Have you ever seen a picture of Jesus holding a little lamb? Maybe in Sunday school or in a Bible storybook? In those pictures, Jesus looks so kind, gentle and loving with His arms carefully cradling the little lamb.
Jesus IS kind, gentle and loving, but there is so much more to Him than that. The story of our loving shepherd is also a story of the mightiest warrior.
Superkids, I want you to understand what it means to be filled with the Jesus kind of gentleness the Bible calls a fruit of the spirit. Let’s look at David, another famous shepherd-warrior.
What Does It Mean To TEND?
The Bible says that before David was ever a king, before he fought the giant Goliath, he was a shepherd. He tended his father’s sheep. His big warrior brothers looked down on him and probably made fun of him. After all, to “tend” does sound simple, doesn’t it? Maybe they thought, That’s so easy, a kid like David can do it. He just sits in a field, plays his harp and watches the clouds go by. Maybe people today would think that too, but tending sheep in Bible times was one of the most difficult duties!
To TEND meant you knew every sheep and lamb. You knew if one was missing. You were their guide, doctor and, when needed, their protector. A shepherd had to be strong and brave; a warrior, on watch day and night for predators like wolves, lions and even bears looking for a midnight snack!
David told King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:34-35 (New King James Version): “When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth.”
When David went after the lion and bear, he didn’t know that one day he would run toward something even bigger—a giant named Goliath. All he knew was, “I have sheep to tend,” even if that meant fighting off a lion and a bear! David ran TOWARD anything that threatened his sheep because that is what it means to tend.
In Bible times, there was a gentle beauty about the way a shepherd tended his sheep. If a sheep was cut or wounded, the shepherd would anoint it, pouring healing oil onto the wound to soothe it and help it heal. Shepherds carried special oil with them, knowing their sheep could get hurt on the journey. Every wound was attended to right away, because every sheep was precious and worth any effort to protect.
The Valley and the Green Pasture
When David wrote Psalm 23, he was writing from his own life, having been a shepherd. But he wasn’t just describing what HE did for his sheep. He was describing what the Lord did for him. Think about Jesus and what He wants to do for you as you read Psalm 23:1-2 and 4-5 in The Passion Translation. Your Good Shepherd Jesus is real, and He is tending you right now.
“YAHWEH is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough. He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss…. Even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely, for you are near. You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my cup overflows.”
Every single word of that Psalm describes the care of your strong, attentive warrior-shepherd. He leads, He guides, He walks with you through the darkest, most dangerous places. He anoints your wounds, and He never leaves. That is not weakness, but power completely devoted to the one in His care. That is gentleness and it’s meant for you, Superkids.
The Greatest Shepherd-Warrior
David was a faithful and mighty shepherd, but he was pointing to Someone greater. Just like David tended his father Jesse’s sheep, Jesus came to tend His Father’s sheep. That’s you, me and every person who has ever lived. Jesus Himself said in John 10:11 (TPT), “I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep.”
When Jesus died on the cross, the devil thought he had won. He thought Jesus was a weak man. One who walked in love and would not fight back. Who let himself be taken, hung on a cross and died. But he was wrong. Satan made the biggest mistake in the history of the universe.
What took Jesus to that cross was not weakness. He was not there by mistake. Love, a fierce, warrior kind of love— the same love that sent David running toward a lion to rescue one sheep and toward a giant to rescue a nation—is what sent Jesus to the cross. He ran straight toward the greatest predator any shepherd has ever faced. He went into the darkest place of all and came out with you as His prize.
He ROSE from the dead and defeated our enemy forever, not just for one sheep, but for every sheep who would ever call His Name. But He WOULD have done it for just one—for you!
If you don’t yet know Him as your Shepherd-Savior, just ask Him to come into your heart. He is calling your name. That is what shepherds do.
More on THAT next month, Superkids. So, STAY TUNED!
Commander Kellie ♥