Ezekiel*, “I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak” (Eze 34:15-16). Isn’t this encouraging imagery of God’s sustaining us – caring for us, nurturing us, protecting us, guiding us?

Christ the Shepherd King *Now, by the time Jesus began his ministry the Jewish people had associated the image of Shepherd with the Kings of Israel – particularly David (who actually was a shepherd before he became King) – and especially with God. Psalm 80 opens with the words, “Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock.” And the image that Isaiah had created of the coming Messiah was also of a good shepherd. So, can you imagine the reaction of the Jews when Jesus said, in John 10*, “I am the good shepherd”? This must have blown them away. Jesus says*, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father

knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:1115). The writer of Hebrews confirms this, saying that Jesus is “the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Heb 13:20). And Peter also says that “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Pe 5:4). So, it is interesting how Jesus uses the shepherd image in our Gospel reading today. Let’s read the first four versus again*: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world (Mat 25:3134). Do you notice how the main character, who of course is Jesus himself, changes from* ‘Son of Man’, to a ‘shepherd’, to the ‘King’? Isn’t that amazing? Jesus is describing his own journey. He was born as the Son of Man – a human, just like us. Be he develops into the Shepherd, as was prophesied in the OT. And after his resurrection he took up his throne once again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16). So this is the Christ whom we love and serve. This is the God whom we worship. Jesus Christ is our Shepherd King. One of the elders in Revelation says*, “For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev 7:17). And so Christ the Lamb once again becomes the Shepherd King* – the very same that we have read about throughout the Old Testament – a Shepherd King who provides for his sheep, who marks out good pasture, who is present with his flock forever, and who sustains and nurtures his sheep. Amen.* i

I was playing with a different style of preaching. So far, I’ve preached content-oriented, teaching sermons, ending with some kind of exhortation or challenge. What I wanted to do here was lift Christ up and get us to look at him through the lens of shepherd. The goal was just to see Him in his role as Shepherd King. So there was no application and no exhortation. I tried to engage multiple senses, so used images (see the accompanying slide show), music (I sang the air from the Messiah), imagination (the suggested imagery on page 2), text (lots of OT passages) and voice (mine – quiet and hopefully calm and restful). The PowerPoint slide show was important to give visual and textual stimulation. There was so much about the shepherd imagery that I could have preached on. Especially in the Ezekiel and Matthew readings, there is the emphasis on the bad shepherds or the goats, with the slant on judgement. But we’ve had a bit of this over the previous few sermons, so I avoided that. I wanted primarily to convey the comfort and security in being part of Christ’s flock.

It seems the sermon was meaningful to many people. I enjoyed the different style of presenting the Gospel. The integration of voice and visuals was effective. I stuck very closely to the text, since someone else was following along and operating the slide show. It resulted in a fairly formal recital, but not too bad. The little yellow stars refer to transitions in the slide show (either across or within slides).

Barry Ronge’s Psalm 23

Christ is our Good Shepherd

Da Man’s got my back. Now dat’s what I’m talkin’ about. I’m chillin’.

Hip Hop’s Psalm 23

King James’ Psalm 23

• • • The LORD’s out in front 'n He's got my back • He gets me to the spot where I can true chill with Him • He shows me how to find the free 'n quiet flow • Put'n' me back on track when I get outta whack • • My soul's crazy buggin' with Your overflow, God! • For real – His goodness an' fava' will both be gettin' with me ev'ry day of my stay here • An' yo! check it – I'm go'n’ be all up in the house of the LORD – 4-ever. • • •

Japanese Paraphrase of Psalm 23 The Lord is my pacesetter. I shall not rush. He makes me stop for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness which restore me. He leads me in the paths of efficiency through his guidance in peace. Even though I have a great many things to do each day, I will not fret, for his presence is here. His timelessness will keep me in balance. He renews me in the midst of my activities with his oil of tranquillity. My cup of joy overflows. Surely harmony shall be the fruit of my hours, and I shall walk in the pace of the Lord and dwell in his house forever.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Pastoral Imagery in the Bible Old Testament

New Testament

• Kings as shepherds • God is Shepherd of Israel

• Jesus calls himself shepherd • He calls us his sheep

• Failed Jewish leaders contrasted with shepherds • The Messiah as shepherd • Sheep as sacrifice • Sheep’s blood in Passover

• He is the Lamb of God • The shepherd lays down his life for his sheep • The Lamb of God is glorified • The shepherd separates sheep from goats • Jesus tells Peter to shepherd His sheep • The word shepherd in Latin becomes pastor in English

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Provisioning

A Good Pasture

• I shall not be in want – Ps 23: 1

• He shall feed his flock like a shepherd – Is 40: 11

• But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the desert – Ps 78: 52

• I will rain down bread from heaven for you – Ex 16: 4

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A Good Pasture • He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul – Ps 23:2 & 3a

• My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest – Is 32:18

A Good Pasture • I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines … • I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel – Eze 34:13b-14

Presence Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me

Presence • Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. – Ex 29: 45-46

– Ps 23:4 (KJV)

Presence

Sustenance

• I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever. – Eze 37: 26-28

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Sustenance

I am the Good Shepherd

• Be their shepherd and carry them forever – Ps 28: 9

• He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young – Is 40: 11

• I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak – Eze 34: 15-16

I am the Good Shepherd

I am the Good Shepherd

• I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. • I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep.

• When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. • All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. • Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’

– John 10: 11-15

– Mat 25: 31-34

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I am the Good Shepherd

I am the Good Shepherd

• When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. • All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. • Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’

• For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes – Rev 7: 17

– Mat 25: 31-34

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