Psalm 23

In the name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Friends in Christ. Now that we have observed the passion of our Lord and had the joy of celebrating His resurrection last Sunday, let's move forward in the psalms to the most familiar in all of Christendom. Psalm 23.

Psalm 23 is the hymn of the OT that supports the idea of our Lord as "The Good Shepherd." Luther writes, "the psalmist compares himself to a sheep that a faithful shepherd leads..." Written by David, this psalm was especially meaningful because of his work as a shepherd. Anyone who can understand this work, will immediately have a better understanding of the work of our God. He wants us to know that He cares enough to guide us, to lead us, to give to us, to protect us, to watch over us, to stay with us, to defend us, to deliver us. Due to our loving Lord's actions for us, we have come to use the term "shepherd" or "shepherding" as a word that describes the compassionate action of our Lord first, and secondly His ministers. This is what Christ meant when He commanded Peter, as an outgrowth of Peter's love for Him, to "feed My sheep." (John 21)

When this psalm is read in conjunction with other OT texts such as Isaiah 40:11 and Ezekiel 34:11-16 one can clearly see the Gospel proclaimed in the OT. Combine these texts with John 10 in the NT and the reader is given some of the most comforting images received from Scripture. Needless to say, because of the message brought out of these texts, many of you have grown to love the Sunday we have historically called, "Good Shepherd Sunday." (Which, by the way, is the Second Sunday of April this year.)

Read devotionally Psalm 23 and at least John 10, if not the other OT texts mentioned. In the next post we will read through the psalm verse by verse.



It is fitting to study this Psalm soon after Easter.