Four Splendid Typologies of Christ - Part III

With regard to Christ as our Shepherd, Jesus Himself proclaimed: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11). The Greek word used here for good is kalos (kal-os’), pertaining to that which is right, beautiful, fine, or excellent. In this context, being right means to conform to morality, the quality of being in accord with standards of good conduct. So when Jesus says He is the good Shepherd, He is indicating that His quality of life is in harmony with God’s standards of conduct. Christ is not just good because He laid down His life for us. He is good because He never wavers from the Father’s will. Our Creator is love. Therefore, His will is rooted in love. The more we live by His standards of conduct, the less we inhibit the flow of His love. From this perspective, we can see the beauty of Christ as our Shepherd. We can observe how the love of the Father flows so purely through the Son and out into this world. As we follow Christ, we come to experience His quality. No one else could ever lead us with such superiority. There is none who is higher in rank or importance than Christ. He is worthy of all merit. While tempted, Jesus never yielded; He never deviated from the Father’s will. Jesus is excellent! This is what He meant when He said: “I am the good shepherd.”

Yet, Christ does not make this proclamation from a position of arrogance. Note the very next thing He says: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Here we find the utmost of humility. The good Shepherd, the One who is right, beautiful, fine, and excellent, gives His all for us! In the life of Christ, we find the will of God manifested and carried out to the fullest extent. No sin was found in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–25; 1 John 3:5). Though He submitted to the complete punishment for humanity’s sin, at no time has He ever ceased being our good Shepherd.

In addition to ensuring His flock is well fed and saturated with love, Christ offers protection. In the wilderness, there are predators that make easy prey of a flock of sheep. But the actions of the shepherd thwart the predator’s intent. In the days of Jesus, shepherds carried a rod—a club carved from a thick tree branch—which was used to fend off attackers. In their attempt to protect the flock, many shepherds laid down their life. Thus, Jesus’ statement about being the good Shepherd and laying down His life had significance to those He was speaking to. Because Christ is our Shepherd, we are not in want. He knows our needs and avails Himself to us as our Provider and Protector (see Psalm 23:1 for wants; Matthew 6:25–34 for needs; and John 10:28 for provider/protector). He is the one we want to follow. Jesus can be trusted!

To learn more about the typologies of Christ, pick up a copy of my book, The Conditioned Mind. Have a blessed Good Friday and Easter celebration! Peace.