Jesus Christ, The Good Shepherd

If you were to see my Bible, especially in the Psalms, there are underlines and dates when I would read a psalm and it would precisely express my emotional state at the time— be it joy, frustration, anger, discouragement. You name it.

All that to say—the Psalms are just so relatable. Someone said, the Psalms are like talking to an old friend who totally gets you!

But I wanted to share about the most beloved of the Psalms—often referred to as the 23rd Psalm. 

“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. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

This psalm was written by king David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Keep this in mind—David was a shepherd writing about the Shepherd. He knew what it was to protect his sheep. He knew how defenseless sheep are, and how much help they need. 

We’ll see that this Psalm is a wonderful depiction of the Lord—as we take great comfort in the Lord’s provision, protection and promises for His sheep— that is, all who follow Him. 

In verse 1, David identifies him as the LORD – “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.” And this portrayal of God as a shepherd is a common depiction throughout the Old Testament. 

The metaphor emphasizes His care for, and protection of His people. He is also called the shepherd of Israel (Ps 80:1). Several times, the title is specifically applied to His care of Israel in the wilderness. 

In Genesis 49:24, He is called “the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” 

And in the books of Exodus through Deuteronomy he leads his people Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land as a shepherd leads his sheep. Old Testament prophecy revealed that God was not only a shepherd, but that he would also one day come as a Shepherd for his people. These prophecies were recognized as pointing forward to the Messiah, who would come as a shepherd king to rule over and take care of his people.

So it’s really no surprise when Jesus arrived and identified himself as, not just a shepherd— but the Good Shepherd. Jesus said, “I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep” (John 10:11). 

Jesus was drawing on a rich tradition of shepherd imagery from the Old Testament, including Psalm 23 and the prophecies of Messiah. Of course Jesus added a new element to the picture, that of the good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. 

Now David begins the Psalm by describing how God fully provides for the needs of His sheep in four ways. First, he says, overall— “I shall not want.” More specifically, “I shall not be in want.” God shall supply the needs of those under His care. It’s like saying, Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

Second, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” Not only does He provide a safe place to rest and eat, but notice they are “green pastures.” Notice that the shepherd makes the sheep “lie down” (a word that literally means “to stretch yourself out”) in the green pastures. Sheep would only lie down if they felt totally safe, and well fed. Jesus does the same thing for us, meeting all our needs, making it possible for us to lie down in green pastures. 

Third, “He leads me beside still waters.” This literally means, “waters of rest.” In Hebrew, this denotes spiritual rest— meaning salvation, one’s relationship with God. 

You know, we live such busy, fast-paced lives, full of tension and strife. For many, anxiety is a way of life. But Jesus offers a better way. When you follow him as shepherd, he leads you beside still and quiet waters. He slows you down, he helps you focus on what’s important, and he gives you his peace. 

Fourth, “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” Jesus not only provides for our physical needs—He provides correction and renewal when we fall. 

The word “restore” is a word that speaks of refreshing and renewal. Under His care, your spiritual condition is constantly refreshed by following His instructions. 

Like sheep, we all need someone to show us the right way to go. Jesus is the good shepherd, and he will show you the right way. And that is chiefly through His gracious instruction by His Word. 

So the Lord provides for His Sheep. We also see how the Lord protects His sheep. 

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” That God will not necessarily deliver His sheep from all affliction is expressed here. 

We will walk through darkness and gloom. It’s the nature of living in a fallen world. The valley of the shadow of death could represent any dark moment in life, but it certainly emphasizes the finality of passing from this life into the next.

Yet, we fear no evil because He is with us. And will be with us when we pass, that is, all who believe. In fact, God’s care is described using the image of the shepherd’s tools: his rod— an instrument of authority, a thick wooden pole used to count and protect sheep from predators. And his staff, a curved walking stick used for reaching and support. 

God will always be available in such situations to comfort those that are His. And this extends to us after we leave this life. Safe in His arms for all eternity.

The Psalm continues, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

Certainly there is safety in the presence of the Lord because He is the one who will prepare a table in the presence of our enemies. 

Hospitality in the ancient Near East required more than just providing a meal. The host was also responsible for protecting his guests. Since the psalmist, as a guest, enjoys the Lord’s protection, he can eat safely in the presence of his enemies.

By why his enemies? Because God prepares a table for us in the midst of our struggles—our problems, our worries, our hardships. In the midst of a bad medical report. Or bad financial news. In the midst of losing a loved one. So in the midst of all that—the God of the universe prepared a table for you and me. That is— if He is our Shepherd.

He prepares a table for us. And not only that, as any good host, He dines with us. And He not only prepared the meal, but He paid the bill. We just have to sit down.

Then in verse 5—“you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” 

This is symbolic of consecration, refreshment, and rejoicing. Which the best and most gracious hosts would make their guests feel like. They would anoint their heads, wash their feet and make sure their bellies were full! Abundant blessing!

So the Shepherd’s provides; the Shepherd’s protects and now for the Shepherd’s promise: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

This brings David and each of us comfort in this life, regardless of our circumstances. Goodness and mercy shall follow me; here, our relationship with the Lord is punctuated by the verb “follow.” Some commentaries translated it “pursue,” which is also a word used to describe the active pursuit of one army by another. 

The point is, every day, God’s goodness and mercy is there for you and me. Having a good day? Having a bad day? No matter. God’s goodness and mercy are right behind you. They are in hot pursuit, following after you, day after day, hour by hour.

Deuteronomy 28:2–“And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.” 

And finally, the last part of verse 6– “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”I want to point something out that Jesus said, in John 5:24–

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

See what He said there?

Jesus said, if you believe in Me, you already have eternal life, right now, in the present tense. You have already crossed over from death to life. How’s that for a promise? 

And, when we do pass from this life, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Here David brings the Psalm full circle. He began by saying, “The LORD is my shepherd.” And he ends by saying, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

If I had to summarize this Psalm in a couple of sentences—Jesus is the Good Shepherd who will guide you on the pathway of this life. He will lead you safely through the valley of the shadow of death. And He will welcome you into his home forever.

What an amazing Word. What an amazing truth!

So now, you know the Psalm. But more importantly, do you know the Shepherd?

Remember, the Lord wants nothing more than to be your Shepherd. If that is not the case, or you’re just not sure, He can be your shepherd if you just invite Him in to your life. 

Just a simple prayer:

Father, I know I’m a sinner. Thank you for sending your Son, the Lord Jesus to die for my sins. I receive that free gift of salvation. Please forgive me my sins and make me new again. I now trust in Jesus to be my Lord and Savior from this moment forward. In Jesus name!

If you just prayed that prayer, I encourage you to email me at pastorjoe@huntingtonchurch.net. I will gladly respond and give you next steps! 

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