We’ve been in Ezekiel 34 the last few weeks talking about shepherds (lower case s) and sheep. But God Himself is the Shepherd of His people. When those He entrusted to lead failed, He stepped in.
The flock was plundered and scattered without a shepherd,
and no one searched or looked for them. 34:6
So God said He would remove the corrupt and abusive shepherds.
For this is what the sovereign Lord says, …
I MYSELF will search for my sheep … vs 11
I will rescue them … vs 12
And again:
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. 34:16
Any of that sound familiar?
Listen to Jesus:
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
Jesus is quoting Ezekiel – oh – and in the process claiming to be God. It’s a remez (more on that later).
The sovereign God says – I myself will seek and save the lost sheep.
And Jesus says - I myself will seek and save the lost.
God Almighty declares in Ezekiel that He is the Great Shepherd. And Jesus comes along and identifies Himself as the very same. He is our great Shepherd, who will tend to us, lead us, and protect us. He will not take advantage of us or harm us. In fact, He lay down His own life for us. That is what a good shepherd does. We can take counsel from His example, but also rest easy knowing the character of our true Shepherd. We will find all we need in His arms.
