Our Good Shepherd can be trusted.

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“All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned–everyone–to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:6 English Standard Version

People have written a great deal about the relationship between shepherds and their sheep. My dealings with sheep can be reduced to one evening of transporting a ram and two ewes to a living nativity scene at my home church in Eugene, Oregon. The sheep didn’t like me and I can’t say that I was too fond of them either.

Sheep depend upon a trusting relationship with the shepherd.

The lamb in this nativity scene trustingly looks at its shepherd. We can imagined that over time they’ve developed a trusting relationship. The shepherd can be trusted to provide what the sheep need.

. The shepherd provides food, shelter and water for the lamb.

Our Good Shepherd can be trusted. God has laid on this baby our sin. He has provided for us with what we need more than anything else.

If he can be trusted to deal with our sin, then he can be trusted in all aspects of life. This trust is not dependent on our Good Shepherd giving us what we want but what we need.

Unfortunately for us, the line between what we need and what we want is blurred. There is a difference between viewing Jesus as a Shepherd who provides what we need and a Santa Claus who gives us what we want. Trust is built not on getting what we want but what we need.

That’s why this baby can be trusted.

Copyright Douglas P Brauner