“Shepherd My sheep” (John 21:16 JND). The Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, and now He is instructing Peter. These words came from the One who is our supreme example and were said to one who had just failed signally in not following his Lord. But the Lord could use Peter, and in various scriptures we find guidance for the role of shepherd, as we too are encouraged to care for His sheep.
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is mentioned as the Shepherd in three different ways — as the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd, and the chief Shepherd. Each of these brings a distinct thought before us, while each also sets an example for us in a different way. I would like to look at these three characters of the Lord Jesus as Shepherd, so that we may see His perfection in each role, but then also see how each is an example for us in seeking to care for others.
The Good Shepherd
In John 10:11, the Lord Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” At the point when He says this, the Lord Jesus has been rejected. We might say that in John 7, His words have been rejected, in John 8 His Person has been rejected, while in John 9 His works have been rejected. But then we see that God is going to have His sheep in spite of everything. This can happen only if the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep, in order that they might be His. There was no other way. David had risked his life in saving his sheep from the lion and the bear, but the Lord Jesus must give up His life if His sheep were to be saved. What a price He has paid for them!
In the Old Testament, we see this character of the Lord Jesus in Psalm 22. There His sufferings are depicted more from the hand of God, for it is those sufferings that put away our sins. His cry in verse 1 went unanswered, for sin was in question, and God could not look upon sin. But what is the result? Nothing but blessing, carrying right through the entire latter part of the psalm, from verse 22 to the end. So it is with the good shepherd. If He gives His life for the sheep, there is nothing but blessing for them.
It is evident that we, as created beings, can never take up suffering for another with the thought of atoning for sin. No, our Lord Jesus was alone in that. However, we read that “hereby we have known love, because He has laid down His life for us; and we ought for the brethren to lay down our lives” (1 John 3:16 JND). If we follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour, we will respond to His supreme sacrifice by being willing to lay down our lives for those who are so precious to Him — His sheep. It may not mean actually going into death, but in giving up our own ambitions and wishes in order to be a help to God’s people, we can, in that sense, lay down our lives. “He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:25). To gain a reward for eternity, God calls us to give up our lives down here, in order to live for Him.
The Great Shepherd
Then, in Hebrews 13:20-21, we read, “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, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” The Lord Jesus is the great shepherd in resurrection, for He has triumphed over death, Satan and sin. As such, He has brought in the “everlasting covenant” by which God can bless man in grace, as opposed to the old covenant, which was based on what man should have done. Now God can come out in grace, on a totally new basis, for Christ has died and risen again.
This character of the Lord Jesus brings in our walk, for God can now work in our hearts to “do His will” and to work that “which is well-pleasing in His sight.” There was no power for man to do God’s will under the old covenant, but now God has given him new life in Christ. Now the believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and has, as his object, a risen Christ in glory. With an object in glory and the Spirit down here, the believer has power to walk to please the Lord. All the power that raised Christ from the dead is ours, to enable us to walk before the Lord in this world.
We see this character of the Lord Jesus illustrated in Psalm 23—probably the best-known of all the psalms. His care of us takes us all the way through this world, providing for our needs, feeding us, restoring us, keeping us in the valley of the shadow of death, and ending in glory. It is as the great shepherd that He might be spoken of as “the all-the-way-home Shepherd,” for He will never rest until we are safely there with Him in glory. He does not simply save us and then leave us to find our own way in this world. Rather, He looks after us in every way, enabling us to walk a pathway that is well-pleasing in His sight.
What an example for us as shepherds! There can be only one “great Shepherd,” but all of us can be involved in feeding the sheep, leading them by still waters, seeking to restore them if necessary, and comforting them in difficult circumstances; all of these things we can also do, in the spirit of the great Shepherd.
The Chief Shepherd
Finally, in 1 Peter 5:4 we read, “When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” If the Lord Jesus is the chief Shepherd, then it follows that there are “under-shepherds.” This chapter in 1 Peter shows us the character the Lord looks for in those under-shepherds. They are to serve the flock of God willingly, not for money or as overlords, but rather leading by example. Overseers and elders are needed for God’s flock, but there is a right way for them to carry out their service. Peter gives us this and also tells us that a reward will be offered “when the chief Shepherd shall appear.”
Shepherding is often thankless work in this world, done for the most part behind the scenes, and in many cases not appreciated even by the sheep. Evangelizing and teaching both involve work too, but such gifts are much more in the public eye. For this reason, I believe, a special reward is spoken of to encourage the shepherd. The crown of glory will more than make up for all the effort spent on behalf of God’s sheep. We get the same spirit in the good Samaritan, who said to the host of the inn, “Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee” (Luke 10:35). What a wonderful repayment it will be, to receive that crown of glory!
The chief Shepherd is pictured for us in Psalm 24. There we see the Lord Jesus prophetically portrayed in glory. No longer despised and rejected, He is acclaimed as the owner of “the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psa. 24:1). In that day none will be able to approach Him without “clean hands, and a pure heart” (vs. 4). The Lord will be “strong and mighty . . . mighty in battle” (vs. 8), and all the world will see His glory. Those who have been faithful as under-shepherds in the day of His rejection will see that glory and share it with Him.
Shepherding is a much-needed but multifaceted service. We must be willing to put aside our own wills and look to our perfect example in these three characters as Shepherd. Then He can use us to care for the sheep for which He died.
W. J. Prost