Throughout the scriptures, believers in Jesus Christ are compared to sheep. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God’s people are often described as sheep. Here are just a few references as a way of reminder:
“All we like sheep have gone astray…”
“We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”
“…but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”
There are also many references to the Lord being our Shepherd, which compares us to His sheep. Consider these references:
“I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
“I am the good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep…”
There is no way it is an accident that the Lord so consistently compares His people to sheep and calls Himself our Shepherd. Therefore, it is helpful to try to discover the most we can about sheep, as it will help us understand more about our relationship to the Lord, our Good Shepherd.
Many years ago, I read a very interesting and helpful book by Phillip Keller entitled “A Shepherd Looks at the Psalm 23. I remember it having many interesting and informative aspects, with the excellent application for understanding my relationship with God.
One characteristic of a sheep is on my mind for several reasons. I have heard pastor Paul Lawler express it best. He often says, “sheep are not load-bearing animals.” That is a simple statement, a true statement, and an important one.
There are many “beasts of burden” in the world, but sheep are not one of them. A horse, donkey, mule, elephant, ox, water buffalo, and other animals pull, carry, and transport burdens. Sheep are not. They are not designed for it. Even certain dogs, who aren’t too much larger than sheep, pull sleds. Sheep can’t do it because they were not designed to do it.
I think this is significant when you consider the Biblical admonition for us to “cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us.” There are numerous places where we are told in various ways that the Lord wants to bear our burdens for us. He has already borne our sin and guilt on the cross, paying the price we owed. The greatest burden He has carried upon Himself; why would we ever doubt that He would shoulder any other load we are holding? As sheep, we are not designed to carry the burden of life on our backs, in our strength. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” We are not designed to bear loads of life by ourselves. When we try, we will eventually break down. We have a Good Shepherd, however, who is a “load-bearer.” He can carry what we cannot. Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you. He is the Shepherd; we are only sheep.
As Lent commences on Ash Wednesday, we are entering a time of introspection and prayer leading to Easter. Let us reflect on the significance of death preceding resurrection, urging readers to embrace a daily practice of surrendering self in preparation for our spiritual transformation.