Previously, I’ve suggested that an understanding of the Old Testament, and specifically, of Old Testament prophecy, will enrich our understanding of the New Testament. The words, images, and metaphors used by Jesus and about Jesus often echo things written centuries before, because Jesus is understood and celebrated as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy.

Consider, for example, what Jesus says about himself in the gospel of John. Seven times, he begins with “I am” and then applies a metaphor to himself, sometimes leaving his hearers scratching their heads as to what he meant. The words “I am,” of course, can be taken at face value, as if he were to say, “I am hungry.” But these seven statements are usually understood as references to the name of God, the great “I AM” who revealed himself centuries before to Moses at the burning bush.

And the metaphors themselves aren’t picked at random. It’s not as if Jesus had something to say and then cast about in his imagination or immediate surroundings to find an appropriate illustration. The sayings are rich with associations that his hearers should have understood.

Two of the seven sayings, used in the same conversation with the Pharisees, have to do with shepherds and sheep. When he told them “I am the good shepherd” in John 10:11, it doesn’t mean that he happened to be standing next to a sheep pen and found the metaphor convenient. Rather, if we think about what we’ve already seen in the oracles of Micah, we can understand how the shepherd metaphor should have been filled with ancient meaning for the Pharisees.

I say “should have” because unfortunately, John tells us that the Pharisees didn’t get it. Why? Imagine with me that Jesus had said “King David was the good shepherd” instead. Would they have understood the reference? Undoubtedly. So when Jesus applied the metaphor to himself, it wasn’t that they couldn’t understand, but that they wouldn’t. They weren’t innocently confused; to my mind, they were refusing to believe.

Centuries had passed since Micah prophesied that Jerusalem would one day be restored to its royal status, where the remnant would be gathered like lost and lame sheep and ruled by the Shepherd-King. And Micah was not the only prophet to foresee that day. Isaiah saw it. So did Ezekiel, while living in Babylonian exile. Like Micah, Ezekiel portrays God as the Shepherd-King who gathers his flock (see chapter 34). Ezekiel was also given a detailed vision (something like an ethereal guided tour!) of a restored temple, right down to the measurements. The last sentence of that vision — indeed, the last verse of the book of Ezekiel itself — refers to Jerusalem: “And the name of the city from that time on will be: the LORD is there” (Ezek 48:35). The city will be rebuilt to God’s specifications, and God himself will be there.

That prophecy, in turn, reminds me of the vision of John in the book of Revelation. Near the end of the book, we read this:

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Rev 21:2-4)

As we’ve seen, the exiles who returned from Babylon labored to rebuild the city and its walls. There was celebration in the air. But by the end of the book of Nehemiah, the people knew that things were still not quite right; they were still in debt to the Persians. And as I suggested in the previous post, the subsequent history of the Holy Land even up to this day shows that the prophesied restoration has never happened.

But John tells us that we need instead to look for a New Jerusalem that comes down from heaven, not one that arises from below. In that heaven-sent Jerusalem, the prophecy of Ezekiel will be fulfilled: God will be there, and be there forever.

And who will reign in the New Jerusalem? John tells us in Revelation 7:17:

For the Lamb at the center of the throne
    will be their shepherd;
“he will lead them to springs of living water.”
    “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

John, remember, is also the one who tells us that Jesus declares himself to be the Good Shepherd. That’s not meant to be a warm and fuzzy, sentimental metaphor. Jesus is the Shepherd-King, the one who will reign as all righteous kings should have reigned. He is the one who fulfills the prophecy.

When he arrived preaching the coming of the kingdom, he was the one for whom God’s people had waited so long, even if they couldn’t see it. And for those who believe, he is still the one for whom we wait, this time to come in power as the truest and final Shepherd-King.