Sermon #105 Series: Isaiah

Title: The Shepherd and His Sheep

Text: Isaiah 40:11

Subject: Christ Our Shepherd

Date: Sunday Evening - February 16, 1992

Introduction:

“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

This eleventh verse of Isaiah 40 is a prophetic statement concerning the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. It identifies him as a Shepherd and defines his work as the work of a Shepherd. Our text tells us three things, which should be obvious to anyone.

1. Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, our Redeemer, is a Shepherd.
2. Christ, our Shepherd has a flock of sheep- One Flock.
3. Christ will take care of his sheep.

Tonight, I want to talk to you about The Shepherd and His Sheep.

Proposition: The Lord Jesus Christ is our Shepherd and God’s elect are his sheep.

I. First, I want to show you some of the blessed things revealed in the Scriptures about Christ The Shepherd.

Ezekiel 34:11, 16, 22, 23 Who among us can grasp the fulness of David’s word- “The Lord is my Shepherd”? If the Lord God himself is my Shepherd and I am his sheep, I cannot ask for, desire, or even imagine wanting anything else. Well might the 23^rd Psalm begin, “The Lord is my Shepherd- He’s all I want!”

In the New Testament Three adjectives are used to set forth the characteristics of Christ as our Shepherd.

In John 10:11 our Lord Jesus Christ declares, “I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” In this chapter our Lord is talking about the redemption and salvation of our souls. Christ is the good Shepherd in redemption.

In Hebrews 13:20 the Holy Spirit describes Christ as “The great Shepherd.” In that place the context is talking about our Savior’s resurrection glory and our security and preservation in his hands. In his resurrection glory Christ is the great Shepherd.”

Then in I Peter 5:4 the Apostle Peter writes, “When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away! Peter is describing our Lord’s glorious second advent and our ultimate, complete glorification by his grace. In his return Christ is the Chief Shepherd.

These three adjectives are always distinct. They are never mingled together, or interchanged with one another. Each is used in its proper place and setting with reference to the Son of God and the accomplishments of his mediatorial work for the salvation of his sheep. Christ is the good Shepherd in redemption, the great Shepherd in his resurrection, and the Chief Shepherd in his return. Let me briefly show you the meaning of these three descriptions of Christ the Shepherd.

A. Our Lord Jesus tells us that he is the Good Shepherd (John 10:1).

In the redemption and salvation of our souls the Lord Jesus Christ is “the good Shepherd.”

In I Peter 2:21-25, Peter takes up this theme of redemption and shows us five things about Christ the good Shepherd. Remember Christ is the good Shepherd in the redemption and salvation of out souls.

1. The good Shepherd is The Suffering Shepherd (v. 21).

Apart from the sufferings of Christ, apart from Christ having fully suffered the wrath of God to the full satisfaction of Divine justice, there could be no salvation (Rom. 3:24-26). He is a just God and a Savior because he once suffered the wrath of God for us.

a. If Christ had not died, we could never have been made alive (John 12:24).

b. Had Christ not suffered the curse of the law for us, we could never have been freed from that curse (Gal. 3:13).

c. Had the Son of God not poured out his life’s blood unto death, he could never have obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).

d. Had the Good Shepherd not suffered for us, he never could have saved us.

· There was no other way for the Holy Lord God to save us!

· But, since Christ has suffered the wrath of God in our stead, all for whom he suffered God’s wrath must be saved. Else, his suffering was vain and meaningless!

2. The good Shepherd who suffered and died for his sheep is the Sinless Shepherd- (v. 22).

“He knew no sin!” He is “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners!” Were he not the sinless Shepherd, he could not be the good Shepherd. Had he not been altogether without sin he could never have atoned for our sins, he could never have been the sinners’ Substitute for sinners, able to save all who come to God by him.

Though “he did no sin,” he was made to be sin for us, by Divine imputation, that we, by that same imputation, might be made the righteousness of God in him- (II Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:19).

3. Then Peter tells us that the good Shepherd is the Submissive Shepherd- (v. 23).

There is no subordination within the Godhead. The Three Persons of the holy Trinity are eternally and immutably equal in all things. But, in order to redeem and save his sheep, the Son of God agreed to become one of us. He willingly, voluntarily assumed all responsibility for his sheep, and, in his office capacity as our Mediator, he submitted himself to the will of God as our good Shepherd (John 10:16-18).

• In the Covenant of Grace (Isa. 50:5-7; Ps. 40:6-8).
• In his Incarnation (Heb. 10:5-10).
• In his Death (John 12:28).

The Son of God was a willing Victim, a voluntary Substitute, an unconstrained, unforced, uncoerced Sacrifice for sinners (Heb. 12:2). He gave his back to the smitters! He laid down his life!

4. Again, Peter tells us that Christ the good Shepherd is the Substitutionary Shepherd- (v. 24).

“The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Did he not say, “I am the good Shepherd…and I lay down my life for the sheep?” “For”

Note: The word “for” means:

• In the place of!
• On behalf of!

Now hear me and hear me well. Substitution is the gospel! If you do not know anything about substitution, you do not know anything about the gospel- (Isa. 53:4-6, 8, 9-10). Christ is…

• An able Substitute.
• A Willing Substitute.
• A Legal Substitute.
• A Satisfactory Substitute.
• An Effectual Substitute.

Yes, the word of God does, most assuredly, teach the doctrine of definite, effectual, limited atonement. Christ Jesus did not die for nothing! The Son of God did not shed his blood in vain! The scope, the object, the design, the purpose, the goal, the benefits of Christ’s death are limited to God’s elect, his sheep. His precious blood made a definite satisfaction and complete atonement for the sins of God’s elect. Christ died for those who are saved by his blood, and for no one else. The good Shepherd did not lay down his life for the goats. Where does the Word of God suggest such an absurdity? The good Shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. That is the language of the Bible! Is it not?

Why am I so dogmatically rigid, tenacious, and insistent upon this matter of effectual substitution? There can be no compromise here. This is the place where the truth of God, the glory of God, and the souls of men are at stake in our day. Every compromiser I have ever known who, for whatever reason, began to whittle away at the truth of God began right here, with a gradual but certain denial of effectual redemption.

Here are four dogmatic assertions. I make them boldly, I make the plainly, I make them without apology. Let the chips fall where they may. Let men embrace me, or denounce me, as they please. The truth of God, the glory of God, and the souls of men are at stake. Here I stand! To preach a universal atonement, to preach that Christ died for all men alike, is to preach…

1. A False Gospel- for it makes the will of man, rather than the will of God, the effectual cause of redemption and salvation (John 1:12-13; Rom. 9:16).
2. A False Christ- for it makes the Son of God, our Redeemer, a failure, whose blood was shed in vain for the multitude who are lost (Isa. 42:4).
3. A False God- for it declares that God’s love is mutable, God’s justice is perverted, and God’s purpose is frustrated (Mal. 3:6; Isa. 46:9-11).
4. A False Spirit- for it declares that the Spirit of God convinces men of a lie when he convinces them of sin removed, righteousness established, and judgment finished (John 16:8-13).

I will not politely tolerate such blasphemous perversions! I will not hold my tongue while wolves in sheep’s clothing seek to destroy the souls of men and rob Christ of his redemptive glory as the good Shepherd.

Now, look once more at Peter’s description of the good Shepherd. HE is the Suffering Shepherd, the Sinless Shepherd, the Submissive Shepherd, the Substitutionary Shepherd. And…

5. Christ is the Successful Shepherd (v. 25).

It is our nature to stray. We are all, by nature, depraved, sinful, straying creatures.

• We went astray in Adam.
• We went astray from the womb, as soon as we were born.
• We went astray by deliberate choice all the days of our lives.

Did you know that lost sheep can never find their way home? Dogs, cats, and horses can. Even goats can. But not sheep. Straying sheep can only stray. They are the dumbest, most helpless, pitiful animals in the world.

You will notice that our text does not say, “You have returned as though we decided, by our own freewill, to return to Christ. Dumb as we are, sheep know better than that. The text says, “Ye are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” We returned because the good Shepherd returned us.

1. He came after us.
2. He looked us up and sought us out.
3. He found us.
4. He returned us to himself!

Blessed be God, Christ is a successful Shepherd! Those sheep for whom he suffered the wrath of God, those sheep whose sin he bore in his own body on the tree, those sheep, every one of them, he saves by his almighty grace. The redeeming Shepherd, the saving Shepherd is the Good Shepherd.

B. In his resurrection glory Christ is the great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20-21).

1. Notice how this passage describes the God of glory.

Though he is terrible in holiness, inflexible in justice, majestic in power, and glorious in his Being, he is called “The God of peace,” because…

• He is the Author of Peace- He devised the covenant of peace.
• He has Established Peace- By the blood atonement of his own dear Son, God has reconciled us to himself. He is propitiated. He is satisfied!
• He is the Giver of Peace.

2. The resurrected, ascended, exalted Christ is now called “the great Shepherd of the sheep.”

He was the good Shepherd in his humiliation for the accomplishment of redemption; but now he is the great Shepherd. Every thing about him is great.

• His Person- The God-man!
• His Position- The Right Hand of God!
• His Power- Total Sovereignty!
• His Possession- All Fulness!
• His Provisions- All Things! All Grace! All Glory!

3. Now notice this- Our Lord Jesus obtained his greatness as our Shepherd, in his resurrection glory, “through the blood of the everlasting covenant.”

• You know what the everlasting covenant is- The Covenant of Grace (Jer. 31:31-34).
• You know what the blood of the covenant is- The blood of Christ, the precious, sin-atoning blood of the Son of God.
• But why is the resurrection of Christ connected to the blood of the everlasting covenant?

The answer is this- The whole purpose of God in the everlasting covenant was contingent upon one great, climatic thing- the sufficiency, efficacy, and satisfaction of the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:15-17).

When our Savior cried from the cross, “It is finished!” and died, he fulfilled all the terms, conditions, and requirements of the covenant. He rendered unto God the Father complete satisfaction for the sins of his people. And the efficacy of his atonement demanded his resurrection from the dead and his exaltation. This was the Father’s promise to the Son in the covenant (Isa. 53:10-12).

4. It is through the merits and power of Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep that God perfects his work of grace in his sheep (v. 2.)

1. It is Christ, the great Shepherd, who causes his sheep to do his will.
2. It is Christ, the great Shepherd, who works in us that which is well pleasing to God.
3. It is Christ, the great Shepherd, who shall have all the glory of his work for us and his work in his.

· Redemption is his work- He justified us!

· Redemption is his work- He gave us life!

· Sanctification is his work- He makes us holy!

· Glorification is his work- He will glorify us!

· Christ is the good Shepherd in redemption.

· Christ is the great Shepherd in his resurrection glory.

C. And our Lord Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd in his Glorious Second Advent- (I Pet. 5:4).

I am a little shepherd. Christ is the Chief Shepherd. In the kingdom of God there is only one Chief; that Chief is Jesus Christ himself. All pastors, elders, teachers, missionaries, evangelists, prophets, and apostles are servants, not lords, examples not tyrants. Christ is the Chief Shepherd. We are under shepherds. As the Chief Shepherd Christ shall soon appear a second time, without sin, unto salvation, to complete his work of grace in our ultimate and complete glorification.

1. Soon, Christ, the Chief Shepherd shall appear.
2. When Christ comes, he will raise us from the grave.
3. And the Chief Shepherd will give to all his sheep “a crown of glory that fadeth not away!”

In that day, we shall at last be perfectly conformed to Christ, even to the likeness of his glory as the God-man, our Mediator (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:21; I John 3:1-3).

4. In his final work as our Mediator and Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ shall present all his sheep to the Father (I. Cor. 15:24-28).

This is Christ our Shepherd! In his redemptive work, the good Shepherd. In his resurrection glory, the great Shepherd. In his return, the Chief Shepherd.

II. Now, let me tell you a little bit about The Sheep, when Christ calls “his sheep.”

According to the Word of God, the whole human race is divided into two categories: sheep and goats. Sheep never become goats; and goats never become sheep. Our Lord plainly says that some men and women are his sheep and some are not his sheep (John 10:16; 25; Matt. 25:31-33).

• This division of our race was made in eternal election.
• This division of our race is permanent and immutable.
• This division of our race is made manifest in time.

Christ’s sheep are also divided into two categories: straying sheep and returned sheep, lost sheep and found sheep, wondering sheep and folded sheep. When I preach the gospel my heart and mind is set upon Christ’s sheep. I have nothing for the goats. I am not very much interested in goats. I am not much disturbed by goats. I am an undershepherd. My business is with sheep. It is my responsibility to…

• Seek the Lord’s sheep who are lost.
• Feed the Lord’s sheep who are in the fold.
• Protect the Lord’s sheep from wolves.

A. How did Christ’s sheep come to be his sheep?

Over the years, I have studied this subject a good bit; and I can find only four ways by which a shepherd can obtain the possession of sheep. Here are four ways God’s elect belong to Christ, as sheep belong to a shepherd.

1. A man can own sheep by a gift- (John 6:37-40).
2. A man can obtain sheep by purchasing them- (John 10:11,15).
3. If a man owns a flock of sheep and they give birth to other sheep, the newborn lambs belong to the original Shepherd- (Isa. 66:8).
4. And a man can come into the possession of sheep by inheritance. We are “God’s heritage.” That makes us Christ’s inheritance (Eph. 1:18).

B. What does the Word of God tell us about Christ’s sheep?

1. All who belong to Christ as his sheep are Chosen Sheep (John 15:16; Eph. 1:3-6; II Thess. 2:13).

Sheep love the doctrine of election. We know that if there had been not election of grace in eternity there would be no salvation by grace in time. Election is the sheep’s friend. And sheep are the friends of election.

2. All the Lord’s sheep, by nature, are straying sheep- (Isa. 53:6).

• Before Conversion.
• After Conversion.

Sheep have no quarrel with the doctrine of total depravity. It is the bitter reality of our daily experience.

3. All Christ’s sheep are redeemed sheep (John 10:11, 15).

· Particularly Redeemed (John 10:11, 15).

· Eternally Redeemed (Rev. 13:8).

· Justly Redeemed (Gal. 3;13).

Sheep always honor the precious blood of Christ.

4. At God’s appointed time they are called sheep (John 10:2-4).

· “He calleth his own sheep”- A Particular Call!

· “He calleth his own sheep by name”- A Personal Call!

· “He leadeth them out”- A Powerful Call!

God’s sheep rejoice in effectual, irresistible grace. What some man would be angered by infallible, irresistible love?

5. The Lord’s sheep are specially known sheep (John 10:27).

The Shepherd says, “I know my sheep.” It is his loving knowledge of us that is the source and cause of our eternal salvation (Isa. 53:11).

6. As they are known, so they are knowing sheep-(John 10:14; 10:4)

Christ says, “I am know of mine.” His sheep know him; and “they know his voice.”

7. As soon as they are called, Christ’s sheep are folded sheep. (Ezek. 34:11-15). Christ brings his sheep into his fold- His Church.

Many make light of believer’s baptism and church membership. But I cannot find any evidence in the Word of God that the Lord’s sheep are found outside the fold, once they have been called (Ezek. 20:37-38). Sheep are social creatures. They need each other.

8. All Christ’s sheep are following sheep (John 10:4,27).

a. They follow the Shepherd’s Word.

b. They follow his steps.

c. They follow his will.

d. He entices his sheep to follow him by his love.

e. He graciously forces his sheep to follow him by his rod.

Illus: A Shepherd sometimes will break a sheep’s leg, carry it in his arms until it mends- Then the sheep follows.

9. All Christ’s sheep are secure sheep (John 10:27-30).

The sheep are safe and secure because they are in his hands-

· Nail Pierced Hands!

· Omnipotent Hands!

10. Then the Word of God speaks of some sheep in a very singular way. They are called “Other Sheep.” (John 10:16).

I pray that there are some of these “other sheep” here tonight. May this be the day of your calling.

• The other sheep belong to Christ as surely as the rest.
• The other sheep have been redeemed by Christ.
• The other sheep are safe and secure in the hands of Christ.
• The other sheep shall be called by Christ- He will fetch them too.
• If you are one of these other sheep and the Lord has called you, come into the fold.

Application: Psalm 23:1-6

Illus: “I know the Psalm- He knows the Shepherd.”

Happy is the man or woman who can lift his eyes to leave and say- “The Lord is my Shepherd- We are his people, the sheep of his pasture!”