Our Lord Jesus takes the Old Testament metaphor of God's people as His sheep to a higher level, when He promises to die to save His sheep.
There are other differences between the Old Testament usage of the metaphor, and Christ's. In the Old Testament, the sheep are pictured as passive recipients of God's goodness and protection.
But Christ's sheep hear Him and follow Him and obey Him! This is a consequence of Jesus dying in our place, and the remission of our sins by His blood.
Another difference is striking. In the Old Testament, God describes the need to judge certain members of His flock who have abused, mistreated, and harmed His sheep. In Ezekiel 34, God describes the judgment He will render against the cattle who have eaten the choicest of the green pasture, and then trampled the left-overs underfoot. They have bullied and shoved aside the weaker sheep, but God promises to judge them, so that the remainder are safe and provided for by God.
In other Old Testament passages, God promises the judgment of the wicked rulers and priests, and the saving of the remnant of His people. There is a rebuking and judgment against some of the sheep in the Old Testament.
But Christ never sullies the shepherd/sheep metaphor with threats of judgment or rebuke! He never assigns any fault to any of His sheep at all.
Instead, Jesus expresses only pity and love and affection and concern and care for His sheep! Rather than remonstrate His sheep for their faults, He describes the obedience and trust of His sheep for their Good Shepherd!
The reason for this difference is obvious: Christ's sheep have all been justified by His death in their place! He'll not lose one!
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John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
