WEEKLY TOPIC: THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAYS HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP
Lessons:
1. PSALM 23
2. Hebrews 13:20–21
3. EZEKIEL 37:24–28
In the cycle of meditation topics set out in the KKKT study calendar, on Sunday 19.4.2026 we have been given to meditate on the topic that says THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAYS HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. If this topic gets a chance to penetrate our hearts and minds, it will make us understand our ministry in a broader way, and it will certainly make us see where to correct if there is a place where we are falling short. Before looking at the lessons, I would like to place before you the concept of a Shepherd in the Bible.
*The Meaning of a Shepherd in the Bible*
When the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, mentions a Shepherd, it means any person who has a responsibility over other people. This person is entrusted with the responsibility of caring for others so that they may prosper, succeed, and meet their needs. When God called Moses, He determined to clothe him with many things (a kind of glory), but Moses, in his weakness of looking at the responsibilities and not at the one who called him, refused. It was necessary for the same Spirit that was supposed to empower Moses in his ministry to be divided and go to the seventy who were helping him (Numbers 11:16–25). And in later days, the responsibilities have been divided to the extent that when the Bible says Shepherds, it highlights more people like:
1. Priests — to help people stay in God’s Covenant by teaching them the truth
2. Kings — to help people live in peace and gain their rights
3. Prophets — to remind people when they leave the way of the Lord
This concept of shepherding expanded to include parents, teachers, and various leaders in society. In today’s times, we would say that since community leaders, ambassadors, committee leaders, etc., all of them are shepherds!
Shepherds in the Old Testament were required to fulfill their duties and for the most part, that duty required them to be people of dedication and commitment. This is where the concept of service in the church was born. We do not pay salaries, but allowances. But now these allowances should be for all, not just a few and others should be paid salaries. Why should everyone give and volunteer? It is because, there are circumstances that are so difficult that they endanger the safety of servants or their interests. For the welfare of the sheep, (the people entrusted to care for those sheep) were required to be ready to do anything. Anything is a difficult decision.
When God speaks of the shepherd, he transfers the image and responsibility of the former shepherd to the people who were given the responsibility. At that time, people were few, the forests were abundant and this made wild animals abundant. When you hear that when David was tending his father’s sheep, he had to fight with a Bear and a Lion, it was common. So the shepherd had to choose between keeping the sheep safe or keeping himself safe. David chose to keep the sheep safe.
The Israelites were by nature pastoralists (Genesis 47:32–34). Their environment was full of animals that were dangerous to the livestock. But there were also thieves, and the pastures were full of mountains, valleys, and caves. Wild animals or thieves hid in caves. When a shepherd went out to tend his flock, he knew that he could encounter thieves or wild animals. So every day his life was in danger. But not for all shepherds.
Two types of shepherds
1. Hired shepherds (hired)
2. Owned shepherds (the sheep are their property)
Of these two types, the hired shepherds, when they saw the danger of wild animals or thieves, fled and left the flocks in danger. But those who owned the flocks were willing to fight the thieves or wild animals, because their lives depended on the flocks. Notice what Jesus says in John 10.
In several books of the Old Testament, God has complained about the shepherds of Israel, namely the priests, kings and prophets. In his complaint he says:
1. They warn the wounds of his people from above and preach peace (prosperity) to them even where they should not preach so — Jeremiah 6:13–14.
2. He accuses them of eating sheep — Ezekiel 34
3. He accuses them of making up messages to tell the people Jeremiah 23
Why did the shepherds abandon their assigned responsibilities or do otherwise?
👉They entered to care for their own interests and not the interests of the sheep. That is, they gave the life of the sheep for them. Where they were supposed to help the sheep thrive by giving up their interests, they did the opposite.
👉 They entered to eat the gnats.
As a result, people perish for lack of understanding or knowledge of God. Meaning:
✍️ They sinned and denied justice to one another.
✍️ They ended up seeking their own gods and abandoning the true God
✍️ Their covenant with God was broken
THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT THE LORD IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND HE LAYS HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP
This reflection comes a few weeks after the event of the cross. Therefore, the proximity of this topic to the event of the cross helps us remember that the exemplary Shepherd is Jesus who went to the cross for his people. And fundamentally, we should not only look at the event of the cross. Let us start with what Paul says in Philippians 2:1–11. Jesus was willing to leave his comfort zone, to leave everything in order to help us reconcile with God. And after coming to earth, he was obedient — even to the death of the cross.
*First lesson: PSALM 23*
In this psalm David shows three things
1. The dangerous environment he goes through: the presence of the enemy, the coming of death,
2. God’s care for him even when he goes through #1 above
3. Being safe in the midst of the enemy, being provided for even in circumstances where he would be in need, being led by the Lord wherever he is.
In this psalm we cannot see the Shepherd giving his life, but the presence of dangers helps us see God’s care for the Psalmist. This tells us that, there are times when God fights for us even when we do not know. There are many battles He fights without us knowing. And because we have a good shepherd, we are safe even in the midst of the enemy and he can also provide us with abundant food, in the midst of the enemy and even if we just rest well in the presence of the enemy. God’s shepherding for us is not a shame.
SECOND READING: HEBREWS 13:20–21
This chapter concludes the entire letter and these verses are at the end. The writers of the book, especially Paul, were putting the blessings and what they want people to follow at the end. Here Paul puts _practical issues_ in the entire 13th chapter, that is, see how to put faith into action.
—- give to one another,
-honor marriage
— honor leaders
— not be lovers of money
— remain in the true doctrine
— look to Jesus in all things and at all times. This does not change from generation to generation
And in our lesson he wants to say that if God brought Jesus to earth, died and then raised him from the dead, he cannot leave us when we go through any danger. God is there and is busy for us. And whatever he has started, he will definitely bring to the end. God is a God of perfection. Let us not give up. We have a good Shepherd. When He deals with our affairs, He can do anything.
*SERMON READING: EZEKIEL 37: 24–28*
_Who is Ezekiel:_
This man named Ezekiel came from the tribe of Levi but like Jeremiah, he was also called to be a prophet. This man was among the exiles taken to Babylon and served from 593–571 BC. During this time the Kingdom of Israel was being overthrown by the Assyrians (parts of modern-day Iran, Turkey and Iraq) and that of Judah had been conquered by the Chaldeans (area of Babylonia – parts of modern-day southern Iraq; but the people themselves are a mess! They are no longer there)—the temple has been demolished, the city wall has been broken down and the powerful are in exile! In short, the future of the nation was gone.
Those in Babylon despaired and saw that as a nation they would never wake up again.
Even though the prophets were giving the people a message of hope, the message given to Ezekiel was unique. For when he himself was shown dry bones, the remains of people who had died many years ago, he said he knew nothing! But he believed God could do something, but he did not know what it was. Ezekiel looked to God and not to the state of dry bones. By looking to the Lord, he saw hope and life in the dry bones. As we bring this lesson to the topic of this week, we get a very good message: WE HAVE A GOD WHO MAKES THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE.
NOT ONLY DOES HE HAVE THE ABILITY TO RESTORE WHAT WAS AND WAS LOST, BUT EVEN THE IMPOSSIBLE HE MAKES POSSIBLE.
*Where do our eyes look?*
When our eyes look at the environment we are passing through, looking at how difficult the paths are, we can lose our direction.
Starting in Ezekiel 36, the prophet begins to speak of restoration. The land, long forgotten, will be cultivated and inhabited.
This was a message of hope for the exiles that they would return to their homeland and occupy it again.
As we come to Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel is shown something even greater that had not yet happened. The dry bones that had been piled up in the valley meant that the Israelites, who had been living outside their homeland for thousands of years, would be restored and become a nation, once again, and a mighty nation.
Israel, which was overthrown in 721 BC, and Judah, which was overthrown in 70 AD, left Israel and lived outside for more than 1800 years and 2500 others, when it came to 1948 they were returned to the Promised Land and even though they were few — (110,000 –118,000 people), they fought 7 united kingdoms, occupied their land and within one year their number reached 600,000 people. You wonder how such a few people can defeat millions of people, and with powerful armies??
The answer is there THE LORD THEIR GOD WAS WITH THEM FIGHTING FOR THEM (Deut. 20:1). And this is the message that David brought when he said THE LORD IS HIS SHEPHERD. So we should not be surprised to see Ezekiel talking about David ruling over them. This is David ben Jesse, this is the Son of David whose kingdom will have no end. A person who is like David in loving God and having a passion to fulfill God’s will. This is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
For someone to say that the Lord is their Shepherd, they must have encountered His care in circumstances where they did not expect to encounter such care, or have witnessed people treated by the Lord.
WE PREACH THE LORD WHO IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD — HE HAS GIVEN HIS LIFE
1. We are beneficiaries of the life He gave for the world, so we want others to benefit as well
2. We are ambassadors of the Good Shepherd who gives his life, meaning we show people there what it means to be a good shepherd.
✍️Let us be willing to give up our interests for the well-being of others
✍️Let us be willing to enable others to prosper, even if we do not have interests to give up
✍️Let us teach people what service means — the good shepherding of giving and sacrificing himself as the Lord did. We cannot die to the world, but we can help those around us taste the blessings brought by the Good Shepherd.
*Conclusion*
In our difficult political, spiritual, economic, marital, relationship with our neighbors and in our homes; we are told that we have a God who can do great things. We can disappoint Him because we look at the circumstances we have. He cannot disappoint us because His power is not affected or dependent on circumstances. May God help us to remember this at all times. Amen
I submit
In the service of the Lord
Gerson Mgaya