In the very early Church, Easter was not thought of as simply one day on which the resurrection of Jesus is to be observed but rather, the early Church saw Easter as a season of fifty days which began with the glorious resurrection and culminates with the manifesting of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost which is found in the Book of Acts:2
The Jubilee Year
This was in part because the early Christians wanted to emphasis that our lives were to be lived out in light of the resurrection of the humanity of Jesus and that the number fifty was drawn from and chosen from the Old Covenant Jubilee Year which restored all things back to the way that the Lord God had always intended for the people of Israel. Lev: 25:11-13
This Jubilee Years occurred every fifty years, so the number fifty was chosen to demonstrate that living in light of the incarnation and glorified Jesus was what the Lord God has always intended for his human children. This means that, when we come to hear the Gospel about message about Jesus and believe it and come to see that Jesus is the Son of God and embrace that truth, we enter into what the Jubilee Year only hinted at, which is, life lived in and with the incarnate risen Christ. This is the way it was always intended to be.
Fifty was also the number of days between the resurrection on Easter and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost which ushered in the time when believers would be guided and led by the Holy Spirit, which is the way God has always intended us to live.
The thought of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was a common and reoccurring theme in the Primitive Apostolic Church. Christ, as the Good Shepherd drew on the cultural idea found in Israel that of one who would, like a shepherd, oversee each and all of their lives and give them the blessings which God had long promised.
This Good Shepherd of Israel found within Psalm:23 was easily seen as embodied in the person of Jesus by the primitive Church, through Jesus’ life death and resurrection.
The early Disciples of the Church witnessed firsthand Jesus’ out flowing love and care for those around him in the same way as would a shepherd would who have been given charge over a flock of sheep.
They saw Jesus moving among the people as would a shepherd would have caring for their needs and giving each and all the care and even comfort which was needed.
The Good Shepherd
Jesus himself tells us that he, and he alone, is the fulfillment of not only the Good Shepherd of Israel, but that he himself is the way through which anyone would be admitted into his flock and come under his gracious care.
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.” Jhn: 10:7b-10
Our Lord then tells us that no other person can fulfill this Shepherd’s role in our live but himself, nothing or anyone else can bring to us what only Jesus can, anything else will, in the end do harm to our lives.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (10)
Lay Down His Life
Jesus contrast himself with any other who would present themselves to us as potential shepherd(s) over our lives. Jesus tells us that he has demonstrated his commitment to any who would but freely accept him as the Shepherd of their lives and thereby gain access to his flock.
Jesus’ commitment is demonstrated to us through his willingness to lay his life down his life for the flock, even unto death, all so that they might live.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (11)
Jesus tells us that any who look to another as their shepherd, one who would be a “hired hand” of their lives will find themselves abandoned by the “hired hand” when the wolves of life surround them and prey upon them.
“The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep”. (12-13)
Jesus speaking of the evidence of his Shepard’s commitment to and for his flock tells us that this willingness to lay down his life was not in any way forced upon him out of some judicial need or power which could force him to die or have claim over his life, but rather it was out of a choice born of his perfect love for God and all humanity.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (14-15)
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Todd Crouch is Currently the Pastor of the Topinabee Community Church, in Topinabee, MI. He Was the Long Time Host of The Fountain of Life Broadcast, which was aired on RKP Radio in Washington, PA and streamed around the world. He is a Fourth Degree Master Rank Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and is a certified Tae Kwon Do instructor of Moke’s Martial Arts—Asian American Martial Arts Alliance. Todd studied Theology and Pastoral Ministry at Grace Communion Seminary. He is also a student of Church History, the America Civil War and Scottish History. He and his wife love to travel and walk the beach. They live in the Straits Area of Michigan. Visit Todd’s Website for more articles.
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Go and do the same -lay down your life for the sheep”. Life is an assignment. Todd has done his part-delivered the message.