And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. Ezekiel 34:23-24
The Good Shepherd – Ezekiel 34:23-24 (December 7)
In Ezekiel, God speaks to His people and lets them know that He will bring them a Shepherd from the line of King David that will be their Prince and Shepherd forever. Jesus came along and announces that He is that Shepherd.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. John 10:11-16
An Ignored Role
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. Matthew 18:12-13
This is a role that I don’t think of very often in relation to Jesus. When I do think of Jesus as a shepherd, I often recall the passage about leaving the 99 and going after the one found in Matthew 18. However, I think that the Good Shepherd means so much more than that.
Jesus as MY Good Shepherd
Jesus is not just a rescuer with no sheep left behind. He guards and protects us. He watches our health and well-being – looking out for their best interests. He knows each and every one of us by name and is aware of every hair on our heads. He laid down His life in exchange for ours. He speaks to His sheep and they know His voice.
Action Step:
Reach out to Jesus as the Good Shepherd, listening for His voice, and trusting in His exceptional care for you.
Prayer:
Dear God, Reveal to me the richness and depth of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Help me to hear and know His voice. I trust in Him to care for me everyday. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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