Psalm 23  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Tomorrow, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, is traditionally “Good Shepherd Sunday,” with a different portion of John 10 being read in each year of the lectionary. I want you to consider what kind of Shepherd we have.

First of all, the Lord is my BLEEDING shepherd. David said The Lord is my Shepherd and Jesus identified Himself as the Good Shepherd, adding that He lays down his life for His sheep. This sacrifice was necessary because of what you and I and all men have done. All we like sheep have gone astray (1 Peter 2:25). And that is why Jesus came into this world, to give His life and shed His blood to cleanse you from your sin. Through the efforts of your bleeding shepherd you have been redeemed, your sin is covered. Praise God that our bleeding shepherd has provided forgiveness for your sin.

Another picture of is that of a PLEADING shepherd. After meeting with His twelve sheep on Maundy Thursday, Jesus warned them that they would soon all abandon Him. You all know the story, but you may not remember the language used. Jesus quoted a verse from Zechariah (13:7) when he said “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “`I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. (Matt. 26:31) Of course Peter jumps up and says, “Not me, Lord! I’ll stick with you! I’ll never abandon you!”, at which point Jesus predicts His triple denial. But coupled with that prediction are these words from our Lord: But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. (Luke 22:32) He was pleading for Peter. And that same shepherd is the one who sits at the right hand of the Father today, pleading and interceding for us (Heb. 7:25).

We also have a LEADING shepherd, which is a primary function of a shepherd, since sheep are so prone to stray. We need someone to lead us, even though the path He chooses may not be the one we would choose. We are promised that He leads us beside still waters. The path to get there may not be the smoothest, the shortest, the one that appears to be logical, but it will be the right path: He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. If you can remember that, even during trying circumstances, you will be able to sing and say “Jesus, Lead Thou On.”

And we have a FEEDING shepherd. Sheep need food, both physical and spiritual. The Psalms are full of references to the food that He gives. In the Psalm above we read “You prepare a table before me.” Another Psalm verse used to be a popular prayer before meals: “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.” (Ps 145:15). He still provides us with abundance. And He also gives us the spiritual food that we need, both Word and Sacraments. “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps 119:103).  In Psalm 23, David realized that the with our feeding shepherd, the supply is abundant. You shall not want.

Tomorrow I’ll share some thoughts on how we should live as His sheep.