Meeting the Great Shepherd

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 

Luke 2:8-10

Some of the first people to be told about the birth of Christ were shepherds. These men, whose job it was to lead the sheep and protect them, were out in the fields watching over their sheep in the night. They were at work, doing their jobs, when they were told that an even greater Shepherd had arrived.

When we consider this Scripture, isn’t it amazing that some of the first people to be able to meet the Savior King were doing exactly what He came to earth to do?  They were out guarding the sheep in the night. Night, or darkness, often speaks in the Word of sin and the pull of this world, and the believer is often called a sheep. These shepherds were watching over, or guarding, the sheep from the snares of the world. 

“As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.” (Ezekiel 34:12)

These shepherds were protecting their vulnerable flock from wolves and other creatures who sought to harm them. Just as Christ came to protect His flock—those who believe in Him—from the world that would seek to harm: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

These shepherds were chosen by God to be some of the first to hear that the Great Shepherd had arrived. What a beautiful picture of the Shepherd and His sheep.

Interestingly, in addition to calling Him a shepherd, the Bible also refers to Christ as a sheep, or a Lamb. 

This was how John the Baptist referred to Him: “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”  (John 1:29)

How can He be both a sheep and a shepherd?  Because He is both God and man. Christ came as God to earth, but he came as a man, as a sheep just like you and me. He knows all the temptations, the sorrows, the pain that we experience, because He too was tempted, He too was sorrowful, and He too was in pain.

But, unlike us, He was without sin. And Christ paid the ultimate price. He took on the sins of the world and was led to slaughter carrying our iniquities so we would not have to. And not only did He bear our iniquity, but He did not say a word or protest about His role in our salvation:  “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on Him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:6-7)

He was the perfect sacrifice, the unblemished Lamb.

That is a good shepherd: One who knows what it is to be a sheep, who is willing to lay down His life for His sheep, and who meets us exactly where we need to be met.

May we always be guarding ourselves and those around us from the sin and darkness of this world, and waiting to hear from the Great Shepherd as we go about our daily work. May we, like the shepherds, be about the King’s business while we wait upon the King.