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I. WHY GOD'S RELIEVING PEOPLE ARE COMPARED TO SHEEP.

1. Sheep are harmless creatures (Philippians 2:15).

2. Meek and patient (1 Peter 3:4).

3. Clean (Psalm 73:1).

4. Simple and guileless (Psalm 32:2).

5. Tractable (John 10:27).

6. God made them His sheep by free grace (Psalm c. 3).

II. JESUS CHRIST IS THE GREAT SHEPHERD OF HIS SHEEP.

1. He carefully feeds His flock (Isaiah 40:11).

2. He feeds them in providing ordinances for them (Psalm 23:2).

3. In providing shepherds to dispense ordinances (Ephesians 4:11, 12).

4. He spiritually blesses the feeding of His flock (Ezekiel 34:14).

5. Christ knows all His sheep (Jeremiah 33:13).

6. He knows them as given to Him by His Father (John 17:6).

7. He knows them as bearing His image (Romans 8:29).

8. He knows them by the sprinkling of His blood (Revelation 7:14).

9. He preserves them from danger (John 10:28).He preserves them —

(1)  By His death.

(2)  His intercession.

(3)  His presence.

(4)  His union to them.

(5)  His promise.

(6)  And His Holy Spirit.

III. WHY CHRIST IS CALLED THE "GREAT SHEPHERD."

1. In regard to the dignity of His character (Zechariah 13:7).

2. In regard to His great ability to save (John 3:34, 35).

3. In regard to His property in the sheep (John 10:11; compared with 1 Peter 1:18, 19).

4. Other shepherds are sheep as well as shepherds (Acts 14:15).

5. In regard to His dominion over the shepherds (Ecclesiastes 12:11).

6. In regard to the success that He can give to His pastoral care (1 Corinthians 3:7).

7. In regard to the jurisdiction He has over them (1 Corinthians 6:20).

8. In regard to the extent of His jurisdiction (Psalm 72:8).Improvement. To ministers:

1. To teach ministers to act for Christ.

2. To feed their hearers with gospel truths.

3. To show believers their daily mercies.

4. To remind them of their security in Christ.

5. And their final salvation and glory.Instruction. To believers:

1. Be ruled and governed by Jesus Christ.

2. Submit to the shepherds that He has appointed.

3. Pray to love the goodly pastures of Christ's providing.

4. Bring forth fruits unto the glory of His grace.

5. And expect to live with Him hereafter, where all sorrow and sin will he for ever done away, and the whole Church will rejoice in God eternally.

(T. B. Baker.)

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KJV: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

WEB: Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,