The One and Only
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- Paul Sudbrock
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One of the greatest misunderstandings about the nature of God is: “He is so above us that He has nothing in common with us.” This can be manifested even among “Christians” in the statement: “God is too busy with the big problems of the world to have time to be concerned with me and my problems”.
This philosophy is propagated through the actions and beliefs of man whether they are believing or non-believing. Most of the world religions preach or at least support this twisted view of who God is.
This concept is destroyed by Christ, who“… being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:8)
Once, when engaging those of another view of God, I was told that God was “too far above us” small humans to ever become one of us, to ever sacrifice Himself for us. “He would never do such a thing.”
Paul answered this false belief with, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
He was even prophesied of by Isaiah, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (53:4-5)
Peter continues with; “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the people correctly recognized him as “thou son of David.” This identified him as “The one Shepherd” who distinguished himself as good by giving his life for the sheep, in contrast to the normal shepherd that is by nature a user and destroyer of the sheep.
Notice, there is but one Shepherd that God established for this time. He is, exclusively, the only Good Shepherd. All others, grammatically and by scriptural definition, are careless, evil abusers and destroyers of the sheep.
Ezekiel 34:5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
Ezekiel 34:8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
Ezekiel 34:23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
Jesus clarified the correctness of the peoples’ view of himself being the fulfilment of God’s promise, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11)