God's Promise of a Shepherd
Regardless of how we come this morning, we come to a God who says, come. Praise God for that invitation, that regardless of what we face in life, he invites us to come with our burdens, anxieties, and fears.
The Drama of Christmas
Light Breaking Through Darkness
What I love about Christmas time is that it really is God's heart in story, in narrative, in drama, in epic drama. Good storytelling contrasts villains with the hero, making the breakthrough of light all the more radiant.
Think of that moment when the hero comes on at the last minute. That motif of good triumphing over evil when everything seems dark is a powerful storytelling value.
God's Narrative Throughout History
Such narrative motifs and themes ultimately find their value in the very drama of history, where God has woven truths of him bringing light even when everything seems dark.
Godly heroes set against godless villains. Moments of magnificent deliverance in moments of despair. Think of the Israelites at the Red Sea as Pharaoh's army closes in.
The Contrast of Christmas
God shows himself as the truer, better king, deliverer, savior, shepherd that stands in contrast to all others. Even the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2 is a drama of contrast.
Caesar Augustus
The false god who proclaimed himself "the revered one" and "son of God"
King Herod
The usurper, corrupt, evil, murderous king
Chief Priests & Scribes
Corrupt teachers who became enemies of God
These villains contrast with Jesus—the true God, the promised king, the faithful teacher. The Christmas story is Jesus, the good shepherd, coming for his sheep.
The Shepherd King in Ancient Culture
When Jesus said "I am the good shepherd," it was both an affectionate statement and a royal title with beautiful cultural and biblical messianic connotations. The king as shepherd was typical throughout the ancient Near East.
Babylonian Tradition
In the code of Hammurabi: "Hammurabi, the shepherd called by Enlil"
Royal Language
The ancient Akkadian verb "reu" means both "to shepherd" and "to rule"
Divine Care
The sheep belonged to the divine ruler; the king was earthly caretaker
Egyptian Wisdom
"A people without a king are like sheep without a shepherd"
Ezekiel's Vision of Glory
Ezekiel prophesied and was exiled to Babylon in about 597 B.C., six centuries before Christ. His book opens with a grand vision of cherubim, living creatures, and the glory of God.
"As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. And the fire was bright. And out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures darted to and fro, like the appearance of the flash of lightning." —Ezekiel 1:13-14
These are beings of fire and lightning. When they flap their wings, it sounds like many waters, like the Almighty, like the sound of an army. Ezekiel fell on his face and sat overwhelmed for seven days. If this vision can overwhelm for seven days, how much more shall we be joyfully overwhelmed for all eternity at the glory of God?
The Failed Shepherds
In Ezekiel 34:1-10, God gives a verdict against the failed shepherds—the kings and false prophets of Israel. These shepherds had proven themselves corrupt and self-serving.
They Feed Themselves
Out for their own glory and satisfaction, not caring for the flock
They Fleece the Sheep
Clothe themselves with wool, taking from the sheep for personal benefit
They Slaughter the Healthy
Destroy those who might threaten their position
They Neglect the Weak
Forget the sick, leave the injured—those who can't give anything back
They Abandon the Strayed
The lost are unimportant because seeking them requires sacrifice
They Rule with Harshness
Rule instead of love, with force and harshness, scattering the sheep
"The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought. And with force and harshness you have ruled them." —Ezekiel 34:4
Searching Our Own Hearts
Before we relegate the characteristics of bad shepherds to someone far off, let's search our own hearts. The very seeds of sin and pride that fuel false shepherds are present in our own sinful nature.
Do we feed ourselves first? What I need, what I want, before thinking of anybody else—me, myself, and I.
Do we benefit at others' expense? Perhaps through sarcastic words that tear down while silently extolling our own virtues, or through sheer gossip.
Do we destroy the healthy? Slaughtering those who are a threat to our security.
Do we ignore those who can't give back? We love to give if we can be seen, if we receive appreciation. But what about the strayed, broken, injured who have no status?
Do we desire to rule over others? Moms, dads, husbands, wives—do we rule with harshness instead of love?
One reason your family may be fractured is because you have fractured it with your loveless, un-Christlike demeanor. The result of harsh hypocrisy is broken and scattered relationships.
God Himself as Shepherd
Now see the contrast between the bad shepherds and God. In Ezekiel 34:11-16, here comes the light, the protagonist, the hero.
"For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 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 the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness." —Ezekiel 34:11-12
I Will Search
God personally seeks out His scattered sheep
I Will Rescue
From darkness and wrath, He brings deliverance
I Will Bring Rest
To a place of feeding and peace
I Will Care
Seek the lost, bind the injured, strengthen the weak
But how will God personally shepherd His people? God is spirit, transcendent, mighty beyond us. How can God affectionately care for our needs and rescue us from our sin?
The Coming Shepherd
In Ezekiel 34:22-25, God speaks of a coming shepherd who will fulfill His promise.
"And I will set over them one shepherd, my servant David. 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
David was long dead when Ezekiel prophesied. This is the promised Messiah, one who would come through the line of David. For a shepherd to be sent of God and shepherd in the way God described, this shepherd must be divine—God himself stepping down to shepherd His people.
In Luke chapter 2, Joseph and Mary relocate to Bethlehem, the city of David, because they're both of the line of David. There Jesus is born—Jesus of the line of David, the promised Messiah, the one who is both God and now become man in the flesh. The shepherd promised in Ezekiel 34.
The Day of Rescue
How will this shepherd provide salvation from sins? How will he deliver from death and Satan? Ezekiel 34:12 speaks of rescue "on a day of clouds and thick darkness"—the image of divine wrath throughout the Old Testament.
1
The Prophecy
Ezekiel sees rescue in the context of a day of wrath—clouds and thick darkness representing God's judgment
2
The Fulfillment
Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44—when Jesus is crucified, darkness covers the land from the sixth to ninth hour
3
The Rescue
On the cross, Jesus bears the wrath of God. The shepherd gives his life for the sheep so God's wrath is satisfied
4
The Result
Acts 2—the nations are ingathered. People are drawn to the Good Shepherd who stood in our place
Brother and sister, friend—Christmas is about God coming, fulfilling a promise to come as the good shepherd, and then supremely showing what kind of shepherd He is. On the day of dark clouds and thick judgment, He stands in our place. The shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
It's impossible to celebrate Christmas without thinking of Easter. It's impossible to celebrate Easter without thinking of Christmas. The gospel of the good news of the good shepherd should never grow cold on our ears.
Have you believed? Have you put your trust in Jesus Christ who died and took the wrath for your sin? This is a good shepherd unlike any other. Put your trust and faith in Him alone. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.