Introduction
In the article “Is Jesus the Shepherd of Psalm 23:1? – John 10:11“, I will explore the connection between these biblical passages and their true meaning. In Psalm 23:1, David declares that Yahweh is his Shepherd, while in John 10:11, Jesus claims to be the “Good Shepherd” who lays down his life for the sheep. Given these statements, the question arises: was Jesus claiming to be Yahweh Himself or is there a deeper meaning behind His words? To answer this question, I will analyze the Scriptures and compare these verses with the prophecy of Ezekiel 34, seeking to understand the real identity of the Shepherd mentioned by Jesus.
Verses in Question
Psalms 23:1 – “The LORD [Yahweh] is my shepherd, I shall not want“
John 10:11 – “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep“
The two texts above have something in common. The first of them, written by the psalmist David, refers to the God Yahweh as being a “shepherd“. Now in the verse of John 10:11, Jesus himself claims to be the “Good Shepherd” who gives His life for the sheep.
Be Careful When Comparing Verses
According to Trinitarian and Unicist thought, when Jesus makes such a statement, He is revealing Himself to be the God Yahweh present in the writings of the Old Testament, the same God that David mentioned as his “Shepherd“But is such a conclusion correct? Was Jesus claiming to be the God Yahweh ?
The comparison of verses is good, and it can really give this impression to many people. In fact, many people are thrilled with such comparisons of verses, thinking that they have discovered yet another solid basis for defending the Trinitarian or Oneness doctrine. However, when we research the Scriptures more deeply on this issue, we will find a verse that will bring the correct understanding on this subject.
What Did God Declare Concerning His Servant David?
Let us read the following text written by the prophet Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 34:20-24 – “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD [Yahweh] to them: Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with your side and with your shoulder, and gore all the weak ones with your horns, until you scatter them. Therefore I will save my sheep, that they shall no longer be a prey, and I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; my servant David shall feed them; he shall be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken it.“
As we can read in the text above, the Lord God says that He Himself will judge His sheep. When we reach verse 23, we find the following words from the Lord: “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them; my servant David will be their shepherd.” (Ezekiel 34:23). Considering that this is a prophetic text (since these words were spoken about 300 years after the death of King David), it is evident that it cannot be referring to David himself, but rather to someone symbolized by him, and we know that this someone refers to the Messiah.
With this in mind, notice that God stated that He would raise up a “shepherd” to feed His sheep. He then states that His servant “David” is the one who would feed his sheep. Since we know that “David” is symbolizing the Messiah, therefore the Servant whom God is instituting to be the shepherd of His sheep is Jesus Himself, our Messiah!
Conclusion
There is no secret here! You see, according to Psalm 23:1, Yahweh is our Shepherd, but He has left in the hands of His only begotten Son (John 3:16) the responsibility of shepherding His sheep. And this is not my interpretation! It is what is written in Ezekiel 34:23. Jesus did not claim to be “the good shepherd” because he is Yahweh himself , but rather because his Father has entrusted him with this responsibility. It is for this reason that he reveals himself to be “the good shepherd” in John 10:11. He was not referring to the “shepherd” of Psalm 23:1, but rather to the “shepherd” mentioned in Ezekiel 34:23!
May God bless us.
