THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Isaiah 40:11. He shall feed His flock, &c.
The Hebrews were, for the most part, a nation of shepherds. To them especially these declarations must have appeared full of beauty, tenderness, and life.
I. THE GOOD SHEPHERD
“He shall feed,” &c.
1. Who is this Shepherd? He who was foretold by the prophets (Ezekiel 34:23; Micah 5:4; Micah 7:14). In the New Testament it is declared that these prophecies were fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20; John 10:11).
2. What is He? God as well as man (Isaiah 40:10; Zechariah 13:7; Micah 5:4). Being truly God, He is well qualified to be “the Good Shepherd.” He never slumbers nor sleeps. His knowledge is infinite, His power almighty, His resources limitless. He has in His heart infinite tenderness, which He manifested by dying for His flock.
II. THE FLOCK FOR WHICH HE CARES.
His flock? The people of God (Psalms 100:3). Weak, wandering, defenceless in themselves, they depend entirely upon Him for succour and safety.
The whole flock of Christ is known by distinct marks.
1. It is a little flock. Small compared with the great assembly of saints in heaven, or with the multitudes led captive by Satan. Not because He is unable or unwilling to save. His fold is large enough for the whole world; its door is open for all mankind, and He stands at it inviting all to enter. The real reason (John 3:19; John 5:40).
2. It is a united flock. Its members live by “one faith” in “one Lord,” and are united in principles, in affection, in conduct, in devotion, in destiny (H. E. I. 1202, 1203).
3. It is a holy flock. Holy in heart, in conversation, in conduct (H. E. I. 2831, 2856).
Besides the marks which distinguish the whole flock of Christ, others distinguish its individual members.
1. A death unto sin and a new birth unto righteousness (John 3:5).
2. Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:3).
3. Following Him (John 10:4).
III. HIS CARE FOR IT.
Mark—
1. His general care for His people. “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd.” His eye watches over them; His arm protects them; His grace supplies their need (Ezekiel 34:11-16).
2. His peculiar tenderness to the young. “He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.” His tender care for children (Mark 10:13-16; Proverbs 8:17). For young converts. A lamb just dropped on a bleak mountain, where the cold wind rages, where the stormy rain descends, where the wolf, gaunt and grim, prowls around for prey;—such a lamb in such a state is a figure of young Christians in this wicked world. But the Good Shepherd, who watches over them with infinite tenderness night and day, will support them in all their weakness and dangers, and succor them in all their wants and sorrows. When a shepherd sees a young lamb so weak that it cannot keep up with the rest of the flock, he does not leave it behind to die, but takes it up and carries it. Thus does Jesus (text). He pardons their sins, gives them peace, invigorates their souls, and enables them to go on their way (H. E. I. 961).
3. His singular compassion for the feeble and the burdened. “He shall gently lead those that are with young.” Almighty, all-wise, all-merciful, He is well qualified to lead the afflicted. He will lead them in the right way, in the best way, gently. His sympathy and His succour will never fail them.—John Cawood, M.A.: Sermons, vol i. pp. 363–378).
JESUS AND THE LAMBS
Isaiah 40:11. He shall gather the lambs with His arm, &c.
Greatness in league with gentleness, and power linked with affection pass before us in this chapter (Isaiah 40:10-11).
I. Who are the lambs our Lord is said to gather and carry in His bosom?
1. In a certain sense we may affirm, that all His people are lambs. In so far as they exhibit the Christian spirit, they are lamb-like. As the lamb might be presented in sacrifice, so every believer presents his body as a living sacrifice unto God. He hates wars and fightings. Jesus will gather all such lambs.
2. The word “lamb” frequently signifies the young; and our Lord graciously receives many young persons into His bosom. Jesus always had children among His auditory (Matthew 19:14). Youthful piety should not be mistrusted. Children should be invited to declare their faith in the Lord Jesus, and to come forward and be joined to the Church of Jesus. Let them hear the words of the Good Shepherd (Proverbs 8:17; H. E. I. 795–800).
3. Young converts, those who begin to have religious impressions; those who have recently repented of sin, and been driven from confidence in their own good works (Isaiah 42:3).
4. Those who are naturally of a weak, timid, trembling disposition. Their needs demand our sympathetic attention. Jesus seeks them out.
5. Those who know but little of the things of God. This class is not so much desponding as ignorant (John 14:9).
II. How does Jesus show this special care for the weak ones?
1. By gathering them. The shepherd watches carefully when the little lambs are born. He watches, when the flock is on the march, lest the lambs lag behind. He knows their skittish nature. He gathers them, and keeps them under his own eye.
2. By carrying them in His bosom (H. E. I. 961).
(1.) As the safest place. Who can hope to take His bosom-treasure away from Jesus?
(2.) The tenderest place. Soft for hurt little ones.
(3.) The easiest place. It makes one wish to be always a lamb, if one could always ride in that chariot.
(4.) The most honourable place. We would not put into our bosom that which we despised.
3. By His teachings. These are simple, mostly in parables, full of winning illustrations, and always plain.
(1.) He reveals His teachings gradually. He gives milk before He offers strong meat; does not hang our salvation upon our understanding mysteries.
(2.) His experimental teachings are all by degrees too. He suits the burden to the back.
4. By the solemn curses with which He effectually guarded the little ones (Matthew 18:6-10).
5. By the promises made on purpose for the weak.
6. By requiring of them what is easy (Matthew 11:29-30). He does not send the weak believers to the forefront of the battle, as David did Uriah.
7. By accepting the least service that these little ones may offer.
III. Wherefore this care of Christ towards the lambs of His flock?
1. Because the weak are as much redeemed by the blood of Christ as the strong. A man will not lose a thing which cost him his blood.
2. Because in the new-born child of God there are peculiar beauties which are not so apparent in others. The first love of the beginner is well known. The first tenderness of conscience; the first intense delight in the service of God.
3. Because they will become strong one day (Mark 4:28). Jesus sees them as they are to be (H. E. I. 1071).
4. Because Christ’s suretyship engagements require that He should preserve the weakest as well as the strongest (John 17:6; Jude 1:24).
5. Because of His promises (John 10:28).
6. Because compassion argues that if any should be watched it should be these (H. E. I. 952–958).
IV. Practical Conclusion.
1. Let us gather the lambs.
(1.) For Christ.
(2.) Into His Church.
2. Let us carry in our bosoms those who are gathered (Exodus 2:9).—C. H. Spurgeon: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 1868, pp. 73–84.
This promise concerns “the lambs” of Christ’s flock. He is a mighty Shepherd (see Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 40:12); but He does not despise “the lambs,” those who are feeble, ignorant, and conscious of their helplessness. He carries them in His bosom! What does this imply?
1. His boundless affection for them. On the cross He has given costly proof of it; and always His is a love that expresses itself in actions, not in words merely.
2. Their tender nearness to Him. How sweet it is to lie on the bosom of the Good Shepherd!
3. Their absolute safety. If He has in His heart love enough, and in His arm power enough to protect them, then for the lamb to perish is as impossible as it is for Him to perish (H. E. I. 934–941).
1. This presentation of Christ has a kindly aspect toward the sinner. How gentle is that Mighty Being to whom we invite you, on whom we counsel you to rest!
2. There is encouragement here for those who feel themselves the weakest and feeblest of all God’s children (H. E. I. 959, 960).
3. There is no encouragement here for those who are wilfully weak. For what purpose does the Good Shepherd cherish? It is that He may sanctify. It is not merely to preserve, to protect; but He nourishes His lambs that they may grow.—J. H. Evans, M.A.: Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. iv. pp. 324–336.
THE MIND OF CHRIST TOWARD THE YOUNG
(Sunday-School Anniversary.)
Isaiah 40:11. He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom.
The earlier verses of this chapter are sufficient to prove that these words were written of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Isaiah 40:3, and Luke 3:3-6). Seven hundred years before the appearing of our Saviour, a prophecy was given of His character; of His tenderness in guiding, protecting, and feeding the souls of those who should be brought to put their trust in Him,—more especially in cherishing and watching over the weaker and the younger members of His flock (cf. John 10:11; John 10:27-28).
Let us inquire how far this predicted character of the Messiah was fulfilled in the recorded deeds and works of Jesus Christ upon earth.
1. How precisely does Mark 10:13-16 set before us the Good Shepherd gathering the lambs with His arm! How precisely does it declare His readiness to receive and bless little children! (H. E. I. 765.)
(1.) How great a comfort to pious parents who now dedicate their children to Him! (P. D. 464, 465.)
(2.) How gracious an encouragement to those who in early years begin to seek Him! (P. D. 962, 963.)
2. In Mark 10:17-22 we read that a young man came running to Jesus, with every sign of earnestness, docility, and reverence, to ask what he must do to inherit eternal life. Our Lord saw in him that self-satisfied spirit which immediately appeared in reply to our Lord’s answer to his question: “Master, all these have I observed from my youth.” Then our Lord gave a direction, designed, not to teach us the method of our salvation, but to bring to light the plague of the young man’s heart. The event showed that he was not then prepared to enter into the kingdom of God (H. E. I. 3591, 1889, 3567–3569). Yet there was that in his serious and respectful demeanour, his ingenuous simplicity, and his outward blamelessness which our Lord regarded with deep and affectionate interest (Mark 10:21). He showed that interest by mercifully revealing to him his sad and fatal defect, and urging him to lay the axe to the root of his sins, and to follow Him. From this incident we may learn with how deep an interest our Lord regards that ingenuous openness, that blameless morality, that dutiful and reverent simplicity which is the greatest charm of youth; and yet how far all this may at last fall short of the character of an heir to the kingdom of God (H. E. I. 3603, 3606, 4080–4105).
3. Another manifestation of the mind of Christ towards the young is seen in this, that He takes the character of a little child as the type of that which distinguishes His true disciples (Matthew 11:25; Matthew 18:2-4). He who so acted and spoke must have had a singular tenderness of feeling towards little children. Doubtless that which commended them to Him was their instinctive feeling of weakness, and of dependence upon others for all things; their consciousness of ignorance, and simple faith in all that is told them by those older than themselves; the absence in them of guile, ambition, hypocrisy, and all assumption. Our sharing in these qualities, and our display of them toward Christ, is essential to our very safety (P. D. 964).
4. Remember also the solemn earnestness with which He denounces a woe against all who lead them into sin (Matthew 18:6). Probably “the little ones” here spoken of are those who resemble little children; but still they are peculiarly applicable to children, so liable to be drawn away from Him by the force of evil influence or example (H. E. I. 775).
5. Christ did not disdain the praises of little children (Matthew 21:15-16).
6. Remember His charge to Peter: “Feed my lambs.” Those thus referred to might be rather the weak in faith than the young in years, yet in many cases the two would be identical; the young would be also weak. For these their parents should tenderly care (H. E. I. 781–788, 803–806). But when the parents do not discharge that sacred trust, the Church should see to it that the young souls for which Christ died do not perish for lack of knowledge.—C. J. Vaughan: Sermons, 1846, pp. 328–342.
THE GENTLENESS OF CHRIST TO THE BURDENED
Isaiah 40:11. He shall gently lead those that are with young.
We have here an indirect proof of the Deity of our Lord. Infinite power is required to control the movements of the burdened ones of whom our text speaks; so many as He has to lead! Besides, He must have infinite wisdom to know me. I am a mystery to myself; though myself be a book that I study, and ought to study far more than I do, yet how little do I know of it! How then can He know all of them, and each one singly?—know all the maze, the whole of the labyrinth, the “wheel within wheel,” the winding path within the winding path, of body, soul, and estate; all that bears on me in my relative positions, in my connection with the Church, in connection with my family; all my personal weaknesses, my constitutional infirmities? Unless He does know this He cannot “lead” me. He must be God who doeth these things. And He is God. May our hearts bow before Him!
I. Christ’s people are often burdened. Sin, their inborn corruption, is a burden to them. Still heavier is the burden when they have been betrayed into actual transgression; a guilty conscience is a heavy burden indeed. The slowness with which he makes progress in spiritual excellences is also to the believer a burden. Sorrows and temptations are burdens. The body itself is a burden (2 Corinthians 5:4). The service of God has itself a burden in it; we read of “bearing the burden and heat of the day.” Often, too, he feels the burdens of others—their mistakes, follies, and sufferings, to rest heavily upon him.
II. When they are thus burdened they experience the infinite tenderness of the Good Shepherd.
1. He does not drive them; He leads them. Satan drives his miserable victims to perdition; the Saviour leads His ransomed ones along the paths of righteousness to eternal blessedness.
2. He leads them gently. Who can unfold the wondrous tenderness, patience, forbearance, compassion, and love with which He has lead each one of us? He leads “gently,” not foolishly; not with such tenderness as one sometimes sees in earthly parents, leading their children to their harm, and thinking it to be love,—the worst of all unkindness. It is the kindness of One that wisely loves. Could I suppose a father taking a knife to amputate the limb of his child, there might be an appearance of severity in the sharpness of the knife, but who can tell what would be the tenderness of that yearning father’s heart? He “gently leads,” and never more tenderly than in some providences that appeared the severest at the time. As Cowper has said, it is but the graver aspect of His love.—J. H. Evans, M.A.: Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. iv. pp. 337–348.