God has appointed his Son, the Lord Jesus as the Chief Shepherd of his people.
This is the fulfillment of his own promise recorded in Ezekiel 34
11 "'For the Lord Yahweh says: "Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. .. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down," says the Lord Yahweh.
v.23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
John 10:11ff
11 I am the good shepherd.Isaiah 40:11; Ezekiel 34:11-12,15,22 The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own; 15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. He who is the Chief Shepherd, who has completed his sacrifice and gone into heaven, has called and appointed under-shepherds to care for his sheep gathered in local assemblies. These elders, pastor, overseers are Word Servants to God's people.
Peter drawing from his own calling and experience instructs and exhorts the elder/pastors in how they are to exercise their calling and charge in 1 Peter 5:1-7Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed:
He uses 4 key terms to describe how pastors are to shepherd his people. |
