Our Shepherd

‘Our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep.” — HEB. xiii.

ERE is a little lesson for you, all in

threes. Jesus Christ is the Good

Shepherd, and the Great Shepherd, and the

Chief Shepherd. And these three names

tell us of His death, His resurrection, and His ascension.

For, as the Good Shepherd He laid down His life for the sheep (John x. ); as the Great Shepherd He was brought again from the dead (Heb. xiii. ); and as the Chief Shepherd He is now gone up on high, and shall appear when He comes again (1 Pet. v. y

He laid down His life that He might give us a crown of life (Rev. ii. ). He was raised that we might be justified (Rom. iv.

), that is, accounted righteous before God, so that He might give us the crown of righteousness (2 Tim. iv. ); and He is coming again to give us a crown of glory that fadeth not away (r. Pet. v. ju “So the three promised crowns seem linked with these three beautiful names of Jesus, who is both our Shepherd and our King.

And now think a little about what ‘‘ Shepherd”? means for yous It means that you have Some One to belong to, that you are not your own (1 Cor. vi. ye

It means that you have Some One to take care of you, Some One who will watch you and will not let you get lost (Luke xv. ).

It means that you have Some One who feeds you and will not let you starve, and if you keep near Him He will not let you be hungry at all (Ezek. xxxiv. PY:

It means that you have Some One who knows you and calls you by name (John x. ys

It means that this One loves you so much “that He laid down His life for you (ver yb

It means that He came on purpose to give you life, and life more abundantly (ver. ), that is, that you should not be a just-alive sort of Christian, but ,a strong, bright, happy one, as full of life as the lambs look when they are bounding about on a sunny May morning.

And it means that He will not let any one pluck you out of His hand, and that He has given His promise that you shall never perish (ver. ys

Now what can you want more? Should you not say, “the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Ps. xxiii. ); and will you not sing —

To praise our Shepherd’s care,
His wisdom, love, and might,
Your loudest, loftiest songs prepare,
And bid the world unite.

Supremely good and great,
He tends His blood-bought fold;

He stoops, though throned in highest state, The feeblest to uphold.

He hears their softest plaint,
He sees them when they roam;
And if His meanest lamb should faint,
His bosom bears it home.

Rev. W H. HAVERGAL.