Celebrating 35 Years
When the
Shepherd
becomes the
LAMB!!! 1212 13TH Ave. Rev. David C. Hammerle, M.A., As a young child, Jesus was found in the temple astonishing the teachers of the law with His understanding of the Scriptures. Throughout the gospels, He carries the message that He came to fulfill the Scriptures. It seems clear that when Christ identified Himself as the Good Shepherd in the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel, He was aware of the Twenty-Third Psalm and all of its meaning. In the Twenty-Third Psalm, David identifies with the sheep to when he announces "The Lord is my Shepherd." This entire Psalm reveals the testimony of King David. It was written in the latter years of his life when he could recall the many places where the Good Shepherd had revealed His care for him. In verse three, David had found restoration after his prayer of repentance concerning his sin with Bethsheba. In verse four, he recalls his venture into the valley of the shadow of death when he faced Golliath without fear because he knew that God was with him. The table in the presence of his enemies would accent his exile among the Philistines when fleeing from King Saul. The anointing of his head with oil would recall the visit of Samuel to his father’s house when as a young lad David was anointed for his role as a king. Many messages with deep meaning can be discovered in this Psalm that would apply to the life of every individual who would acclaim the Lord as his/her Sepherd. It should be noted that God can never be our Shepherd unless we are willing to make Him Lord of our lives. A shepherd is only a shepherd as long as the sheep are willing to follow. It should be noted that God can never be our Shepherd unless we are willing to make Him Lord of our lives. You might notice that Christ followed up His identification of His role as The Good Shepherd with a notation that His sheep know his voice and follow Him. He also noted that the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. It is obvious that this statement is reference to His death and resurrection which was designed to save His sheep from eternal death (Romans :23). It is in this role that Christ would identify with the sheep by becoming the Lamb Who was sacrificed for our sins. In the second chapter of John’s Gospel, John the Baptist introduces Christ as "the Lamb of God Who taketh away the sins of the world." In the Book of Revelation He is identified as "the Lamb who was slain from before the foundations of the earth." It is not enough that God would become man and dwell among us, the God-Man would need to become the sacrificial Lamb Who would take our judgment and make atonement for our sins. The fiftythird chapter of Isaiah would note that the Lamb was "bruised for our iniquities". Let us take a moment to follow the transition. In Paul’s Epistle to the Phillipians, he notes that Christ took upon Himself the form of sinful flesh. In Hebrews we are told that Christ was "tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin." As a matter of fact, Hebrews 2:18 informs us that Christ suffered being tempted so that He could help us during our temptation. The God Shepherd was identifying with the sheep. Hebrews 2:18 informs us that Christ suffered being tempted so that He could help us during our temptation. I have often noted that our faith is tested in order to make us more like Christ. Romans 8:29 points out that God’s purpose is to conform us to the image of Christ. James 1:2-4 tells us that the trial of our faith is to make us more complete in our faith. It is with this in mind that I ask, "Why was Christ tried?" The answer seems to be that His trial was to make Him more like us so that He could be "touched with the feelings of our infirmities" (Hebrews 4:15). The Shepherd was preparing to become the Lamb. ...His trial was to make Him more like us so that He could be “touched with the feelings of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15) I was sitting in a Sunday school class one Sunday when the conversation turned to describing a sheep. It was noted that pictures of sheep usually reveal the sheep as a cuddly white creature whose "fleece is white as snow." However, the true picture of the barnyard sheep sees him with a dirty matted coat that might cause the average person to hesitate to touch it. I could not help but think of Isaiah’s description of the suffering Messiah as it is found in the fifty-third chapter. "He has no form or comeliness. And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." (Isaiah 53:2) Christ’s role as the Good Shepherd did not come without a price. We are told that our Shepherd has become our Advocate—the Go-Between to represent us before God. He is the Propitiation for our sins—He has become the atoning sacrifice for our sins. When Christ introduced the Lord’s Supper, He noted that the cup was the new covenant in His blood. Christ entered into a covenant with our Heavenly Father to provide for the forgiveness of our sins. This covenant was sealed with the blood of the Lamb. When we ask for forgiveness because of His sacrifice for us, God will not break the covenant with His Son. Forgiveness will be granted. (1 John 1:9-2:2). The Good Shepherd became the Lamb of God to take away our sins. The Rev. David C. Hammerle, Director of Counseling Services at the Altoona Office of New Day Inc., has earned his MA in the field of Pastoral Ministry and his M.Ed. from St. Francis University of Loretto, PA. He was granted Diplomate Status with the American Psychotherapy Association in the year 2000. He also serves as a full-time Chaplain in the Altoona Regional Health System. He has been published in periodicals throughout the US and Canada. His writings include a manual offering guidelines to help build self-esteem. 
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-9210
M.Ed., DAPA © 2006