In our study of Mark last time we left off in Mark 6:34; where Jesus had compassion for the crowd who met Him at the shore in the isolated place where He and his disciples were looking for rest and relaxation.
We saw that Jesus viewed them as sheep without a shepherd, lost and helpless, without guidance, nourishment, or protection because the one's who were supposed to lead them had rejected truth and as a result they could not properly instruct the people. Jer 50:6; Net note 13
This passage in Jeremiah clearly shows that the problem with the people starts with spiritual leadership. This is the same problem we have in the USA today. Too many pastors in the USA are teaching "spirituality" by emotional sentimentality and human viewpoint rather than by means of God the Holy Spirit and Bible Doctrine.
Since there is very little accurate doctrinal teaching the people have gone astray and they cannot think rationally because their emotional sins have placed them in a position of weakness with the result that satan and his political agents for the dark side are destroying them. 1Pet 5:8;
The Constitutional traditionalists in our country are being eaten alive by the dark side because they know the what but not the why or the how and as a result they cave in when under pressure from the emotional pseudo compassion of the socialist progressives. Hosea 4:6;
The battle is spiritual and these days very few pastors are teaching what spirituality actually is so the majority of the people are deceived by the lie. The people are also complicit in this because they have chosen pastors who tell them what they want to hear rather than the truth. 2Tim 4:3-4;
So He taught them many things but His teaching was focused on how they could be saved for eternity by faith alone in Christ alone rather than alleviating their suffering in time. John 14:6; John 11:26;
This brings us to a brief look at the doctrine of Christ the shepherd. Christ is presented as a shepherd in three ways:
In John 10:11-18; He presents himself as "the good shepherd" in that He lays down His life for the sheep. This refers to Christ's saving work on the cross.
In Heb 13:20-21; He is called "the great shepherd of the sheep."
In 1Pet 5:4; "The chief shepherd" is the title for Christ as he conveys rewards to believers at the evaluation after the exit resurrection of the church.
The Lord our Shepherd provides for His sheep, in seven areas:
Like a sheep, the believer is helpless and has no sense of direction so just as a shepherd must guide the sheep the believer must be guided by accurate Bible doctrine. Isa 53:6;
A sheep can't clean himself; this is corresponds to our Lord's provision of confession of sin. 1John 1:9;
A sheep is helpless when injured. So as we are injured by the various problems in life, only our Lord can provide the necessary therapy. Heb 4:16;
Sheep are defenseless so they are completely dependant on the shepherd for protection. Rom 12:17-21;
Sheep can't find food or water for themselves so they must depend on the shepherd to lead him to good food and water. Rom 10:17;
Sheep are easily frightened or panicked so the shepherd calms them with songs in the night. This is analogous to the thinking of Christ that is contained in Bible doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness of believers. Col 3:2-4;
The wool, the production the sheep, does not belong to the sheep it belongs to the shepherd. The believer's production belongs to our Lord who is our shepherd. Eph 2:10;