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Spoiler alert! You will find this PODCAST heartwarming in the extreme.
Let me set it up in this way: When Jesus declared “I AM the good shepherd,” He revealed volumes about Himself and where you and I stand with Him.
It would not be an overstatement to suggest that contained within those five words are our theology of exactly who God is and what God is like. Most importantly, how we relate to God, and how He relates to us, in His own words, according to His own description of Himself.
And as you will soon hear, of all of the metaphors used by the biblical writers to describe God, none comes close to the beauty of this one statement: “I AM the good shepherd.”
What does that statement mean — to Jesus’ original hearers, and to us today? More than you can possibly imagine
Let’s begin by reading John 10:11,
(Jesus said) “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Don’t let it go unnoticed that when Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd”, He didn’t just say, “I am…”. In His native tongue, Jesus said, “I AM”. For the grammar police, His use of this phrase is emphatic and absolutely singular. It’s actually the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for God that is exclusively His. In Exodus chapter 3, when God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, God revealed to Moses His unique name, reserved exclusively for Him: I Am.
So, when Jesus took that holy name and apply it to Himself, it was nothing less than a blatant violation of the Ten Commandments, in the eyes of the religious leaders, punishable by death! This explains why they immediately picked up stones and were prepared to kill Jesus right then and there – it is forbidden for anyone to misuse the name of God, especially to call oneself by that name!
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7)
Even today, some 2,000-plus years later, our Jewish friends will not write nor speak the name of God. They will use replacement words, such as Adonai, which means Lord rather than say God’s name out of reverence. So when Jesus used the name “I AM” and then amplified it with “the good shepherd” in identifying Himself, it was nothing less than His claiming to be God.
And everyone in attendance understood it as such. This is why the Jewish leaders picked up stones and told Jesus,
“We are stoning you because you did a terrible thing. You are just a man, and here you are claiming to be God!” (John 10:33)
In the original Greek, instead of “terrible thing”, the word was “blasphemy”.
So, you can see how controversial Jesus’ statement is and was… just based on His first two words!
Now, let’s look at His next statement “the good shepherd”.
Throughout the Gospels, as Jesus taught, he often used a technique that is often missed today. Whenever He spoke to a Jewish audience, Jesus knew that the Pharisees knew the Old Testament from memory, book, chapter, and verse. Knowing this, Jesus would often quote a portion of an Old Testament passage. He knew He didn’t need to quote the entire verse or passage since by just alluding to it, everyone within earshot would know exactly what He was referring to. This teaching technique wasn’t unique to Jesus, as many rabbis of His day used the same teaching devise.
One example occurred when Jesus was on the cross – yes, even in His dying moments. While on the cross, Jesus said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” At that moment, every devout Jewish observer would have instinctively thought of and began to recite Psalm 22. They also would have recognized that Jesus was declaring that when David wrote the Psalm, David was writing about Jesus! By uttering just those nine words, Jesus was proclaiming that all of Psalm 22 is about Him!
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?…
6 …But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
14 …I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment…
29 …Bow before him, all who are mortal,
all whose lives will end as dust.
30 Our children will also serve him.
Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord.
31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born.
They will hear about everything he has done.
You can imagine what was going through those onlookers hearts and minds as they heard Jesus’ words, began to recite Psalm 22 in their own minds and then heard around them:
35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there…
…Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” 41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42 “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:35-43)
The crowd around Jesus’ cross were shouting out the very words that David prophesied about in his Psalm, some 700 years before the Romans even came up with crucifixion. Now, granted the Roman soldiers who were casting lots for Jesus’ clothing and doing much of the taunting did not know the Old Testament, nor did they have any idea that they were fulfilling Psalm 22 in real time as Jesus alerted all the Jews who were there with His words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Whenever Jesus quotes the Old Testament, it’s not enough to simply look down at the fine printed footnote and see which passage He was referring to. No, Jesus’ full intention for quoting the history, law, prophets and poetry of the Old Testament was for us to understand and know the full context of the full passage He was quoting.
For instance, it’s not enough to know that at the cross Jesus was quoting David’s Psalmic words, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus’ intention was for us to also know the entire Psalm, including the promise found in verse 26:
All who seek the Lord will praise him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him.
All the families of the nations will bow down before him.
28 For royal power belongs to the Lord.
He rules all the nations.
All this to say, when Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd”, He immediately called to mind every Old Testament passage referring to God as our Shepherd. We know this because of Jesus’ language and word choice. He didn’t say He was a good shepherd. He said He is THE good shepherd. There is only one – Old Testament and New – and He is it!
One such Old Testament passage is Psalm 80:1
Please listen, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph’s descendants like a flock.
O God, enthroned above the cherubim,
display your radiant glory
Jesus was claiming to be God. The Pharisees knew it. They took Him for a blasphemer. History would prove Him to be speaking the truth.
There are too many instances within the Old Testament to list in one blog or podcast, but the point is that Jesus, when He called Himself the good shepherd, aimed to imprint on the minds and souls of everyone who would hear or read His words the characteristics of God, the shepherd who takes His sheep into His arms, holds them close to His heart and gently lead them.
And, beyond all that, Jesus also called to the minds the shepherd written about in the 23rd Psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.
To the people there hearing Jesus say, “I am the good shepherd”, it was as if He were personalizing this Psalm to say:
I am your loving, devoted and gentle shepherd.
You will never lack anything that you truly need. I know and will provide for all of your needs so that you will never need to worry.
For instance, I know when you need rest and I will provide it for you, because I don’t want you to forget me in your business, hecticness, and stress of life.
So, I will provide just enough nourishment to carry you through for just one day, each and every day in order for us to continually relate together.
I know where the sweet trickles of water are in life, even when you can’t see them, even in the parch desserts of life.
Just when you feel like you can’t take one more step, remember that I am there with you, going through life’s messes with you, so that even when you stumble, you will not fall. You will never be alone through life’s storms – and they will come, but they will be stilled by my voice.
As committed Christ-followers, you bear my name. You are, and forever will be identified with Me. So I will guide you to and through God-honoring, right choices. Your greatest challenge will be to honor, obey and know my words found in the Bible. Just trust me and we will walk together through life.
The desert is fraught with dangers, yet you need not fear. I have faced death and I have defeated death, so I will be there with you as the greatest life-travel companion ever imagined!
As much as I beg you to follow me, I know that you will wander. It’s in mankind’s nature, like sheep. But when you do, I will pursue you to the ends of the earth, if need be, to bring you back to me.
I know that in this troubled world of yours, you look around at what is happening and you can’t help but feel like the world is winning. But while they may win a few battles now and then, they will never win the war. We will win. Because, while I am the gentle shepherd, to those who harass my sheep vengeance is mine.
Yes, you are my sheep. And as my sheep, I will treat you like an honored guest in my home and at my table. Your life is full – overflowing – with my goodness and grace.
My goodness and grace are for you today, everyday and forever. Your future is secure. Your present is safe. Your place in heaven is reserved. I will one day escort you to the place I am preparing for you so that where you are, there I will be also!
I am your good shepherd!
All of that invoked in the minds and hearts of the people who were around Him when Jesus said the words, “I am the good shepherd”.