Jesus Leads Us Into Restoration
In 1965, the movie “The Sound of Music” was released. In it actress Julie Andrews sings a song titled, “My Favorite Things.” The first verse goes like this: "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens… Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens… Brown paper packages tied up with strings… These are a few of my favorite things.” We all have our favorite things. We have favorite foods, movies, pens, music, etc. Now, ask a Christian, “What is your favorite passage of Scripture?” Psalm 23 will be a common response. It is a beloved passage for many Christians.
In Psalm 23, the writer, David, essentially states that the Lord is his most favorite shepherd and friend, and so David trusts the Lord wholeheartedly. David uses those two images to describe what the Lord is like, and why he trusts him so. In verses 1-4, the Lord is a leading and protecting shepherd. Once the shepherding imagery has served its purpose, David moves to the imagery of friendship in verses 5-6. The picture of the shepherd, sheep, green pastures, still waters, and valleys is replaced with the picture of friends around a well-set table with festive oil and overflowing cups.
Interestingly, in the four Gospel accounts these same images, that of shepherd and friend, are used to describe Jesus himself. For example, in John 10:11 and 10:14 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd…” In John 15:14-15 speaking to his disciples Jesus says, “You are my friends… No longer do I call you servants… but I have called you friends…” One more example is Matthew 11:19. There Jesus’s naysayers call him a “friend of sinners.” So, you see, Psalm 23 ultimately points us to Jesus and calls us to trust Jesus as our favorite shepherd and friend.
Psalm 23 gives us four reasons we should trust Jesus as our favorite shepherd and friend. Here, we will consider reason number one as provided from Psalm 23:2-3. Verse 2 poetically explains that Jesus leads his sheep into green pastures and beside still waters. What does that mean? Well, verse 3 explains further that Jesus leads his sheep into restoration and down paths of righteousness. The land of green pastures and still waters is the land of restoration and righteousness where restoration and righteousness are one-in-the same. To understand the significance of this we must remember that human history began in a garden.
The story goes that human history began in a garden with a man named Adam, and a woman named Eve. Based on the description of this garden in Genesis 1-2 it was definitely the land of green pastures and still water. Unfortunately, a mysterious talking serpent shows up, tells the most unspeakable lie to the couple, and they fall for it. Adam and Eve reject God - the Giver of green pastures and still waters - for the lie of the evil snake. The result is catastrophic. Sin, the rejection of God and his ways, corrupts everything and leads to death. Instead of restoration and righteousness, spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical death is the reality. But the story there in Genesis does offer a glimmer of hope. One day, a Son of Eve will crush the mysterious serpent and the curse his lie unleashed upon the earth. That Son of Eve is Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Many years later Jesus would walk back into a garden in the dead of night. He was tempted, but, unlike his forbearers, didn’t yield. Jesus’s obedience took him to the cross where the full weight of The Lie and our complicity in it was laid upon his shoulders, suffocating him, and killing him. Then, on the third day The Lie and its destructive effects were laid in the ground when Jesus walked out that tomb. Now by his obedience many are lead back into the place of green pastures, still waters, righteousness and restoration.
We should trust Jesus as our favorite shepherd because he leads us into righteousness and restoration.
We should trust Jesus as our favorite shepherd because he leads us into righteousness and restoration. Unfortunately, I think we often believe that righteousness is code for not having any fun, or being the kind of grumpy old man that just yells at people, “Get off my lawn!” But that’s not the biblical idea of righteousness. You see, righteousness is spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical restoration. It is life with God free from the effects of sin. This is where the crucified and risen Shepherd will take us who trust him. We can enjoy that in part now, but then will come the day when Jesus shepherds us fully restored into the forever garden.
