The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 9 Part 7 Christ Our Compassionate Shepherd

Our Lord worked tirelessly doing good, preaching the gospel and healing the sick or afflicted.

Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew gave us a summary of all the activity that involved Jesus since He finished His Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew is the only evangelist who recorded this last paragraph of chapter 9.

Notice how tirelessly our Lord worked, using His time wisely for the Father's kingdom purposes.

He went about all the cities and villages in Galilee, visiting them to spread the call to repentance because the kingdom of God is at hand.

Jesus did not restrict his acts of kindness and compassion to his own city, Capernaum. 

He also visited larger cities, towns and villages. 

Jesus did good for the bodies and souls of men in every place in whatever their state or condition was.

Jesus taught in their synagogues which were places of public worship and prayer. 

He preached the Gospel of the kingdom, the good news and glad tidings of peace, pardon, reconciliation and salvation through repentant faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah.

Jesus preached the Gospel, the doctrines of grace, of regeneration and the necessity of having better righteousness than the religious hypocrisy of scribes and Pharisees.

In synagogues, God's law and prophets were read and words of exhortation given to the people.

Matthew made sure to record that Jesus healed every sickness and every disease among all the people in those places.

Jesus displayed the Father's heart of compassion and love for fallen humanity.

Matthew 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 

Jesus was moved with deep compassion for all of the sick and afflicted people, grieving that they were like a flock of sheep scattered everywhere because their shepherds were not doing their duty.

In the Old Testament, Israel's priests and kings were to function as shepherds of God's people.

These shepherds were to protect them, nurture them, care for them, find clean water supplies and good pastures and bind up wounds from injuries.

In the spiritual sense, this is how priests were to function, taking care of the spiritual needs of God's redeemed people.

Yet, Judaism treated people with contempt by creating cliques. 

Jesus saw that common people fainted under the onerous burdens imposed upon them by Judaizers.

The word "fainted" refers to weariness and fatigue from hard labor and heavy burdens. 

He saw the people burdened with the rituals of religion and the doctrines of the Pharisees. 

They fainted, sinking down under the weight of man's traditions and were neglected by those who should have ministered God's grace and comfort to them.

Pharisees and scribes were considered spiritually above common people and if you were not a member of their group, they did not associate with you.

In fact, they viewed common people with contempt (See Luke 18:11).

Kings were supposed to judge righteously and keep a copy of God's law before them but over the centuries, they frequently failed and caused the people to fall into idolatry. 

In Jesus' day, Jews were not idolaters but their shepherds did not guide and care for the spiritual needs of common Jews.

God's prophets preached against wicked, faithless shepherds of Israel.

Ezekiel 34:1-6 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2) Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3) Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4) The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5) And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6) My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

God condemned Israel's shepherds for neglecting their spiritual duties to His people. 

They fed themselves instead of feeding their flocks, which pictures rabbis, scribes, Pharisees and priests elevating doctrines of men over the Word of God.

They ate the fat which pictures eating the best of all the food.

They clothed themselves with good wool which pictures leaders using their offices to enrich themselves.

When the diseases of sin, spiritual lethargy, apathy, distress and oppression crept in among common people, they did not help them by giving them hope and exhortation from the scriptures. 

Thus, the Jewish people were pictured as the flock of God scattered upon the hills with no shepherd going out to find them and bring them safely home. 

Christ the Great Shepherd came to seek and save all the lost sheep of His pasture.

Ezekiel 34:12-16  As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13)  And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14)  I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15)  I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16)  I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. 

This portion of Ezekiel's prophecy clearly points to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to earth and fulfilled this promise during His earthly ministry and it continues today through His church and gospel preaching.

He came to gather all the stray and scattered sheep together into the kingdom of God.

Christ will feed them, protect them and give them rest and security.

In Jesus' own words, He came to seek and save the lost (See Luke 19:10).

But all who seek to harm His flock, Christ shall judge and the wicked shall be utterly consumed by His righteous judgment. 

Jesus is the Great Shepherd who came seeking scattered and lost sheep for God's kingdom.

John 10:7-11 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8) All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9) I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Jesus came as the Great Physician to heal the sin sick souls of mankind.

Jesus is the Great Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. 

He is the door and all who enter in through repentant faith in Christ shall be saved.

He will feed us with His nourishing word and pour the living waters of His Spirit into us.

He will protect us such that no enemy can ever pluck us from His Father's almighty hand.

When the LORD is our shepherd, we need not fear or fret because He will sustain us.

Psalm 23:1-6  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2)  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3)  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4)  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5)  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6)  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 

King David was a shepherd boy and knew what it meant to lead, feed, protect and care for his flock even when the weather was harsh.

As the sweet Psalmist of Israel, David could say that Jehovah was his shepherd and that he never lacked anything because of God's tender care and mercy toward him.

David could point to many times that Jehovah intervened and delivered him from his enemies, as pictured by the shepherd's staff and rod wielded by the LORD.

He could confess Jehovah's goodness in feeding him, providing clothing, shelter and safety throughout his entire life.

Jesus Christ the Messiah is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. 

Isaiah 40:10-11  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 11)  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 

This text is one that the scribes and Pharisees should have been teaching to the Jewish people, for these are words of hope and great anticipation concerning the coming of Messiah. 

It looks forward to that day when Christ returns as King to smite all the wicked with fiery judgment and to establish His glorious kingdom.

In that day, Christ will come in flaming fire with all the angels in heaven and all earthly foes shall be utterly vanquished. Satan and the demons will be cast into the eternal lake of fire.

However, notice the heart of God toward all who turn to Christ with repentant faith.

He will feed His flock with good, nourishing food as a good shepherd should.

He will carry the new lambs in His arms and He will gently lead the pregnant ewes, so that all complete the journey safely. 

There is great joy and comfort when Jehovah is our Good Shepherd.

Psalm 100:1-5  A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2)  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3)  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4)  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. 

Knowing the LORD will lead us to worship and praise Him.

God wants all people, races, nations, and ethnicities to know and worship Him.

This is why we must preach and teach and share the gospel with those who do not know God, because the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation.

When the Holy Spirit regenerates us by giving us a new heart and spirit, we become sheep in His pasture, under the care of the Great Shepherd.

Thus, Jesus looked on them with immense compassion since He viewed all as lost sheep needing to be rescued by the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

I pray that the Lord will help us to have His heart for lost sinners, and that He might use us to share the gospel,trusting Him for any fruit.

Bob