CHRISTMAS SERIES 2011

“THE PURPOSE OF HIS COMING”

JESUS, OUR GREAT SHEPHERD

1 <<A Psalm of David.>> The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 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 thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 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 for ever.

The portrait of Jesus Christ as The Good Shepherd is most wonderfully revealed in the beloved 23^rd Psalm and other shepherd passages.  In Psalm 23, David compares the Lord to a shepherd who lovingly tends His flock. Through this passage, we learn that Jehovah—the all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God––tenderly cares for those who belong to Him.

·      Isa 40:11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

David being a shepherd knew the responsibilities of the shepherd to the sheep.

What does the Shepherd Title reveal about the Portrait of The Lord Jesus Christ? It reveals that Jesus is a personal Shepherd.

·      David wrote: The LORD is my shepherd Ps. 23:1. Every child of God has an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe. But that fellowship is possible only through His Son Jesus.

·      Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me” (John 10:14). Those who have trusted Christ as Savior have the assurance that He will watch over and nurture them.

• The shepherds of the Middle East have a more intimate relationship than the shepherds in the West. In our part of the world, sheep are raised mostly for meat, while in the Middle East, sheep are normally raised for their wool and milk.
• The shepherd would stay with the sheep sometimes as long as 10 years, during which time they would develop a close and intimate relationship. As our great Shepherd, Jesus knows us by name.
• John 10.3 He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
• Psalm 80.1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
• Notice beloved that Our Great Shepherd leads us, He does not drive us, He does not beat us, He leads us. Jesus is The Good Shepherd that leads us as we encounter the many dangers and storms of our lives. Beloved, we are never alone in life…our Great Shepherd is always there with us.
• How good it is to know that we do not need to trust in our own understanding, but if we will just but acknowledge Him, He will direct our paths. Prov 3:5,6

It reveals that Jesus is a providing Shepherd.

·      Psalm 23:1 says, The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. A good shepherd desires that His sheep to have only what is best for them; God gives us what we truly need (Phil. 4:19).

·      Sometimes that means we will ask for things but will not receive them. If the Father delays or withholds the granting our request, we can be certain He has a reason that is in your best interest.

·      Psalm 34:9 says, To those who fear Him there is no want. When we submit to the Lord, He promises to supply what we need, not our greed. And when we delight in Him, we discover that God progressively conforms our desires to His holy will.

It reveals that Jesus is a Shepherd that provides peace and refreshment.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

• Phillip Keller in his book a "A Shepherd looks at the 23rd Psalm" states that there are four requirements necessary before sheep will lie down.
• Free from all fear. Perfect love casts out fear.
• Free from friction with others of their kind. Perfect love forgives as he or she has been forgiven.
• Free from flies and parasites when the Shepherd anoints their heads with oil. I love the way Jesus Christ my Shepherd takes care of the irritants of our lives
• They must be full; they will not lie down if they are hungry. Jesus is our satisfaction.

He leadeth me beside the still waters

·      If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink, for whoever drinks of the water that I give, out of his innermost being their would flow living water (John 7.37)

·      Jesus the good Shepherd one day said to the lady of Samaria, that He could give her water that if she would drink of it, she would never thirst again, but it would be like a spring within her.

·      That is His offer to you today my friend…comes unto Jesus and drink.

It reveals that Jesus is a pardoning Shepherd.

He restores my soul (Ps. 23:3).

·      Every believer has strayed from God at some point, but thankfully, the Good Shepherd willingly restores fellowship with Him when we confess our sins (1 John 1:8-9).And that intimacy fills us with incomparable joy and peace (Ps. 23:5).

It reveals that Jesus is a protecting Shepherd.

Thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

• A sheepfold had only one entrance. The shepherd would sleep in front of that entrance, making himself the door. He would protect the sheep from wolves, wind, and storms. Jesus is our shepherd protecting us from Satan.
• The rod was a stout piece of wood with which the shepherd fought off the wild beasts that sought to attack or harm His flock. Other than a hard skull, sheep have very little defensive weapons, about all they can do is to run
• Likewise, when the enemy of our souls seeks to devour us, we can flee to the protective arms of our Shepherd Jesus and the devil must flee. 
• When the devil allures us with the lusts of the flesh, our Shepherd gives to us precepts and principles of God’s Word, that protect us from the deadly enemies of our souls.
• The staff was a long, crooked stick that the shepherd would gently lay on the back of the sheep to keep it from straying. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil (Ps. 23:4).

·      Everyone goes through valleys, or low points, in life. We may face sorrow, heartache, doubt, or other kinds of adversity, but Christians need not be afraid.

·      Psalm 23:4 says, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me. No matter what happens, we do not have to be afraid. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14.1).

·      The awareness of the presence of our Shepherd provides the assurance and confidence is times or trouble (Heb. 13:5). If you walk obediently before Him, we have the assurance that all things work together for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28).

·      Cast all of your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.

·      Death stands beside my path casting its shadow across my path, but a shadow can only be cast if you have light on the other side. The light of the glory of my Fathers eternal kingdom is what causes the shadow of death to cross my path.

It reveals that Jesus is a preparing Shepherd.

David anticipated his heavenly home: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Ps. 23:5-6).

·      Jesus promised that He would prepare an eternal home for those who receive His gift of forgiveness and trust Him with their lives (John 3:3; 14:2-3). Those of us who know the Lord have the assurance that death is not the end but, rather, a beginning.

Perhaps you are visiting us this morning and you do not quite understand all of this talk of being born again and having a relationship with Jesus Christ. You have to admit that the concept of a shepherd and sheep relationship as recorded in Psalm 23 is a beautiful one indeed….and deep inside, you wish that you were one of The Lord’s own sheep. You may be asking, how does The Lord Jesus look at me this morning?

• Matt 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
• Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
• What Jesus saw affected not His eye only, but His heart. My friend, when The Lord Jesus Christ looks at the sea of lost humanity, He is moved with compassion for them because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Each and every one of us are sinners that are likened to sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way (Isa 53.6).
• We are sinners by nature and by choice…or as Scripture declares, like sheep, we have gone astray. The only way back to The Father is through The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
• John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
• Christ’s love is so great for us that He laid down His life to save us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and ultimately, the presence of sin in His eternal kingdom.
• As we saw last week, when a sinner repents, heaven rejoices. When you turn to Christ with a broken and contrite heart, which is a cause of great joy to Him. 1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
• I personally believe that Jesus loved telling people, your sins are forgiven you, go and sin no more.
• Jesus may be calling some of you today to come to Him as the Saving Shepherd….John 10:16 And other sheep (Gentiles) I have, which are not of this fold (Jewish): them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
• The shepherd’s call goes out to all today, but only those who hear His voice will respond. The fact that you have responded to His call or desire to respond to His call this morning only proves that you are one of His sheep.

And why does The Great Shepherd save us?

• Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

To do His will…to bring Him pleasure…that He