Ezekiel 34:23 - Homiletics

The one shepherd.

In place of the many unworthy shepherds who have fattened themselves by spoiling the flock of Israel, God will now give his people one good Shepherd, reviving the royal line of David. The shepherd of Bethlehem had been a true protector of his people. He is to appear again in his great Descendant. No doubt Ezekiel's contemporary readers would look for a restoration of the temporal monarchy, as Christ's disciples looked for it ( Acts 1:6 ). But such a restoration was never accomplished. The prophecy is fulfilled in a higher though an unexpected way by Christ as our good Shepherd.

I. THE PERSON OF THE SHEPHERD . "My servant David." Jesus Christ is the only person to whom these words can apply. Not only was he of the family of David; he realized to the full the ideal that David set forth in broken lights and failed to attain himself. He is the true David, the true Shepherd-King. Thus amid the sorrows of the exile, the disconsolate captives are cheered by a vision of the coming Christ, though as yet but vaguely and dimly discerned. We, with fuller knowledge, can turn from our disappointments and failures and find consolation in the Christ who has come and who is ever in our midst. Perhaps if the old shepherds had not been so unworthy, this wonderful prediction of the new Shepherd would not have been made. The disappointments of worldly confidence drive us to Christ. When earthly friends "fail or leave us," we need the true Friend who "sticketh closer than a brother." If Christian ministers have been unworthy, Christ abides faithful. Perhaps too much confidence was given to the human instruments; then the shock of discovering this to be misplaced may not be wholly hurtful; it may help the Church to look away from men and trust only in Christ.

II. THE APPOINTMENT OF THE SHEPHERD . He is set up by God. God sent Christ. It is God's will that his scattered sheep should be restored. That was stated earlier (see verses 11, 12). Now we see how it is to be done. Christ is to be the new Shepherd who will seek and find the lost sheep. He comes to us thus with all the authority of his Father. He is called God's "Servant"—a remarkable and unusual expression for the Messiah. This reminds us of "the Servant of the Lord" in the latter part of Isaiah. The name was recalled by St. Peter when preaching to the Jews ( Acts 3:13 ). St. Paul tells us that in his great humiliation Christ took on him the form of a servant ( Philippians 2:7 ). This agrees with the whole spirit of the life of our Lord, who came not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. It implies a rebuke of the bad shepherds, who had only pleased themselves and so neglected their Master's interests. They were too proud to consider themselves servants. But the great Son of David is willing to be a Servant.

III. THE WORK OF THE SHEPHERD .

1. He rules the flock . He is "set over" the sheep. The shepherd has authority over the flock. They are required to follow him. He shuts them up in the fold at night. Christ is King, as the Greater David. He is appointed to rule his flock as the Shepherd and Bishop of souls. If we would profit by his care we must obey his voice.

2. He feeds the flock . They would starve in the wilderness. The shepherd can lead them into the green pastures. He can supply them with winter stores. Christ feeds his people with his own body and blood.

3. He saves the flock . Though not stated in this verse, and perhaps not directly following from the preceding verses, this is very prominent in our Lord's own description of his work. By the sacrifice of his own life he saves his sheep ( John 10:15 ). The favorite picture of the persecuted early Christians, on the walls of the catacombs at Rome, is perhaps the choicest of all representations of Christ—viz. the good Shepherd.