Leadership – The Sheep & The Shepherd
When talking about Leadership in any circle, the meaning and concept is the same irrespective of Culture. And it simply means to literally follow someone. Which translates that, in order to follow someone, one must BELIEVE in the person to lead him to a DESTINATION. It is important to mention that Man’s Soul is made to be led back to God after he lost his authority to Satan in the Garden of Eden. By this act, Mankind through Adam and Eve broke fellowship with God and ever since then, the Soul of man is naturally in search of his maker, with or without his knowledge. It’s like the relationship between a dog and its Master. Imagine if a Dog is lost in the woods, its ears should be open to the Master’s voice so it can be led back home. In the case of Man (created in God’s image and Like God), the concept of Sheep and Shepherd has been repeatedly attached to God as he over the years has shown us. Many biblical figures were shepherds, among them the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, the twelve tribes, the prophet Moses, King David who was the best known shepherd in Bible history.
One of the attributes of God is that he is the Ancient of days, still his ways(Pattern of doing things) do not change. God is not like man that changes or that has a need for an upgrade. Which means if God made so much emphasis on the Sheep/Shepherd relationship from the beginning of time even with Abel who was the first recorded shepherd and whose Sacrifice God accepted, who was also the first Shepherd to be slain in cold blood, It is really important we pay close attention to this Special kind of Relationship illustrated by God. Because I personally believe that understanding this kind of relationship will LEAD US BACK TO GOD and our full rights will be reinstated as children of the most-high God. Lets quickly look at 2nd Chronicles 18:16 to affirm this.
‘I saw all the people of Israel scattered on the Mountain as sheep that have no shepherd’
How is God like a shepherd?
One of the most important images in the Bible is that of God working as a shepherd and he was mostly referred to as a Shepherd from a few Scriptures shown below. It recurs again and again in the Old Testament, as God reminds his sheep that he is caring for them.Also, the book of Ezekiel is a prophecy regarding shepherds and sheep. This prophecy is regarding shepherds that were overseers for the people of God, and another shepherd that was to come later.
Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel,
You who lead Joseph like a flock;
You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! (Psalm 80:1)
For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you would hear His voice, (Psalm 95:7),
Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull.
“As for you, my sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God,” declares the Lord God. (Ezekiel 34:31)
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His Arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes. (Isaiah 40:11)
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1)
The shepherd to come later was the Messiah that Israel was waiting for. Hence, by calling himself the good shepherd, Jesus Christ of Nazareth was claiming to be the Messiah that the scriptures foretold.Nevertheless ,the fulfillment of the Old Testament is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and what is Most interesting about the Nazarene is that, he claimed to be a Shepherd. That’s calling himself God, thereby making himself equal with God. Because all the names God was being referred in the Old testament, Jesus ascribed himself to be the invincible image of the unseen God, a Shepherd that would lead people back to God, the only way to God. He told the Samaritan woman by the well, that if she drinks of him, she will never thirst again. Recall, the Shepherd is meant to lead the sheep to Pasture which includes eating and drinking.
From a personal view point ,i think everyone is or should be naturally looking for a Shepherd to lead him. That’s why the Bible lays so much emphasis on humility. Because truthfully speaking, it would take a humble heart to see himself as a sheep that needs a Shepherd. Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven(Mathew 5:3). To be poor in spirit means one sees himself as nothing but a steward , which would portray humility . Moreover, Accepting that we are indeed like sheep is the hardest part for many people. It is our human nature to want to be in control of our lives. Yet, to be a follower of Christ, we must accept our spiritual likeness to sheep and our need for a Shepherd to lead us. When we learn of the intimate relationship that exists between the shepherd and its sheep, the Figure of Jesus as our Shepherd takes on a new meaning and it purges us to have a close and personal relationship with him allowing his words to fill our heart.
Today people move from Church to Church, from one spiritual leader to another, searching and seeking for right standing with God, seeking for answers to a million questions, wondering the purpose and essence of Life itself and most times seeking satisfaction. Nevertheless, as I studied the subject over the years, I finally found the meaning and essence of Life in the words of Prophets all pointing to the Nazarene – Jesus Christ who so boldly declared himself to be the Shepherd to literally lead mankind back to God. For example, David in the old testament says The Lord (referring to God) is my Shepherd (Psalm 23:1), Jesus replies in the new Testament, in John 10. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. This is exactly what Jesus did, he laid down his life for anybody that accepts him as lord and savior. (Literally Shepherd)
JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH-THE GOOD SHEPHERD
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father(John 10)
Before going Further lets quickly have a deeper look at the Relationship between a shepherd and his sheep and how Christians are literally meant to Abide in Christ through this Sheep/Shepherd illustration.
– The sheep is Born to follow the Shepherd. He doesn’t learn how to follow the Shepherd but is Born to follow the Shepherd naturally without chains on its neck like the relationship between a dog and its master. Hence the chains in the case of a sheep/shepherd is not a physical one but it’s a heart to heart chain.
The truth about this in our world today is, the people that live for Christ, live for Christ because they love him and follow him as their Shepherd. Furthermore, Loving Jesus then makes it very easy to Love God, since Jesus is the image of the unseen God (Col 1:15) Also recall the sheep is Born to follow the Shepherd and does not learn to follow. That’s why man should be Born again, renew his mind, believing in the blood of Jesus. Lastly it is key to mention the importance of being Born again because according to Acts 4:12 “there is salvation in no other, for there is not another name under heaven having been given among men, by which it behooves us to be saved.” Hence, if a man is Born only once , he will die twice (Physical death and eternal separation from God in the lake of fire as seen in Revelation 20:14 / 21: 😎 but he who is born twice (believing in the only Son of God to be his Savior/Shepherd) may NEVER DIE.
2. The Shepherd is born to lead the sheep to three places. To Pasture, (Nourishment to have life) To drink, and to a place of Rest(The Kingdom of God)
It is intriguing to note that the Bible lays so much emphasis on the ‘Tree of Life’ that God had to guard the way to it after Man disobeyed him. Genesis 3:22 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. And at the end of the Bible, the good Shepherd – Jesus has this to say about the same Tree of Life -Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God. ‘From the Scripture above we see clearly that the Tree of Life that God had to use his highest ranking angel to protect, Jesus says he has the power to allow us eat of that same tree. Also let’s look at a few other Scriptures all pointing us to Jesus the good Shepherd.
Isaiah 55:1 Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters
John 3:37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
John 4:13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.
Mathew 11:28-30 Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
3. The sheep knows and listens to only the shepherds voice– Jesus pointed out that Sheep only recognize the voice of the Shepherd.Hence, those who don’t listen to the witness of Jesus are proving they are not part of his flock (John 10 :1-6). In another illustration, Jesus stated that he was the only means of salvation (John 10:7-9), separating all people into two basic groups, saved and unsaved. As Christians I must say it is not difficult but impossible to live a successful Christian Life without heeding the voice of Jesus Christ the good Shepherd.Jesus says the words I have spoken to you-they are full of the Spirit and life (John 6:63).
4. The shepherd loves the sheep to the point of dying for the sheep to keep it safe. Hence if the sheep is attacked by a wolf, the shepherd protects the sheep. (1st Samuel 17; 34-35) Every one has a shepherd, but the question everyone needs to ask himself is “is my shepherd willing to lay his life down for me? “This is the distinguishing factor about the Nazarene Jesus Christ because he laid down his life for the sins of the whole world.
In conclusion, a sheep without a shepherds is dumb, prone to wonder and defenseless. The most important thing the shepherd does is to come looking for the lost sheep to lead us back to safety. But while leading us, especially in our world today we still hear lots of voices trying to distract us from the truth, that’s why we seriously need to pay close attention to the words of Jesus every day of our life. We need to develop a personal relationship with him to always enable us know what is expected of us and how to navigate our way through life bearing one another in Love. We should always bear in mind that we are very vulnerable to be lead astray by other voices. Some of us pay close attention to the voice of our parents as against the voice of the Shepherd approved of God, some pay close attention to Pastors and Prophets to lead them, for some it could be a close friend but only Jesus can literally lead us in the paths of Righteousness. Jesus said “I am the light of the world, he that follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of Life “John 8:12. What is really important to mention here is that, too many Christians are looking at the light, they like the idea of Jesus. However, it is really important to note that, the Light is not for looking at, its for walking in. We don’t look at the Sun, rather we walk in the light it provides. Little wonder the Apostle Paul says we need to be looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). The word used here is “looking” meaning it’s a continuous thing until we get to our destination – Gods Kingdom.
Accept Jesus into your Heart by saying and meaning these words- Lord Jesus, i believe you died for me, i believe your blood was shed for my sins to reconcile me to God. Come into my heart and fill my heart with the power of your salvation. As i enthrone you in my heart today, subdue all that is not holy and all that is not true. In Jesus name i pray. Amen
Shallom
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