Looking Again at Calvary

The Lost Sheep and the Shepherd

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I AM. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountainswhich I will tell thee of” Gen. 22:1,2. Hagar, the Egyptian bondwoman and her son Ishmael are cast out: Says Sarah: “for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac” Gen. 21:10. Jehovah certifies this statement for He does not acknowledge Ishmael as Abraham’s son but says “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac. . .”

“And Abraham rose up early in the morning. . .and went unto the place of which God had told him” vs.3. “Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off” vs. 4. “And when they had come to the place which God had told him of” vs. 9. “And Abraham called the name of that placeJehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” vs. 14. Is it possible that this “place” is the same “place” that we find in the New Testament? In Luke 23:33 we find: “And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. . .” In the remaining three gospels we read: “And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha. . .” Matt. 15:22. “And they bring him unto the place Golgotha” Mark 15:22. “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: where they crucified him. . .” John 19:17,18a. Abraham prophesied, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” Is it not possible that “Jehovah-jireh,

In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” and “Calvary” and “Golgotha” are the same place?

But this is only a brief introduction into another related study. In Matthew chapter 18 we find the account of the lost sheep and the seeking Shepherd. In a previous article we discovered the Lord speaking with sarcasm to the Pharisees. He chided them in that they despised the lowly sinner. They, of course, kept the Law, having no need of repentance! That’s fine: “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” The Pharisee (he thinks) are “ninety and nine which went not astray” vs. 13. Why, they are not lost!

“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance” Luke 15:7. There ain’t any such persons! In the parable of the lost son we find an angry elder son who argues with his “father” “Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. . .” Luke 15:29. Oh, the unmitigated gall of the religious professors! In the following chapter our Lord speaks plainly: “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” Luke 16:15.

But what of the lost sheep? Remembering what we have seen concerning the Pharisee, let us proceed. “If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine. . .” The Good Shepherd leave His sheep? I don’t think so! But then the ninety and nine are the Pharisees. They don’t need a shepherd, do they?

“. . .doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seek that which is gone astray?” Matt. 18:12. Into the mountains? Interesting. Abraham, upon a certain mountain in Moriah offered a ram in the stead of his son. God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” “Jehovah-jireh, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” The Good Shepherd is going up on a mountain to seek, find, and rescue his sheep. Oh my dear friend! Did not our Shepherd go to the mount, to Golgotha, to Calvary? And just where is the lost sheep to be found that he may be delivered from his lost condition? Is it not at Calvary?

“He . . . goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray.”

In II Corinthians 5:21 we read, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” I think we’ve missed it; I know I have. I want you to think with me; get a mental picture in your mind. Here is a sheep. He’s hopelessly lost. He’s wandered into the wilderness. He fallen and received many bruises. He’s walked among thorns and briars. They’ve ripped into his flesh. He’s bleeding. And he’s hopelessly lost. But - can it be - here comes the Shepherd. He has sought him until He found him. Here’s where I’ve missed it. The lost sheep looks at the Shepherd. The Shepherd has been bruised - just like he has. The Shepherd is bleeding - just like him. Oh, Good Shepherd, he cries, why are you wounded and bruised and bleeding, even as I?

“Because, little sheep, I entered the wilderness where you did; I followed your path, your every step. I was bruised, I was pierced by the same thorns that you were. I suffered coming to you, that I might gather you up in my arms and carry you home. “You suffered all that - just for me?” A bruised and bloody little sheep being lifted and carried by a likewise wounded, bruised and bloody Shepherd! How can we not love such a Shepherd?!!

If Christ, the Good Shepherd has ascended Jehovah-jireh, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen; if he is at that place where “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering, if he is the Shepherd who giveth his life for the sheep, then where is the lost sheep? And the answer is, on a cross beside him! That repentant thief is the sheep for which the Good Shepherd came seeking. Shall He take him home to a place of rejoicing? Of course! Said the Shepherd to his sheep, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise!” Luke 23:43.

Comparison
“His visage was so marred more than any man” - Isa. 52:14	“As of a lamb without spot or blemish” - I Peter 1:19
“No beauty that we should desire him” - Isa. 53:2	“Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” - Psalm 96:9
“We hid as it were our faces from him” - Isa. 53:3	“We beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father” - John 1:14
“We esteemed him not” - Isa. 53:3	“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious” - I Peter 2:7

“Never did Divine holiness appear more beautiful and lovely than at the time our Savior’s countenance was most marred in the midst ofHis dying groans.” “Power is God’s hand or arm, omniscience his eye, mercy His bowels, eternity His duration, but holiness is His beauty.”

          Stephen Charnock

Surely we have been given a distorted picture by artist’s conception. Of a well-groomed, well dressed Shepherd: flowing robes; immaculate down to his beard and hair. Have you ever seen a painting of the Shepherd of Isaiah 52:14? “His visage was so marred more than any man. . .” “He became Sin for us.” The judgment of the Almighty was upon Him in our stead. “and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” Isa. 53:6.

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. . .He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. . .and with His stripes we are healed.”

“He . . . goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray.”

Did he succeed in finding his lost sheep? Yes! “He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied:by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” Isa. 53:11.

His heel was bruised, that our bruises might be healed.