Who Is the Shepherd?
Who Is the Shepherd?
The true Shepherd, the Shepherd of all, is God Himself.
This is clearly revealed to us in Holy Scripture.
In the Shepherd’s Psalm, the Prophet David says: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1–3).
The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel strongly emphasizes that God Himself is the Shepherd. The Lord God says: “I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God. “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick” (Ezekiel 34:15–16).
The Lord also says: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out… I will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered… I will feed them in good pasture…” (Ezekiel 34:11–14).
The Gospel of the Shepherd (John 10), which is read on the day of the Patriarch’s enthronement, records the Lord saying: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”, and “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:11, 14).
He also says in the same chapter: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27–28).
Saint Paul the Apostle says: “Our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20),
and Saint Peter the Apostle says: “You have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25).
Human Shepherds
Although God is the Shepherd, He has called certain people shepherds and entrusted them with the work of pastoral care. How is this so?
Saint Paul the Apostle explains: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said to Peter: “Feed My lambs… Tend My sheep” (John 21:15–16).
Saint Peter the Apostle exhorts the elders: “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers… being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:2–4).
Saint Paul also said to the bishops of the Church of Ephesus:“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).
If God is the Shepherd, in what sense are some human beings called shepherds?
A person is called a shepherd when God dwells in him and shepherds people through him. Such a person says with Saint Paul:“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20), and also: “Yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
He is called a shepherd because the Holy Spirit dwells in him and works through him the ministry of priesthood. Thus, when the Lord Jesus granted the disciples the grace of priesthood, He first breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22–23).
The Holy Spirit who dwells in the priest is the One who carries out the work of pastoral care through him. This was clearly evident in the Church during the apostolic era.
Therefore, the Lord commanded them not to begin ministry until they were, “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49), and said: “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…” (Acts 1:8).
Through the work of the Spirit of God in them, they shepherded the people.
The Shepherd as God’s Steward
God is the true Shepherd, yet one is also called a shepherd when he is “a steward of God” (Titus 1:7). In this sense Saint Paul says: “A stewardship has been entrusted to me” (1 Corinthians 9:17).
These stewards of God were entrusted with carrying out His work of pastoral care, guidance, preaching, and teaching. He said to them: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), and also: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20).
They are His stewards, bearing His message. God shepherds people through them. They are stewards of the divine mysteries.
The Lord said concerning them and their successors: “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Luke 12:42–43).
The Shepherd Represents God Himself
The sinner confesses his sins to God in the presence of the priest, and receives absolution from God through the mouth of the priest.
Thus, the priest represents God Himself to the repentant person—in accepting repentance and granting forgiveness of sins—by virtue of the authority he received from God (John 20:23), and according to the divine authority expressed in the Lord’s words: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:18).
In one of the absolution prayers at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, the priest says: “They shall be absolved by my mouth through Your Holy Spirit.”
This means that it is the Spirit of God who grants absolution, but through the mouth of the priest.
A beautiful detail in the absolution prayer is that the priest places his hand on the head of the repentant person and prays: “Your servant, O Lord, who has bowed his head under Your hand…”
He does not say “under my hand,” but “under Your hand,” because the priest’s hand here represents the hand of God during the absolution.
The Priest as Representative of God in the Sacraments
Just as the priest represents God in the Sacrament of Repentance, he also represents Him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. He represents Christ the High Priest, who took bread into His holy hands, gave thanks, blessed it, and said: “Take, eat… Drink from it, all of you” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25; Matthew 26:26–28).
The priest also represents God in granting blessings.
There is no doubt that blessing comes from God, the Giver of all blessings—from the beginning with Adam and Eve (Genesis 1), then Noah and his sons (Genesis 9), then Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12). God Himself said regarding tithes: “I will open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10).
The list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28 comes from God, as in: “The Lord will command the blessing on you” (Deuteronomy 28:8). Saint Paul says: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3).
Christ Himself says to those on His right hand: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
Although blessing comes from God, He granted the priests authority to bless the people, as recorded in the Book of Numbers: “Thus you shall bless the children of Israel: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:22–26).
It is a blessing from God, yet it comes forth from the mouth of the priest.
Peace Granted Through God’s Stewards
The same applies when the priest says to the people: “Peace be with you all.” God is the source of peace; He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). He said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27).
He is repeatedly called “the God of peace” (Romans 15:33; 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:16; Hebrews 13:20).
Yet He granted His apostles and priests the authority to convey peace. This is evident in the apostolic epistles that often begin with: “Grace to you and peace.”
Grace and peace are from God, but His stewards deliver them to the people: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”, (Ephesians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2).
Thus the priest represents God in granting peace to His people.
The Bishop as Shepherd
The bishop is the shepherd. Since he represents Christ, when he enters the church, the hymn Epouro—which is originally addressed to Christ the King of Peace—is chanted for him, because he represents Christ on earth.
When the Gospel is read, the psalm of Christ the eternal High Priest is chanted: “The Lord has sworn and will not relent: ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’” (Psalm 110:4). The Book of Malachi calls the priest “the messenger of the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 2:7).
The Book of Revelation also reveals the dignity of the priesthood, where Saint John saw the throne of God surrounded by twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, wearing crowns of gold, holding harps and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 4:4; 5:8).
