WEEK 1 | INTRODUCTION
Shepherding a group of people is, when you actually consider it, a strange concept. It’s based on the Bible’s repeated characterization of people as sheep. For example:
Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14–15)
This is not a flattering comparison. Sheep are not known for their intelligence, bravery, or self-sufficiency—all characteristics that we prize and strive for. Sheep require constant care, constant guidance, constant feeding, constant protection. So being compared to sheep might be off-putting for many of us.
But only if we misunderstand the metaphor. It’s true that sheep wander, that they need help and protection, that they are lost without a shepherd. But God is not simply casting insults when he refers to us as sheep. In the few passages above, the sheep comparison is not always flattering, but the “sheep” are deeply valued, deeply loved! We are his sheep and our sheeply waywardness is paid for by Jesus (the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah 53). The Good Shepherd lays down his life for our sake! You may not like being called a sheep, but a sheep is exactly what you want to be in these passages.
We are sheep, and we need to be shepherded. It’s how we were designed. A flock can feel as independent and powerful as it wants, but it will still need a shepherd when it runs out of food, runs out of water, or falls under attack. While we are constantly deluded into thinking that we are self-sufficient, life consistently reminds us that we need a Shepherd. Ultimately, that Shepherd is Jesus, and the Bible frequently refers to him as our Shepherd—the Good Shepherd.
But God has also designed the church in such a way that some sheep are given the privilege and responsibility of shepherding other sheep. This may sound strange, but this is actually how it works with Jesus as well. In Isaiah 53, Jesus is the Sheep who comes to save the sheep (see v. 7). In Revelation, John uses this intriguing phrase to describe the ultimate reward of the martyrs: “The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd” (7:17). Jesus is the Lamb who is also the Good Shepherd. We are and always will be sheep under the care of the Good Shepherd. But some of us are also called to be shepherds serving under the guiding hand of the Good Shepherd.
The heart of SHEPHERD is to help you better understand your identity as a sheep and your identity as a shepherd. If you have been called to be a shepherd, you need to keep a firm grasp on both identities—both are essential.
If at any point you begin to think of your fellow Christians as “them” rather than “us,” then you need to remember your identity as a sheep. If you find yourself growing confident in your own abilities as a shepherd—feeling independent and powerful apart from God—then you need to remember your identity as a sheep. You can’t be a good shepherd unless you are living as a sheep under the constant care of the Good Shepherd.
Alternatively, if you find that you’re losing your heart to compassionately care for the people around you, then you need to remember your identity as a shepherd. If the struggles and pain and apathy of your brothers and sisters in Christ no longer weigh on your soul, then you need to remember that you have been called to shepherd them. In God’s grace and wisdom, he has chosen to shepherd these particular sheep through you.
Working through SHEPHERD will give you the opportunity to explore and enjoy both identities: you are a sheep and you are a shepherd. If you approach this study prayerfully and expectantly, focusing particular attention on the Scripture included throughout, you will find yourself being drawn more closely to the heart of God. Don’t waste this opportunity. God wants to do so much in and through each of us. Allow him to shepherd your own soul as you prepare to join him in shepherding his sheep.
QUESTIONS | REFLECTIONS
1. What do you think of when you think of sheep? Is it strange to think you are a sheep?
2. What do you think of when you think of a shepherd? How do you feel about learning how to be a shepherd?
3. What would change in your life if you knew Jesus was your good shepherd?