As our series The Coming King marches forward, the Exile era foretells the coming of Israel’s Good Shepherd, which finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In this week’s message, Tyler Briggs emphasizes the timeless words of warning and message of hope for God’s people as sojourners in this fallen world. What good news that in our suffering, God sees us, seeks us out, gathers us to Himself, and cares for us!

Tyler’s Main Points

• Bad shepherds will lead you out of the abundant life.
• The Good Shepherd came that you may have the abundant life under His care.
• The Good Shepherd will someday provide the abundant life in full for His people.

Key Takeaways

• In spite of Israel’s idolatry, immorality, and infighting, God sent prophets with a message of repentance, warnings of the consequences of covenant unfaithfulness, and the promise of a redeemer and future restoration.

• Amidst Israel’s suffering in exile, God promises that He would ultimately become Israel’s Good Shepherd.

• As we live as sojourners in this broken world, God sees us in our suffering and cares for us.

• Oftentimes, compromise trickles down from the shepherds to the sheep.

• We must remain mindful of those shepherding us, while encouraging faithfulness and admonishing compromise.

• Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Ezekiel 34. He is the Good Shepherd who offers us rest for our souls, justification, unmerited salvation, forgiveness, adoption into His family, and a new hope, Spirit, and purpose.

• We did not come to Jesus. He sought us first and saved us. No nation, person, or place is beyond God’s power to redeem.

• The aim of the Christian life is not just to receive Christ, but to remain under His care.

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal application:

• Where are you seeking to find your value/worth apart from your fixed value in Christ?

• Reread and meditate on the future glory of Revelation 21:1-7. How will the certain promise of the forever to come impact your present perspective, pursuits, and priorities?
  

Discuss with your community group:

• Where are you prone to mistakenly look for the comfort, provision, and peace that only Jesus the Good Shepherd can offer?

• What are some examples of ways you’ve seen the Good Shepherd at work during your time as a group?

Additional Passages Referenced 
Ezekiel 34; 1 Peter 2:11; Mark 6:34; John 10:10-11; Psalm 16:11; Matthew 5:6; Revelation 21:1-7.

Worship Set List

You Are, Yes I Will, Great Are You Lord, Psalm 150 (Praise the Lord)