OUR SHEPHERD
Psalm 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psalm twenty-two is most definitely a psalm of the cross! It is therefore the psalm of the Good Shepherd giving his life for the sheep. John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
It is a psalm of King David, a man after God’s own heart. I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Acts 13:22. And what suffering, what agony must David have experienced in order to reach such a fellowship with the suffering Saviour that his words were repeated some thousand years later by the holy Lamb of God on the cross? Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
The difference between the two suffers is, of course, not in the words. The difference is in the experience. For David strongly felt that he was abandoned by the Lord as he was driven by King Saul through the wilderness, who sought to take his life. But the Lord Jesus actually was abandoned by God on the cross! For the first time in the existence of the Triune God, the Son was separated from the Father! And as reality of death is found in separation (the separation of the soul from the body), so in his separation from the Father he suffered the equivalent of eternal death for the entirety of all the peoples of God!
And THAT is the reason for the Lord Jesus’ laying down his life! For it was impossible that even the mighty Roman army could have killed Him who IS Life! John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Read very carefully how he died. Mark 15:39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. Mark witnesses that a high officer in the Roman army declares that they did not kill him. He declares that the Lord Jesus simply ‘gave up’ his spirit. Thus concluding that as no one has this ability to die at will, therefore he must be the Son of God.
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Then Luke writes of the Lord’s faith in his Father’s purposes before he yielded up his spirit. Psalm 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. This is the instance in which He became the author of faith! Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Now we read that John writes of the Lord’s proclamation of the finished work of redemption, and therefore bows his head and enacted death’s ability to overcome him.
And it is worth noticing that this Psalm begins with Christ’s words, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And it ends with the equivalent of these words, It is finished. Psalm 22:31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. “..he hath done this.” The Amplified Bible reads, “that it is finished.” – We have an amazing Bible! We have an amazing Shepherd, who Himself is the Word!
Psalm 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. It is marvelous that the things which the Lord God ordained in David’s life fit so perfectly as the cause for him to express words which so clearly proclaim Our Shepherd’s cross experiences. For we read of the same in Matthew 27, of our Lord’s experience.
Matthew 27:39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
Truly David, like the Apostle Paul states, came to know “the fellowship of his sufferings!” Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Then in Psalm 22:16 we read, For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. As far as the “dogs” are concerned, we find that the definition of the ‘human dog’ is the religious person who has associated with the morality of religion, having only gained a legal morality, and not the Spirit’s righteousness! 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
These may be ‘members’ of “a” church, but they are not members of “the” church! Revelation 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Unregenerate dog professors may even gain entrance to high places of religious authority, as did those of the high priests, scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees – even getting themselves into the pulpits! But they are still dogs as they have no spiritual life. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Then in the second part of Psalm 22:16 we read, they pierced my hands and my feet. Again! Amazing prophetic accuracy! For this is exactly that which happened to our Lord!
John 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Received on Calvary.
They pour effectual prayers;
They strongly plead for me.
‘Forgive him, oh, forgive’ they cry,
‘Forgive him, oh, forgive,’ they cry,
‘Nor let that ransomed sinner die.’
Charles Wesley 1707-1788
These next two verses require no explanation. Psalm 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
And what was the result of our Shepherd’s death? He recovered all that which Adam lost, and more. He reestablished humankind’s relationship with Almighty God! Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations.
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
Psalm 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. One of the things most important to the Israelite was the bearing of children. In fact, the human race was instructed to be fruitful and multiply. But here we read of the Lord’s provision of his generation – his spiritually born family. For the Lord Jesus had no wife, or children. But yet, here we read of his “generation.”
The Prophet Isaiah addressed that subject. Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
For now, since all things have been made new, the emphasis is not upon natural birth, for the Messiah has been born. Now the emphasis is upon the spiritual birth. And the blood of the Lamb has now provided the means whereby the Holy Spirit enacts the new birth! Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Acts 20:28 … feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Pastor Gene Breed
July 6, 2018