Dan Herold | 1 Peter 2:19-25 | 5/7/2017
Throughout the book of 1 Peter we hear about all the things Jesus does for us as our risen Savior. Peter tells us all the ways we benefit from Jesus rising from the dead. Last week we heard about how Jesus restores our hope since he rose from the dead. Today we are going to look at how Jesus acts as our Good Shepherd.
What does it mean to be a shepherd? There are many things that a shepherd does—First of all, he leads his sheep in the direction they should go. Sheep need to be led…they need someone to follow, and so do we. On our own we would wander and get lost or injured or both. We need a leader to show us the safe path because our eyes and minds are corrupted by sin. We need a leader who is free from sin to show us the safe way out of this sin filled world and all its traps. And Jesus did just that!
Peter quoted Isaiah 53:9 and said,
“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
Jesus lived a life we couldn’t live and set an example for us. He committed no sin and even when he was at his weakest he didn’t ever try to get back at those who were mocking him and torturing him. Instead, he put his full trust in God…in him who judges justly. Jesus shows us how he lived for us and resisted the temptations to which we so often give in.
Peter was writing to citizens of a Roman Empire that was not friendly to Christianity, so he knows what it means to suffer for his faith. But that doesn’t mean his words don’t have meaning for us today, because even though we don’t live under the Roman emperors who put Christians to death for sport we still have to endure persecution—even if it’s only the subtle things that are said or the way that unbelievers perceive Christianity.
Peter knew what was like to suffer, but he also knew that Jesus knew what it was like to suffer. And he knew, and you and I know, that even though Jesus suffered a whole lot, he didn’t let the things that other people did to him define who he was. He wasn’t just a victim of abuse at the hands of the Jews and Romans. Jesus knew what his mission was. He knew that he was the Savior of the world. A Savior who rose from the dead to be our Good Shepherd and lead us on the path we should go. He rose to lead us on a path that fully relies on our gracious Father in heaven, and not on ourselves or anyone else to provide what God has promised to provide.
And just like it was pleasing in God’s eyes that Jesus suffered to take away the sins of the world, it’s pleasing to God when we, as his children, follow our shepherd’s path which sometimes includes suffering of our own. Peter explains,
“For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God…if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps”.
Setting an example, though, isn’t the only job a Shepherd has…he is also responsible for protecting his flock. As long as we live in this sin filled world we will face temptation and all sorts of attacks from Satan. But Jesus Christ rose from the dead to be our Good shepherd and defend us from every attack.
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One of the most famous Shepherd’s in Bible History was David. David was well known for protecting his flock. He told Saul that he had killed both lion’s and bears to protect his father’s sheep. Our Good Shepherd doesn’t promise to keep us from all physical threats, but he most certainly protects us from something even more dangerous. He protects us from our enemy who prowls around like a roaring lion—Satan—and he rescues our souls from his attacks.
Our Good Shepherd is unique because he is the only one who is able to defend us from Satan. He is the only one who is able because he defeated Satan when he lived a perfect life, laid down his life on the cross and rose from the dead. That qualified him to be what no one else could be—our Savior, and our protector. Jesus Christ who rose from the dead is the only one who is able to be the Shepherd we need. He faced our enemy and defeated him so that he could be our shepherd.
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
That’s how Peter explains what Jesus did for us!
And he did all that, he bore all that suffering, all that torment, and all those insults so that he could be your Good Shepherd. He didn’t do it for himself, but he did it entirely for you! And the things he endured made him into exactly the Shepherd you and I need. He is the one who suffered persecution and rejection so that he can relate to us in our sufferings and guide us through them. He is the one who suffered the punishment for sin so that we wouldn’t have to. He is the one who lived a Holy and perfect life so that it could be credited to us, his flock. He faced Satan head on in battle and defeated him so that he could protect us and guide us through the dangers of a sin filled world. He is our Good Shepherd—everything he does is for our good and no one could do it better than he does.
Our second lesson this morning ended with these words in 1 Peter 2:25,
“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
On our own we get lost…we wander from the path, we get caught up in obstacles and traps, and we get separated from the safety of our flock. We were like sheep going astray. We aren’t anymore! We have been brought back—and throughout the Bible that idea of turning or returning is closely related to repentance. It is through repentance that we come back, again and again, to our Good Shepherd.
Anyone who has ever tried to herd animals, whether cattle, sheep, or even just your pet cat or dog will tell you that keeping that animal on the right path isn’t an easy task. There will always be some that want to wander, that want to get out of line and go explore. But often if they run into trouble they will come back to the flock for safety. As sinful creatures we still wander from time to time. We want to go off on our own and find our own way. But there comes a time when we realize we are on a dead end path and need to turn back, and when we do our Shepherd is waiting with open arms to welcome us back into the flock.
The only problem is that there still are some sheep out there who don’t know who their Shepherd is or they don’t know him well enough to know that he is their Good Shepherd. So, as members of the Good Shepherd’s flock, it’s our duty to spread the word! To tell everyone who our shepherd is and to be proud to be called HIS sheep. It’s our job to spread the message of free and full forgiveness which Jesus won for us through his death and resurrection. It’s our privilege to be his ambassadors and to proclaim the message that Jesus Christ rose from the dead to be our Good Shepherd. He is the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls…the one who loves us, who cares for us, who is accountable to the father for us, and who guides us and protects us. That is who Jesus is…our Savior, risen from the dead to be our Good Shepherd.
Amen.