THE GREAT SHEPHERD

Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that GREAT SHEPHERD of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen – Hebrews 13:20-21

The Great Shepherd of the sheep is the RISEN LORD. Raised from the dead, He is seated on the right hand of the Father. Hebrews 13:20 testifies that the God of Peace raised our Great Shepherd from the dead and gave Him the exalted seat on His right hand in Majesty. Hebrews 12:2 says of Him: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Whereas the Good Shepherd came out of the virgin WOMB, the Great Shepherd rose up and came out of the empty TOMB. Death and grave had no power over Him. He is the One who declared: “All Power is given unto Me in heaven and earth” (Mt.28:18b). For Him to fulfil this Ministry, He became our HIGH PRIEST: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb.4:15). As our HIGH PRIEST, the Great Shepherd went BACK TO GOD FOR MAN!

This dimension of the Lord’s Shepherd-hood reflects His PRESENT Intercessory Ministry: “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them” (Heb.7:25). “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also RISEN, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom.8:34). The Great Shepherd makes us complete in every good work to do His will. He WORKS in us in the here and now, all that is well pleasing and glorifying in His sight (Heb.13:20-21).

The Great Shepherd is the Eternal, Self-existent, Self-sufficient, and Unchangeable One. He is Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent. That is, He is eternally AVAILABLE, totally AWARE, and completely ABLE. He was the One David eulogized in Psalm 23 as “the Lord is my Shepherd”!. He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities, weaknesses, limitations, and inadequacies. Everything that we need, He is able and willing to supply. In this present day, the Lord Jesus Christ is fulfilling His role as our Great High Priest and the Great Shepherd. He is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.