Jesus did what a good shepherd ought to do. Jesus fed the sheep and strengthened them. He bound up the broken, healed the sick, sought the lost, and brought the lost home. Jesus commandment His disciples to follow His example. He commanded the believers to preach the gospel in all the world. Why? To seek the lost and bring the lost home and reconcile them with God and be part of His flock. But do the believers still bring the lost home?
The shepherds of the house of Israel had caused the sheep to go astray and scattered them
My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers (Heremaia 50:6-7)
Although the leaders of the house of Israel had a lot of knowledge, through tradition, they didn’t know God and His ways. Because they didn’t know God and His ways, they walked in ways that were not God’s ways and they preached things that didn’t lead to righteousness and life, but to sin and death.
Through the deceiving words and the behavior and lives of the leaders, who had deviated from God, the people of God had deviated from God (Panuitia hoki: The spirit of Eli).
The sheep were scattered and went their own way, just like their leaders went their own way. They got involved with the pagan nations and adopted their idols, pagan practices, nga tikanga, and habits.
Through their ignorance and lack of knowledge of the truth, they thought they were walking on the right path and pleased God (Panuitia hoki: Ka ngaro atu ia ahurea i roto i a te Karaiti).
The shepherds had forsaken their task. They were too busy with themselves and didn’t care about the sheep and their well-being. Therefore they left the sheep to their own fate.
They didn’t care when a sheep erred and drowned in water, fell into the abyss, or was wounded or killed by a wolf. And so the flock became smaller and smaller (Panuitia hoki: He maha nga minita e arahi ana i nga hipi ki roto i te hohonu).
The shepherds of the house of Israel didn’t listen to God and His prophets
God saw everything and tried to reach the shepherds through His prophets, but the prideful and stubborn shepherds didn’t want to listen to the prophets and be corrected by the words of God. And they certainly didn’t want to humble themselves before the Lord. No reira, they brought the prophets to silence by killing them, so that they would not hear the admonishing words of God (Aue. Ezekiela 34, Matiu 23:31, Ruka 11;47).
Once in a while, someone arose, who would listen to the words of the prophets and cause the people of God to return to God and walk on His ways. But then after some time, others arose, who became unfaithful to the words and the law of God and left God and took the people with them.
John brought the lost back home
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, e kii ana, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight (Matiu 3:1-3)
Before Jesus took on His role as Shepherd and fulfilled His mission, John came to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus.
In the wilderness, separated from the people of Israel, John was equipped and prepared by God for his task and the message he would preach, namely, the coming of Jesus the Christ, the call to repentance, and the baptism of repentance.
John was the precursor of Jesus and with his message, which he preached with such a formality, gravity, and authority that the people had to listen to and obey, he called the people to repentance and brought many of the lost of the house of Israel back home (Matiu 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Ruka 3:1-20, Hone 1:19-34).
Except the leaders, who were prideful and stubborn. They refused to repent and be baptized. John saw their wickedness and because of his boldness, he didn’t shy away from telling them the truth.
Despite the criticism and resistance of the leaders, John continued his work, wherefore he was appointed by God and brought the lost home (Panuitia hoki: John the Baptist, the man who didn’t bow).
Ihu, the Good Shepherd
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him: And there came a voice from heaven, e kii ana, Thou art My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased (Mark 1:9-11)
In contrary to the leaders of the house of Israel, Ihu, who was circumcised on the eighth day, humbled Himself under the mighty hand of God, by giving heed to the call of John and being baptized by John. God saw it, and He was well pleased with His Son and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus (Aue. Matiu 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Ruka 3:21-22).
Jesus received the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness. In the wilderness, Jesus was prepared for His task for which He was appointed, and the work, He had come for.
For 40 days, Jesus was tempted by the devil. But Jesus was not tempted by the words of the devil. Jesus resisted the devil by refuting his words with the truth of God (Aue. Matiu 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Ruka 4:1-13 (Panuitia hoki: Ka hoatu e ahau ki a koe nga taonga o te ao)),
After 40 days, Jesus began His mission in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus preached the Kingdom and called the people to repentance. By His words and works, Jesus fed the sheep, nurtured the sheep, bound up the broken, healed the sheep, sought the lost sheep, brought the lost sheep home, and eventually, Jesus gave His life for the sheep (Panuitia hoki: The suffering and mockery of Jesus Christ).
Jesus brought the lost home
I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, e ai ta te Ariki, ta Ihowa. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment (Ezekiela 34:15-16)
I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep (Hone 10:11)
Because of His words and works, Jesus proved that He is the Good Shepherd and that He and His words are reliable. Jesus was moved with compassion and cared for the sheep and didn’t leave them to their fate (Panuitia hoki: Jesus a Man of compassion).
Jesus fed and nurtured the sheep with His truthful, correcting, and admonishing words, which came from the Father.
The people listened to Him and were astonished at His doctrine, for Jesus taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes (Matiu 7:28-29).
And so Jesus restored the flock and brought the lost home.
Jesus commanded His disciples to follow His example.
Before Jesus returned to His Father, Jesus gave this responsibility to His disciples and commanded them, among others, to preach the gospel in all the world and bring the lost home and feed them with the truth of God; the uncompromised words of God and to make them disciples of Jesus Christ, who walk in His way (Aue. Matiu 10:27-28, Mark 16:15-18, Ruka 24:46-49, Hone 20:21-23).
The disciples brought the lost home
What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matiu 10:27-28)
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: a, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matiu 28:19-20)
The disciples of Jesus, the believers, took on this responsibility. They were obedient to the words of Jesus and did what Jesus had commanded them to do (Panuitia hoki: The hearers versus the doers).
After they had received the Holy Spirit, they went into the world, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and the way of salvation; the gospel of salvation and they brought the lost home.
And this message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the way of salvation has not changed. The words and the commission of Jesus Christ have not changed either. They still apply to all believers, who are born again in Christ by faith and have become a new creation; a son of God (e pa ana tenei ki nga tane me nga wahine), and belong to God and live as obedient sons of God and do His will.
Do believers still bring the lost home?
Every believer ought to preach the gospel and the unfeigned words of God, so that lost souls be saved. Because without the preaching of the gospel, many souls shall be lost (Panuitia hoki: If Christians stay silent, who shall set the captives of darkness free?)
If souls are not saved, they shall be lost and shall go to hell. And on the Day of Judgment, when all the people are judged according to their works, they will be cast into the lake of fire. Because everyone, who is not written in the Book of Life, will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death (Whakakitenga 20:11-15).
And of their blood, some shall be held accountable, because they didn’t do what Jesus has commanded them to do.
'Kia tote mo te whenua’
