Last week, Theology 101 dealt with the imagery of God’s people as His flock, which suggests that we should give thought to the Shepherd of the flock.
Jesus termed Himself the Good Shepherd, saying in John 10, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (v. 11). Three verses later He repeats this self designation: “I am the Good Shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (v. 14).
The Good Shepherd imagery reminds us we are God’s people by virtue of Christ’s self-giving, self-sacrificing life, not because we deserve such a Shepherd. As members of God’s flock, we owe an unpayable debt to the Good Shepherd.
Later in the New Testament, we encounter another adjective that describes the Shepherd. In Hebrews 13, we read a benediction that describes Jesus as the Great Shepherd: “May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you complete in every good work to do His will” (vv. 20–21).
Commitment
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus gave His life for us. As the Great Shepherd, He arose from the dead and lives to work in us that which is pleasing in His sight. As God’s flock, we are to live with the basic commitment of doing His will. The Great Shepherd makes possible every good work.
In 1 Peter, a third adjective attaches to the image of Christ as the Shepherd of God’s flock, associated with the future return of Christ: “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (5:4). With this image the picture of Jesus as the Shepherd of God’s flock is completed. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus died for us. As the Great Shepherd, He rose again. As the Chief Shepherd, He will come again. This third aspect of Jesus’ shepherding role in God’s plan gives God’s flock its blessed hope (Titus 2:13).
On that first mentioned occasion when Jesus pictured Himself as the Good Shepherd, He added an idea when He spoke of having sheep beyond His own people, the Jews. He put it like this: “Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Herein we hear overtones of His missionary mandate to the Church.
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