The Shepherd and the Sheep.

WELL, my little friends, what do you think of our new picture? You see, now the Publisher makes the pages of Good News longer and wider, we can have larger pictures to look at; and if pictures please you as much as they do me, you will not like your magazine a bit the less because the pictures are bigger and better than they have been before. I suppose you are bigger yourselves than you were when last New Year’s books came, and I trust you are, in some respects, better too. You know there is a blessed Man in heaven who is “altogether lovely,” and it is possible to be getting more and more like Him every day. We might be much more gentle, and patient, and kind, and humble than we are. And then we read that when He was a child, with His mother, He was “subject” unto her and to Joseph. Then he was “obedient,” even until death; and he “loved” what was right, and “hated” what was wrong, though filled with the tenderest pity for those who did the wrong, even when others wanted to stone both them and Him (John 8:5-595Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. 7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. 8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. 12Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 13The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. 14Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. 15Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. 16And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. 17It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. 18I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. 19Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. 20These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. 21Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. 22Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. 23And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. 24I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. 25Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. 26I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. 27They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. 28Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. 29And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. 30As he spake these words, many believed on him. 31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 37I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. 38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. 39They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 41Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. 42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me. 50And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoreth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. (John 8:5‑59)). In all these things it would be far better for us if we were more like Him; but, you know, the first thing to do is not to try to be like Him, but to believe in Him as our Saviour who died for us because we were so unlike Him. Not to imitate the good there is in Him; but to confess the bad there is in us, and the sins we have committed, and to get them all washed away in His precious blood.
You see our little book that we send you every month is called GOOD NEWS, and the very best of good news is that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Many who did not see anything very good for them in that, last New Year’s Day, have since learned that it is just the thing they need, and now they say,
Yes, Jesus only, none beside
Can do the sinner good;
Far off was I; but Jesus died,
And I have peace with God.
His name is dearer to me now,
Than every name beside;
All glory beams around the brow
Of Jesus crucified.
His beauty shineth far above
A seraph’s power to praise,
And I shall live and learn His love
Through everlasting days.
The knowing that He loveth me,
Hath made my cup run o’er;
So Jesus all my song shall be,
Today and evermore.
It was about this same Jesus that the angels came to tell when they said to the shepherds (by night, not day, as in our picture), that they had “glad tidings,” or good news of great joy, which should be to all people; and so when Paul writes to the Christians at Rome about God’s good news (Rom. 1:11Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1)), he tells them that is concerning “God’s Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.” And even when a man was shedding tears in heaven (in a vision), it was something about Jesus that dried them up (Rev. 5). So you cannot wonder that in a little book of GOOD NEWS, where we write to those whom we want to be as happy as the Lord Jesus has made us to be, we should say more about Him than about anybody else. We want you to think more of Him than of anybody else. The more you read of Him and think of Him the more you will love Him, and the more you love Him the more you will try to please Him. He is not hard to please, and it is very happy for us if we know that He, who looks to the bottom of our hearts, sees that we do desire to please Him in all we do. (Rev. 5:44And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. (Revelation 5:4).)
But I wanted to talk to you a little about the picture. It seems to me that the friend who drew it thought more about the lambs and sheep than about the Shepherd; but thought there ought to be someone to look after them, so he put a man sitting down, a good way off, and looking half asleep. I am afraid this is too much like we all think of our own “good Shepherd.” We think more of ourselves, and how we take care of ourselves or of one another, than of what it is to belong to the “one flock” of that good Shepherd who never sleeps. He “ne’er forgets the least,” and He holds in His “hand “the lambs as well as the sheep. He “gathers” them with His “arm,” holds them in His “hand,” carries them in His “bosom” or on His “shoulders.” And does He not love them with His heart? If He does not I cannot tell why He should say, “The good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”
I do not know how many shepherds we read of in the Bible, but there is not one, even there, to compare to the Lord Jesus. The first man who died and went to heaven was a keeper of sheep, but I don’t know what became of them when he died. Our Shepherd has already passed through death, and “He dieth no more;” so that we shall never be left to the mercy of Cain, or any one like him. Abram and Lot had lots of sheep, and their shepherds could not agree, though I dare say the sheep did not fall out with one another, and I hope you do not either, whatever the older people may do, and sometimes they do quarrel sadly. Moses kept sheep till he was eighty years old, and then left them to go and lead the children of Israel “like a flock” across the wilderness. David, too, was a very good shepherd, but he left the “few sheep in the wilderness” to go and first deliver the people of Israel, and then reign over them. But Jesus will never leave His flock to go anywhere or be anything, only presently He will come and gather us all close round Himself, so that we may see Him and be with Him forever, 1 Thess. 4:11-1811And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; 12That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. 13But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:11‑18). I must not keep you to say much more now, but it is nice to see in the picture that so long as the sheep keep within sight of the shepherd, the dog can sit still by the side of his master. If they should run away, where the shepherd could not see them, no doubt the faithful dog would soon be after them, I barking, and perhaps even biting at their wool, to make them come back. Even then they ought to be very glad, as there is a great difference between the shepherd’s dog and a wolf or a thief, who would want to hurt them. And no doubt some of our little troubles come because we do not keep so near as we ought to our good Shepherd. He does not want to send them if we would only listen to His voice and follow Him, and let Him guide us by. His wisdom. But if we will have our own way, we must remember “the way of transgressors is hard,” and the Lord may make us feel very sorely that it is an evil thing, and bitter to depart from Himself. Still, He rebukes us in love; the dog may not seem very kind or gentle, but he is the shepherd’s dog, not the wolf, and the One who watches over us does not send the trouble because He does not love us, but because He does.
May you, dear little readers, and may I, learn more about this Shepherd of the sheep! Next month, if spared, I may say something to you about the Lord Jesus as the Lamb, instead of the Shepherd. Till then, farewell.
My Shepherd is the Lamb,
The living Lord, who died;
With all things good. I ever am
By Him supplied
W. TY.