When I was growing up, I showed animals for 4-H. I showed sheep and cattle. It taught me a lot about responsibility and hard work. I loved showing cattle, but sheep on the other hand, I had a love/hate relationship with. Sheep aren't necessarily the brightest animals. They always get themselves into positions to hurt themselves, it takes them a long time to learn, and they resist your efforts to lead them. Not all of the sheep I had were like this, but the vast majority of the ones I showed were. Last week, I was reading through John 10. In this chapter, Jesus is calling Himself the 'Good Shepherd' and comparing humans to sheep. Knowing the nature of sheep from my past, it always seemed like an insult to me to be called a sheep. Yet, also knowing the nature of sheep, knowing myself, and knowing my tendencies of my walk with Jesus, comparing us to sheep is actually spot on.
The nature of sheep:
defenseless - usually kept secure by fencing and/or having a guardian animal with them
social - like to be in groups
strong flocking behavior - they remain in tight groups, especially when faced with danger (their only real defense strategy)
totally reliant on their shepherd - need to be led to eat and to drink
follow the leader - they will all follow what one sheep will do even if they do something that could cause them harm
To summarize, sheep aren't the most intelligent animals. They are programmed to follow one another, so if the leader runs off the cliff, they likely all will. Sheep will struggle to find food and water without the guidance of a shepherd. So, the role of the shepherd is important. The shepherd's duty is to ensure the wellbeing and security of the flock. If you read through the Bible, there are many examples of shepherds: Abel, Moses, David, and Amos. Many shepherds will carry a rod, staff, and a slingshot. The rod and the slingshot were to protect the sheep from wild animals. The staff was used by the shepherd as a walking stick and a means to help maneuver sheep. David is probably the most well-known shepherd in the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 17:34-36, David was making his case to King Saul to let him fight Goliath.
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
David knew what it was like to be a shepherd. A shepherd is selfless and has to put themselves in danger to protect the sheep. David, in one of his Psalms, calls the Lord his shepherd. David knew as a shepherd cares for his sheep, the Lord cares for His people. The Lord provides for their needs, guides them, and protects them.
Psalm 23:1-4
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even 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.
The Lord knows what we need. The Lord provides for us, He gives us peace, and renews our souls. This Psalm also points to Jesus, who is called the Good Shepherd in John 10.
John 10:7-16
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for 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; and I lay down my life for the sheep.16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Why do we as humans need a shepherd? I think we are much more like sheep in nature than even I care to admit. Now I am not saying we aren't intelligent, because God gave us far more intelligence than sheep. Sheep have a tendency to wander off even though the herd is the safest place. When sheep wander, they are in danger of getting lost or being attacked. Much like sheep, we tend to go astray. We often get lost in our prideful ambitions or follow our fleshly desires. We try to find our own way back to the 'herd' through self-righteousness. We like sheep cannot make it on our own. The devil is the thief in John 10. The devil wants to make us believe we can do it on our own and entices us to go astray from the herd. The devil wants to pull us away from the herd where we are the most vulnerable. This is why we need a shepherd, but not just any shepherd. We need the Good Shepherd. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. A shepherd's job is to care for and protect the flock, even if it means he faces danger or death. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for us, so we may have abundant life. Jesus says that His sheep know His voice and He will bring others into the flock. The flock is the church of believers. Jesus is calling in the lost sheep back into the flock, referring to lost people coming to salvation in Jesus' name. Once saved, they join the flock, or the church.
Jesus is crazy passionate about finding His lost sheep! In Luke 15:3-7, He tells a parable of the lost sheep.
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is in the business of finding the one lost sheep! That is whereas the flock, aka the church, we come in! Jesus charged us with the spreading of the Gospel message! We through love spread the Gospel to all who need to hear it! This is why we need to be under the Good Shepherd's guidance and care. We can't spread the Gospel message if we are wandering along the countryside following our own desires. As part of the flock, our desires must align with our Shepherd's desires. If they don't, we could cause confusion within the flock. This is why we need to come to the Good Shepherd daily, submit our desires to His will, rest in His care and provision, and boldly spread the Gospel.
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