The Shepherd's Staff
We are like sheep. And Jesus is the shepherd who knows us.
The sheep and shepherd metaphor is sprinkled all over the Bible, illustrating the relationship we have with our Lord. The role of the shepherd and his staff, the tool, is so important. With the staff the shepherd herds his sheep, guiding them on the right path, protects them from attacks, and lifts the sheep out of precarious situations. A vital tool.
It’s interesting to note that Moses had a staff. When he freed the slaves he used his staff to perform miracles, going head to head with Pharaoh's wizards. Once out of Egypt Moses used the staff, in a way where he did herd the Israelites around the desert. With it he struck the rock that produced water for them to drink. Witnessing such miracles one can easily fall into the idea that the staff itself must hold great power. But of course, the Bible makes it very clear that it’s God who imparts the power, and Moses uses the staff to deliver it. A vital tool.
{I’m reminded of Psalm 23, where King David says “your rod and your staff comfort me”}
Moses was the Old Testament Shepherd, who freed the Israelites from Egypt. But who is the redeeming Shepherd? Moses' story points to the ultimate shepherd, Jesus. But where is his staff? This I find so poetic and fascinating. When we see Moses we physically see his tool, his instrument being used, on display. Isn’t this how we want our lives to be conducted? We ask God, give us a staff so I, like Moses, can navigate the hardships of my life. To strike a rock when I am in need, to convince my business associates with a wave of my staff. We want the staff, or in other words, the tools of life to get through it on our own and achieve salvation, freedom, life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Give me wisdom, patience, skills, to make my life more convenient, productive and successful. Give me the tools for life to become the person I was meant to be.
And when Jesus comes to the world all of Israel asks the same thing. Where is your staff? What is your teaching? Show us your power? Where does your power come from? And those that do believe ask, Lord how can I do what you do or be like you?Give us tools.
But Jesus had nothing. No staff. Why?
Because Jesus is the staff.
Jesus is God’s instrument that brings us salvation. John 1:1 “in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God." It’s really perfect that the writer uses the word 'word' to demonstrate his point. 'Word' here is describing Jesus. We use our words to express our deepest emotions. And here we are told Jesus is God’s word. Jesus is the expression of Gods love, God’s staff, God’s tool to save us all. Jesus didn’t come to show us a way, or a philosophy, or a practice, or a set of tools to live a good life, he WAS and IS the way to life. He is the tool, the instrument the practice.
Jesus didn’t have a staff because he was the staff.
Moses’ staff brought temporary freedom for Israel, but Jesus was the staff that brought eternal freedom. Freedom from the chains of living the way this world tells us to live. No longer, playing the self-value game. The game where we all compete for love acceptance approval, he came and ended it all. God did one better, he didn’t give us a philosophy he gave us Himself. The true staff that broke our chains of slavery. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. That doesn’t mean what he does is the way, or what he says, HE is the incarnate way. The embodiment of the only way. So its not that we follow what he did, but accept him as the key, the passage, he had to do what he did, live the life we should have lived and died the death that we deserved, to make a way for us. The only way to pull us out of this 'game of life' is for him to endure the inevitable end, to fulfill it, so that we no longer have to.
Don't follow Jesus to be 'like' him. That approach can quickly make you fall into adopting 'ways' of living. No. Follow Jesus because you're so enamored and in awe of what he did for you because of His abundant love for you.
He is the 'way' to life.
