Topical Bible: Jesus, the Christ: Divinity of Jehovah the Shepherd

Bible > Topical > Jesus, the Christ

◄ Jesus, the Christ: Divinity of Jehovah the Shepherd ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The divinity of Jesus Christ as Jehovah the Shepherd is a profound and central tenet of Christian theology, affirming His identity as both God and the Good Shepherd who tends to His flock. This concept is deeply rooted in the Scriptures, where Jesus is depicted as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the divine shepherd.

Old Testament Foundations

The imagery of God as a shepherd is richly woven throughout the Old Testament. In Psalm 23:1, David declares, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." This portrayal of God as a caring and guiding shepherd sets the stage for the New Testament revelation of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Ezekiel 34:11-12 further emphasizes this role: "For this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Behold, I Myself will search for My flock and seek them out. As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among his flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.'"

New Testament Revelation

In the New Testament, Jesus explicitly identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd, thereby asserting His divine role. In John 10:11, He states, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." This declaration not only affirms His shepherding role but also His sacrificial love, a hallmark of His divine nature. Jesus' willingness to lay down His life for His sheep is a direct fulfillment of the shepherd imagery found in the Old Testament.

Furthermore, Jesus' divinity is underscored in John 10:30, where He proclaims, "I and the Father are one." This statement reveals the unity between Jesus and the Father, affirming His divine essence and authority. The reaction of the Jewish leaders, who sought to stone Him for blasphemy (John 10:31-33), indicates their understanding of His claim to divinity.

The Shepherd's Voice and Authority

The authority of Jesus as the divine Shepherd is further illustrated in His relationship with His sheep. In John 10:27-28, He declares, "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand." This passage highlights His sovereign authority and the security He provides to His followers, attributes that are inherently divine.

The Shepherd's Sacrifice and Resurrection

The sacrificial nature of Jesus' shepherding is vividly portrayed in His death and resurrection. In John 10:17-18, He explains, "The reason the Father loves Me is that I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father." His voluntary sacrifice and subsequent resurrection are acts that only a divine being could accomplish, further affirming His identity as Jehovah the Shepherd.

The Shepherd's Eternal Reign

The Book of Revelation also presents Jesus as the eternal Shepherd who guides His people to everlasting life. Revelation 7:17 states, "For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. 'He will lead them to springs of living water,' and 'God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" This imagery of the Lamb as the Shepherd encapsulates the dual nature of Christ as both the sacrificial Lamb and the divine Shepherd, leading His flock to eternal peace and joy.

In summary, the divinity of Jesus as Jehovah the Shepherd is a consistent and powerful theme throughout the Bible. His role as the Good Shepherd, His unity with the Father, His sacrificial love, and His eternal reign all testify to His divine nature and His fulfillment of the shepherd imagery established in the Old Testament.

Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 40:10,11
Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
Nave's Topical Index

Hebrews 13:20
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The People's Christ
... I leave our survey of the reasons for the election of Christ Jesus. ... was exaltation
enough for the body of Christ to be exalted into union with the divinity. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the peoples christ.htm

Demonstration xvii. --Of Christ the Son of God.
... 5. For the name of Divinity is given for the ... [1074] But all these things fitly apply
to Christ. ... and Son, just as Israel (was called); and Jesus (Joshua), just ...
/.../aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xvii of christ the son.htm

Sermon xxvii.
... to manifest and gloriously exalt the perfections of Jehovah. ... But this glory of the
Divinity is specially to ... cordial faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and wilful ...
/.../leland/the national preacher vol 2 no 7 dec 1827/sermon xxvii.htm

John Chapter xiii. 5-Jan
... It is in reference to this that he says, "Jesus knowing that the Father had given
all ... [1126] That is, "applies to Christ's humanity, not His divinity."--Tr ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate lv john chapter xiii.htm

The Vanguard and Rereward of the Church
... Who calls Diana a divinity? ... Jehovah has gone before us in the incarnation of Christ. ...
troubles for next year and the remnant of our days, Jesus Christ has borne ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the vanguard and rereward of.htm

The Society of Friends, or Quakers.
... is in the true knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ (John 17:3 ... heretical opinions
on the articles of the Trinity, the divinity, and the atonement of Christ. ...
/.../creeds of christendom with a history and critical notes/ 107 the society of.htm

Blessing for Blessing
... When I approach Jehovah, I approach the God or our ... Epistle to the Ephesians is a
complete Body of Divinity. ... that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 38 1892/blessing for blessing.htm

Faith and Life
... Christ at all, if he does not receive his divinity. ... I have not received Jesus Christ
at all, but I am ... him, unless I have received him as Jehovah Tsidkenu, the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/faith and life.htm

At the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple.
... His Divine Mission is evidence of His Divinity. ... which he had there borne to the Christ,
recalled it ... and the accord between John and Jesus carried conviction to ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv at the feast.htm

A Blast of the Trumpet against False Peace
... Our old Puritans"what masters they were in divinity! ... as toleration of your sentiments
with Jehovah; I have ... hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a blast of the trumpet.htm