Ps.23:1-3 – The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Jn.10:10,11 – The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”.
Psalm 23 just might be the most well known passage in the Bible. David was a shepherd from his youth obviously spending much time alone pondering the promise of a coming Messiah and His ultimate role as the Good Shepherd. Here are some comments from Brian Simmons about David the shepherd.
“Psalm 23 was written by David when he was a young shepherd serving his father, Jesse, while he was keeping watch over sheep near Bethlehem. He was most likely sixteen or seventeen years old. The other psalm that he wrote when but a young lad was Ps. 19. Those are two good psalms to memorize and meditate upon if you want to have the heart of the giant killer.”
Jesus applied this title to Himself saying, “I am the Good Shepherd”. He saw Himself as the One who would lead and protect His flock like a shepherd would guard his sheep. Here is a comment from Simmons on the role of the Good Shepherd.
“A sheep pen was an enclosure with walls and no roof that would often have the sheep of an entire village kept within. After the sheep were brought in for the night, it was common for the shepherd to sleep at the entrance so he could protect his sheep. Only the shepherds of the sheep would be recognized by that gatekeeper. Jesus is the one who will remain with his flock and keep his sheep living in peace and safety. His teaching (voice) will guard us from the unreliable teachers who want to steal our hearts and bind us to themselves. They steal and rob the affection that belongs only to Jesus, our kind shepherd.”
Jesus placed Himself in between us and our enemies, in other words anyone who attacks one of the sheep has to come through the Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep. Today I am in the safest place imaginable, the Good Shepherd has me in the palm of His hand, the place of protection, peace, and friendship with the Lord.