The ministry of the pastor is best understood through the lens of Jesus’ understanding of himself as the ‘Good Shepherd’. In this lecture we will focus on how this applies to our call to shepherd God’s people.
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Here are some key takeaways:
The Greek term for Shepherd is poimen; it occurs 18 times in the NT and is rooted in the term, poia, which means to protect or to cover. The importance of the ministry of the shepherd is key to understanding the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 2:6 cites Micah 5:2 – But you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will become the shepherd of my people, Israel.
The shepherds on the hillside are the first to hear the good news of the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8). Here God establishes the truth that he will speak to the shepherds who are responsible for leading his flock before he will speak to anyone else. The proclamation of the good news begins with a group of shepherds.
The shepherds were watching over their flocks by night. Embracing God’s call to be a shepherd will require you to learn this discipline. Shepherds are most effective when they learn the power of watching over their flocks by night. What you say to God about your sheep at night is far more powerful than what you say to your sheep about God during the day.
Jesus had compassion on the people because they were like sheep without a shepherd, not because they were sick. Only those who accept him as their Shepherd and follow his leadership will make it into the kingdom.
John 10:11 – I am the good shepherd. Jesus does not present himself as the good apostle, or the good prophet. He says, I’m the good shepherd . . . the good pastor! Jesus contrasts his ministry as the good shepherd with that of the hired hand. The difference is that
- Hired hands run when they sense danger, but the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The calling to be a shepherd is the opportunity to lay down your life. See Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.
- Hired hands frequently allowed the sheep to be devoured by wolves; he sees the sheep as his source of provision, rather than he, theirs.
- Hired hands focus on their authority over their sheep, rather than their responsibility for the sheep. You have no right to complain about anyone that you have not wept over. Laboring in prayer contextualizes your complaint and brings about the frustration that comes from love.
Jesus explains that the role of the shepherd is to function as a gate for the sheep (John 10:7, 9-10). The good shepherd enters the flock not to take from it, but to give to it. The good shepherd is the gate . . . the entryway through which the sheep have access to an abundant kind of life.
John 21:15-17 – Simon, son of John, do you love me? After each yes, Jesus says, feed my sheep, take care of my lambs, feed my sheep. Your pastoral calling is intricately connected to your profession of love for me. You can’t continue to say that you love me while simultaneously rejecting your pastoral call.
Seldom do we hear the pastoral task spoken of as one of the commandments of Jesus. In the next lecture we will ask what the pastoral call is in relation to the church, and how God intends for us to answer it.
Lecture Three: The Pastor Within the Five-fold Ministry
