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Bible Passage 1 Peter

The Shepherd of our Souls

  • Tony Raker
Date preached July 10, 2022

1 Peter 2:18-25: The Shepherd of our Souls

One of the most beautiful relationships our Lord has with His people is that of Shepherd. He is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 80:1; Isaiah 40:11). Psalms 22, 23 and 24 form a trilogy:

  • Psalm 22 speaks of the past: of the cross, of God’s grace;
  • Psalm 23 speaks of the present: of the crook, of God’s guidance;
  • Psalm 24 is prospective and speaks of the crown: of God’s glory.

The overriding theme of our relationship with Jesus is to share in His sufferings: “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5):

  • Contextual/Comparison: God keeps His Word: God continually uses His Word. In 1 Peter 2:18-25 we have an inspired description of our Shepherd, with special reference to His sufferings and death. Notice:
  1. THE SUFFERING SHEPHERD (Vv. 18-21)

The sufferings of our Lord are referred to in 1 Peter 2:18-21, a continuation of Peter’s theme of “subjection” (vv. 13-17) which includes:

  • 18: Servants: whether masters prove reasonable or not, be respectful
  • 19: Faithful endurance will be rewarded
  • 20: God sees your treatment

The Bible has much to say about the sufferings of Christ:

  • There was the physical intensity of His sufferings – the rough handling, the beating, the nails, the crown of thorns, the death by crucifixion (John 19:29-31)
  • There was the mental suffering He endured – the indignity of His trials: the mocking; the robe; the taunts (John 19:1-5; Matthew 27:27-28).
  • There was the spiritual suffering He endured. He was the Holy One of God, and He was “made sin for us” and forsaken (Matthew 27:45-46; 2 Cor. 5:21).
  1. THE SINLESS SHEPHERD (V. 22)

Since the Fall there has been only one sinless man upon this earth; all others have been sinners (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23). The one great exception is our Lord Jesus Christ:

  • He was born holy (Luke 1:35); His life was sinless (Hebrews 7:26); He even challenged His enemies to point out any sin in His life (John 8:46); Satan could not find any point of entry (John 14:30); Pilate was convinced of His sinlessness (John 19:6); so was Pilate’s wife (Matthew 27:19); so was the dying thief (Luke 23:41); and so was the centurion (Luke 23:47).
  • He had to be holy to be a sacrifice for our sins – thus, the Shepherd was the Lamb “without blemish” (1 Peter 1:19).

When we stand in the presence of this holy One we have to cry out with Job (Job 42:6); with Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5); with Peter (Luke 5:8); and we experience something of what John experienced (Revelation 1:17).

  1. THE SUBMISSIVE SHEPHERD (V. 23)

Although our Lord was insulted, mocked, threatened, and provoked, He gave no answer. He did not try to justify Himself. He did not even deny the false charges made against Him. This was not the silence of stubbornness or of weakness; it was the silence of humble and willing submission to the will of God. Our Lord was saying ‘Yes’ in answer to His own question in Matthew 20:15. He was saying Psalm 40:7. He could have had twelve legions of angels to deliver Him (Matthew 26:53); He could have spoken a word and banished His accusers, but He did not do this (Isaiah 53:7). “He did not open his mouth….”  Why was this? It was because He came to die, and nothing must hinder that. One word of self-justification might have altered the situation, and so the Good Shepherd became the Silent Man, and He did this for us and for our salvation.

  1. THE SUBSTITUTIONARY SHEPHERD (V. 24)

One of the most wonderful verses tells us that the Lord Jesus took our place upon the cross and bore the punishment that was due to us. The sinless Savior took the guilty sinner’s place (John 10:11) and underline the word ‘for’.

  1. THE SEEKING SHEPHERD (V. 25)

1 Peter 2:25 “For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

  • Grammatical Usage: “straying” or in the Greek, “planaó” meaning, “deviating: roaming into error”; “Shepherd” or “poimén” meaning, “feeder; protector” – seeing to the well-being of the flock; “Overseer” or “episkopos” meaning, “responsible one.”
  • Literal Interpretation: “For you were roaming into error like sheep, but have now returned to the feeder, protector and the one responsible for your souls.”

Here we are referred to as ”sheep going astray”, but He is referred to as “the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls”. No sheep ever returned to the fold without being sought, and that is why it is that Jesus came to seek us (Isaiah 53:6; Luke 19:10; and then read Luke 15:3-7).

Have you been found by the Good Shepherd? If so, rejoice! But before you leave this study, notice the practical explanation of all that has been outlined above. This is indicated in verse 21. Notice that: (1) because He is our Suffering Shepherd we must be willing to bear the disgrace (Hebrews 13:13); (2) because He is our Sinless Shepherd we must be willing to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15); (3) because He is our Submissive Shepherd we must be willing to submit ourselves to God and to one another (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:5); (4) because He is our Substitutionary Shepherd we must be willing to give our lives in the service of God and for the salvation of others (1 John 3:16); and (5) because He is our Seeking Shepherd we who have been found must go out and find others.

  • Conclusion: Have you been found by the Good Shepherd?