Jesus The Good Shepherd

Follow Along with the Message

A psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
    he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.”

--Psalm 23 (NIV)

This Psalm is an intimate description of David’s God.

• David talks about God as if God belonged to him and he belonged to God.
• The relationship is intimate, safe, and permanent.

David poetically lists the benefits God gave him and gives us today as our shepherd:

• Your shepherd tends to your needs.
• He carries you when you can’t carry on.
• He stands with you and stands up for you when enemies come against you.
• He protects you when you are unsure and unsafe.
• He leads you when you don’t know which way to go.
• He saves you from your sin and from yourself.
• He disciplines you.
• He gives you abundant blessing, overflowing blessing.
• He keeps you close to Him, and He is faithful to you forever.

Scripture sets the scene of Jesus’ mission for us:

“When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

--Mathew 9:36 (NIV)

“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep...
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice...”

“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

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. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”

--John 10: 2-18 (excerpts)

This section of scripture is a part of Jesus introducing Himself with the self-descriptions of I Am:

• I am the Bread of Life
• I am the Light of the World
• I am the gate for the sheep.
• I am the good shepherd (declared twice)
• I am the way, the truth, and the life.
• I am the true vine.

Every word of Jesus is intentional and potent.

• Jesus declared Himself as the Good shepherd.
• The word, “good” is Kalos (Kuh-los) in Greek meaning honorable, right, excellent, beautiful, sound in quality and character.

“Show me your ways, O lord.
Teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
For you are God, my savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

--Psalm 25: 4-5