• Living with an awareness of Jesus is living with an awareness of His salvation and protection — as sheep of the God’s flock and pasture we are both vulnerable and protected
This is The Living Word Bible Study for Sunday, April 30, 2023, based on the Bible readings set for this week in the interdenominational scheme.
Psalm 23 — King David calls the Lord his provider and protector
John 10:1-10 — Jesus is the gate into abundant and eternal life
Acts 2:42-47 — The call of Christ is togetherness in community
### Jesus the Good Shepherd is our entrance to new life
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Psalm 23 — King David calls the Lord his provider and protector
• “You are with me” is the truth that answers fear and anxiety
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
“My shepherd” — David used to keep sheep and knew how dependent sheep are on on the shepherd for guidance, provision and protection. “Shepherd” was often used of kings in the ancient Near East. David is saying, Yahweh rules his life.
2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
“Makes me lie down” — to rest like a sheep in safety. The LORD brings good provision and refreshment (sheep avoid lively water) and guidance. “For His name’s sake” — about who God is, His nature to give.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
“Darkest valley” — unlike “green pastures” and “quiet waters”, ravines in dark shadow are dangerous.
“You are with me” — not now talking about God, talking to Him. The centre point and the headline.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
“Anoint my head” — like a specially honoured guest.
6 Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
“Goodness and love” — “goodness and mercy” (ESV)…unfailing love” (NLT), covenant language revealing what God is like.
“I will dwell” — points to Jesus who said “I am the good shepherd” and who laid down His life so we could choose new and eternal life by believing in Him.
Reflection
SUMMARY Sheep need help from the shepherd to find the good places to feed and drink, and to be protected from danger — a picture of being reliant.
APPLICATION God our Father is the very best kind of shepherd to us, “the people of His pasture, the flock under His care,” Psalm 95:7.
QUESTION Of these provisions, what do we ask for and what might we take for granted?
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John 10:1-10 — Jesus is the gate into abundant and eternal life
• Like sheep in a flock, we recognise His voice and He knows ours
1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
“Sheep pen” — courtyard of stone walls topped with thorny branche s and a single gate, offering security for several families’ flocks at night. Only a robber would enter by force.
2 “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
“The shepherd… the gatekeeper” — the gatekeeper was employed by the various families. Each shepherd knew and named his sheep, who would respond to their shepherd calling their name.
“He calls his own sheep” — Jesus knows and loves us as individuals who He has called to belong to Him; we choose to follow Him, recognising His voice as distinct from others.
4 “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
“Know his voice” — Middle Eastern sheep are obedient and follow the shepherd.
5 “But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.”
6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what He was telling them.
“Figure of speech” — referring to the Pharisees’ dismissive treatment of ordinary people, similar to the abusive leadership of Ezekiel 34.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
“I am the gate” — one of seven “I am” sayings starting with “I am the bread of life”, John 6:35. “I am” was how God described Himself to Moses at the burning bush, Exodus 3:1-15.
8 “All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
“Thieves and robbers” — exploiting people as in Ezekiel 34:2-4; in Jesus’ time, the Pharisees.
9 “I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
“Whoever enters through Me will be saved” — clear teaching on Jesus being the one distinct route to salvation, also Acts 4:12.
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
“The thief” — who takes life; by comparison, Jesus confers life, eternal life which starts immediately we turn to follow Him. The saying points out Satan’s strategy of robbing people of joy and keeping them in bondage, against Jesus’ setting people free by His truth “that they may have life… to the full.”
• For further study, compare John 10:10 with John 8:32, 36.
Reflection
SUMMARY Jesus describes a typical stone-walled pen for keeping sheep safe at night; each shepherd would have the gatekeeper open the gate in the morning and call his sheep out by name, to go to pasture.
APPLICATION In this “I am” saying, Jesus teaches that He is the gate — the safe and sure way of salvation. People, in general, recognise God’s voice and can see that the route is through Jesus; any alternative way that is not through Jesus is not salvation.
QUESTION How do we tell the voice of the true Shepherd, apart from the voice of the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy?
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Acts 2:42-47 — The call of Christ is togetherness in community
• The shared experience of new life in Christ brings real relationship
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
“The apostles’ teaching” — like Peter’s message, e.g. vv. 22-41 which emphasised eyewitness testimony to His miraculous works and resurrection, the fulfilment of the OT prophecies about the Lord, also all that Jesus taught.
“Teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer” — the four pillars of the Christian gathering, a relational, participative affair. Prayer was also worship; breaking of bread was essentially a fellowship meal which also remembered the Lord’s Supper.
43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
“Many wonders and signs” — the ministry of Jesus continuing through the apostles and associates like Philip, with many miraculous signs of God’s power occurring.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
“Everything in common” — possessions held lightly and used for others as needs arose. Not early communism: believers went on holding property, met in their homes, and giving was voluntary.
45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…
“Continued to meet…in the temple courts” — the centre of community life. The believers were not starting a new religion but proclaiming the reality of the salvation promised to Israel. Their call was to love one another, John 13:34-35, and share lives in a community of teaching, prayer and worship, possessions and fellowship. They gathered en masse at the Temple for teaching and met in many homes, a pattern which continued, Acts 20:20.
47 …praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
“Added to their number daily” — in a short time (uninhibited by persecution) the 3,000 of Pentecost was 5,000 men, with women also playing their part.
Reflection
SUMMARY A snapshot of the first Spirit-empowered believers meeting in a big gathering in the temple courts, where they received teaching from those who had themselves received it from the Lord. At this formation time more were being added to their meetings — every day.
APPLICATION They also met in home groups where they shared meals and met each others’ needs and enjoyed the Christian spiritual togetherness we call fellowship.
QUESTION What can we learn from this story of church growth — and people regularly finding salvation?
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1 Peter 2:19-25 — Belonging to the Shepherd is a call with a cost
• The privilege of belonging to Jesus can bring the world’s punishment
19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.
“Bears up… conscious of God” – slaves who had come to faith in Jesus faced punishment by unbelieving masters who expected them to follow the family religion. The grace of God in their lives showed in how they handled undeserved beatings.
20-21 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.
“To this you were called” – to live for Jesus, who Himself attracted persecution and took unjust punishment. To suffer evil for doing good is in the tradition of the suffering servant and Saviour. The good news of freedom in Jesus Christ often provokes the opposite kind of reactions.
• For further study, read Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
“He did not retaliate” – the ways in which Jesus showed Himself the foretold suffering servant. In that culture, honour was all important, and it was expected that someone would return insults to assert their honour.
24 “He Himself bore our sins” in His body on the Cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by His wounds you have been healed.”
“Die to sins and live for righteousness” – a decision made public and symbolised in baptism. Jesus’ death breaks the power of sin in our lives, and His Spirit is an empowering to live well before God, two vital factors that make the new, regenerate life distinct from the old. Jesus is more than our pattern, He is our substitute.
“By His wounds you have been healed” – through Jesus’ physical suffering from flogging and crucifixion, our believing in Him is a healing of spirit, which extends to soul and body. Matthew applies this language from Isaiah to the physical healings with deliverances that Jesus performed, Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17.
25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
“Like sheep going astray” – like straying sheep, we need the Shepherd.
• For further study, see Isaiah 53:6, Psalm 23:1, John 10:11, 14; Hebrews 13:20, also John 21:15-17.
Reflection
SUMMARY The call to belong to the kingdom of God with Jesus as a Lord is a great privilege —± but it comes at a cost. The pain of undeserved suffering is how we follow in the steps of the Master.
APPLICATION Medieval Christianity mistakenly made a religion out of suffering as a path to greater holiness. Jesus didn’t come for us to make a religion out of anything, but rather to know Him as the answer to our inbuilt desire to please God. Holiness does not come through suffering but we can accept injustice with the joy of the Holy Spirit because we are reborn holy and set apart.
QUESTION What in us shows Jesus in us? How does the way we handle life’s tough situations reveal Him to others?
PRAYER Lord Jesus, we are so grateful that we can know the Good Shepherd in the psalm, and experience You as our gate to the Father’s abundant life and rest.
Thank You, too, for making us part of Your body here on earth where everyone belongs, is valued and shares both the joys and tensions of life as those empowered by Your Spirit.
Thank You, too, that we go on being saved, delivered and healed by the wounds inflicted on You. May we be fruitful in sharing Your presence and life with others. Amen.
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• See this week’s article and short video telling the story of How to Lead a Secure Life Led by the Good Shepherd
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