Our Shepherd King

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3.

This familiar Psalm is often referred to as the Shepherd's Psalm. The entire psalm addresses what the Shepherd (Jesus) does for His sheep. Isaiah writes: "He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (40:11)

Ezekiel writes of IsraEl: "As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness." (Ezekiel 34:12) A beautiful promise to a nation, a people, that has been so scattered that some of the original tribes are considered "lost". But not to our God! Our Shepherd King. He will seek out, He will rescue, He will gather His flock.

John quotes Jesus: "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (10:11) And He did! Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus laid His life down for us; taking our place, receiving the wages of our sin; facing the wrath of a Holy God.

John writes in Revelation: "For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their Shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear." (&:17) Jesus, Who was crucified and died in our place is alive and sitting on the throne! Our Hope. Our Life...all found in Jesus.

Spurgeon elaborates on this picture of our King Jesus as King Shepherd:

"Christ's reign in His church is that of a shepherd king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock;...He rules by the force of love but the energy of His goodness."

"His reign is practical in its character" for He is ""actively engaged in providing for His people and we His people can trust that He will "do everything expected of a shepherd: to guide, to watch over, to preserve, to restore, to tend and to feed."

"His reign is continual in its duration." His eyes never slumber nor sleep.He is always on His throne. "His hands never rest; His heart never ceases to beat with love, and His shoulders are never weary of carrying His people's burdens."

His reign is effectually powerful in its actions...He who stands today representing the interests of His people is very God of very God...Happy are we who belong to such a shepherd, whose humanity communes with us, and whose divinity protects us."

Hallelujah!