The Good Shepherd
In our Christian endeavors, we’re often so busy that we forget the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing and for whom we’re doing it. We need to be reminded every day of the purpose for which the Designer designed us. Our Father designed us for His purpose. According to Ephesians 1 and 2: That we should be to the praise of the glory of His grace who has made us acceptable in the beloved. For we are God’s workmanship, his masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus unto good works in which He has foreordained that we should walk.
Luke 15 is called “The Gospel within the Gospel.” It contains some of Jesus’ greatest parables. One of these is the parable of the lost sheep. According to Luke 15:3-7: “And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4. What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5. And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Jesus told this story in the presence of the Pharisees. They condemned Jesus for ministering to “publicans (tax gatherers) and sinners.” The Pharisees thought they were superior to others for keeping the letter of the Old Testament Law. People who think that they are right because of their own self-righteousness are today’s Pharisees. They don’t believe that they need justification through Jesus Christ. They think that their self-righteousness makes them better than others.
The devil’s ploy within churches and religious institutions is to “divide and conquer.” He works in hearts of men to sow seeds of strife, division, and “irreconcilable differences.” According to James, For where there is envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil work. Peace with others is the result of reconciliation. Jesus Christ came not to judge, but to reconcile God’s men back to God. Meekness is the key to reconciliation. It means that we need to “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.” For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.
Sinners were attracted to Jesus whereas the Pharisees were repelled by him. Repentance is to turn from myself and unto Jesus. True repentance also means that we gladly seek out men of God who preach the truth of the gospel message. People would walk miles to hear DL Moody speak. When one man was asked why he walked by other churches, he said, “those guys love a man.” They loved Jesus Christ, his word, the truth of God made manifest.
The important thing is that we have peace with God through the completed work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Peace is the result of reconciliation through Jesus Christ. If we’re to meet each other in peace, we must meet at the foot of the cross.
When we’re married, we pledge to love and honor. In a godly marriage, we must understand the message of the three fold cord. Unless we are reconciled to each other through Christ’s finished work of redemption, then the devil will quickly break us as apart as individual strands. Ephesians says, “husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” Love is characterized by grace.
As husband and wife, we have nothing to offer each other except grace. God’s gracious gift of salvation is a picture of grace. When we’re under law, we are judged under sin. For he who knows to do right and doesn’t do it, to him it is sin. However, Jesus came not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
Recently a couple approached Pete with a problem that was threatening their marriage. The husband had previously been married. His new wife told him that if he ever took a picture with his ex-wife, this would be an act of extreme disrespect. According to her culture taking a picture with his ex-wife would be like a slap in the face. The husband had attended his daughter’s graduation. His ex-wife, his daughter’s mother also attended. Their daughter had insisted that they take a picture together to commemorate this special occasion. After anguishing over his new wife’s request, he finally agreed but he did not tell his new wife. When she found out she was extremely upset. Pete said to the wife, “you husband agonized over this decision. He was torn between offending you and offending his daughter. If you put yourself in his shoes, wanting to honor the request of two people he loves dearly, you can appreciate his heart ache for offending you. The loving thing to do would be to give him grace and say, “I know you struggled with this decision, but as husband and wife, and with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, we’ll get through this.”
Grace builds devotion. People who were true disciples were attracted to Jesus not because of the miracles they witnessed but because they knew that Jesus cared. He said, “come unto me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We can rest in the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. When we come to him he says, “I’ve got this.” Casting all your cares upon him for he careth for you.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.” A shepherd was responsible for each individual sheep in his flock. Isaiah said, “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one into his own way, but upon him has he laid the iniquity of us all.” In biblical times, some flocks belonged to the village. They appointed two shepherds to watch the sheep. If only one shepherd returned with the flock at the end of the day, the whole village knew that the other shepherd was looking for a lost sheep. As the good shepherd, Jesus leaves the ninety nine sheep in the sheepfold to look for the one lost sheep.
Pete recalls that he and his wife attended an evangelism training session. They learned about sharing the gospel message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. After the training, their “final exam” was to go into Orlando neighborhoods to knock on doors and share with strangers the four laws of salvation. Everyone in the group was terrified about sharing the faith. Afterwards, they met to talk about what they had learned about evangelism. This was one of Pete’s greatest revelations about the “ministry of reconciliation.” One person said, “when I knocked, a woman came to the door and said, “you’re the guy.” Then when I asked her what she meant, she said, “I prayed this morning that God would show me the truth about the bible. I’ve had many questions about Jesus Christ and you are the answer to my prayer.”
Jesus is the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Psalm 23 says, The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters, He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Because Jesus laid down his life for his sheep, we were saved by grace. For he who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. Because we were saved by grace, we can give away the grace we have received. Grace is caught and not taught. To understand the grace of God we must dwell in the presence our Lord Jesus Christ. We are the only bibles that some people will ever read. We are God’s love letters, his living epistles, known and read of all men.
May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael