Isaiah 40:11
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 40:9-31
Isaiah tells us in verse 11 the disposition of the Messiah. He’s going to be like a shepherd who tenderly gathers a lamb in his arms and carries them with care to a place of safety. He is gentle with the mama lamb who is exhausted from tending to her babies all day. Jesus is coming and he is the Gentle Shepherd.
David spoke of Jesus in the same way:
The Lord is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
He takes me to lush pastures,
he leads me to refreshing water.
He restores my strength.
He leads me down the right paths
for the sake of his reputation.
Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me.
You prepare a feast before me
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh my head with oil;
my cup is completely full.
Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days,
and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life (Psalm 23:1-6, NET).
Reading Psalm 23 in an unfamiliar version hopefully draws out a new perspective. Jesus is tender and loving. He is compassionate and caring. He is also strong and protective. He is a provider and conquerer. He has come to save us. He is our Shepherd.
While Psalm 23 and Isaiah 40:11 don’t specifically name Jesus as this shepherd, Jesus comes to earth and claims this imagery for himself:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11-15).
Peter also called Jesus the Shepherd:
“For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Pet 2:25).
Jesus is our Shepherd. He wants us to come to him for all things. Yes he is gentle and caring just like a shepherd is to his sheep. But don’t mistake his gentleness for weakness. He is the Almighty God. He is strong and powerful. Yet he is also gentle and humble.
He came to earth to draw us to him. In our weakness, he stoops down and gathers us up to bring us close to him. Jesus cares for you more than you could ever imagine. He laid down his life to prove it. Jesus knows us and wants to be our gentle shepherd. He wants to gather us in his arms and carry us close to his heart. Today, we simply need to let him.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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