In 1939, J.R. Tolkin took Robert Dickman’s hypothesis one step further in a lecture he delivered titled, “On Fairy Stories.”  In his lecture, Tolkin said the following about fairytales and those who create them:

Probably every writer making a secondary world, a fantasy, every sub-creator, wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from reality, or are flowing into it…. The peculiar quality of the “joy” in successful Fantasy can thus be explained as a sudden glimpse of the underlying reality or truth.

The Gospels contain a fairy-story, or a story of a larger kind, which embraces all the essence of fairy-stories….  But this story is supreme, and it is true.  Art has been verified.  God is the Lord, of angels, and of men—and of elves.  Legend and History have met and fused.[1]

In the Bible, the three great antagonists that we face in our story include the great serpent, the problem of sin, and death (in that order).  Satan entered into the Garden as a serpent where the first man and woman enjoyed true love with both God and each other, they were tempted to sin against God by the Serpent.  Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit that God commanded them not to eat and a curse was pronounced upon all of creation, and ever since that fateful day, sin and death have vandalized the peace we were created to enjoy with God.  In the wake of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and under the shadow of evil and death, God gifted Adam and Eve a promise: The great serpent would one day be destroyed: “And I will make enemies Of you and the woman, And of your offspring and her Descendant; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise Him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15 )

So who or what is the serpent? In The Lord of the Rings, he is the Dark Lord Sauron.  In The Wizard of Oz, he is the Wicked Witch of the West.  In The Matrix, he is Agent Smith.  In The Chronicles of Narnia, he is the White Witch. In Superman, He is Lex Luther.  In Star Wars, he is Darth Vader and every evil Sith Lord before and after him.  The serpent is Lucifer, the devil, the father of lies, the accuser, and the great dragon.  There is another antagonist that is the consequence of our sin and rebellion, and that is “death.” 

The word “gospel” simply means good news, and oh is there good news my dear brothers and sisters!  The apostle Paul spoke of it in his epistle to the Romans: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16 ). The gospel of Jesus Christ from Genesis through the last chapter of Revelation has everything that every great story requires, and it is a story that has the power to not only transform, but to save! The gospel of Jesus Christ is supreme because it is indeed true, and it is seen and heard throughout the 23rd Psalm!  

The Good Shepherd Guides His Sheep through the Valley of Deep Darkness

On resurrection Sunday, we looked at the first part of verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me...”  Even if your first Sunday at Meadowbrooke was on that day, you should know by now that the Lord of the 23rd Psalm is the Good Shepherd, and His name is Jesus! He is my shepherd; therefore I will not be in need.  Why will I not be in need?  Well... because He is my bread of life who satisfies my hunger and quenches my thirst (John 6:35 )!  Why will I not be in need?  Well... because He is the Light of the world who lights up the darkness that surrounds me (John 8:12 )!  Why again will I never ever be in need so long as Jesus is my shepherd?  Well... let me tell you: He for me is the resurrection and the life who has promised that not even death can take from me what I already have in Him (John 11:25-26)!

Now, just because Jesus is my Shepherd, that does not mean that I am exempt from walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  As I said on Easter Sunday, we all must experience the valley of utter darkness that includes suffering, sickness, a broken world, and even death; however, those whose shepherd is Jesus only must walk through it while everyone else must walk in it.  For the one who does not know Jesus as the bread of life, the light of the world, and the resurrection of life will never know the kind of hope that transcends the grave.  For the one whose shepherd is not Jesus, the grave is death’s victory dance over you, and the news only gets worse beyond the grave.  Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28 ).  Again, to all who would refuse Jesus as the good shepherd, He warned: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13 –14). Jesus is the narrow gate!

For those whose shepherd is Jesus, then the valley of the shadow of death is a temporary experience that you are only passing through.  Do you know what that means?  It means that there is life at the end of the valley!  There is a table, and there is oil, and there is a cup placed into your hand dear Christian that is overflowing with His goodness and faithfulness all the days of your life!  At that table, we will hold high that cup and toast: “Where, O Death, is your victory? Where, O Death is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:55-57). 

The Good Shepherd Comforts His Sheep with His Rod and Staff

What is the significance of Jesus’ rod and staff?  For starters, He is the one leading us through the deep dark valleys on this side of eternity; while in the valley, we have no reason to fear evil because He is with us, and while with us... He is armed with His rod and staff.  In their commentary on the Psalms, Josh Smith and Daniel Akin comment: “We are going through the deep, dark valleys because our good shepherd is leading us! The dark valley is part of the path of righteousness.”[2] Not to belabor the point I made previously, but what does the dark valley include?  It includes pain, it includes suffering, it includes disease, it includes achy joints, it includes persecution, and it even includes death!  After all, Jesus did say: “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 b).  You may be saying in response to this: “Pastor Keith, what about what Jesus said in John 10:10 ?”  Here is what Jesus said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”  The thief is anything or anyone that promises to give you what only Jesus is able to give, and the abundant life is a life with Jesus. 

Now, what about the rod and staff?  Why not just the rod or only the staff?  Why both? The rod was typically used as offensive weapon against any predator that would threaten the sheep from the outside while the staff was used to direct, round up, and pull in the sheep.  While the rod is used to protect the sheep from enemies, the staff is used to protect the sheep from themselves.  Jesus guides me with His staff, and as He does, He leads me through the valley to the table where He has prepared a feast for me.  Because it is Jesus who carries the rod and the staff, I can be confident that Jesus will lead me to where I need to go, or as the apostle Paul put it: “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6), and He will use His rod and staff to do it.  Or as one person wrote: “Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, is no emaciated weakling. Our Shepherd is a warrior, as shepherds had to be. No one can snatch his sheep out of his hand (John 10:28 ). The muscles of his arm are flexed to defend his flock; he doesn’t carry a club for nothing. He is obviously enough for whatever the valley throws at us.”[3]

What is the point of verse 4?  Here is the point: If Jesus is my shepherd, then even in the darkest moments of life I have all that I need because I have Him.  Or, as the modern hymn, Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me, so adequately and helpfully states:

The night is dark, but I am not forsaken

For by my side, the Savior, He will stay

I labor on in weakness and rejoicing

For in my need, His power is displayed

To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me

Through the deepest valley, He will lead

Oh, the night has been won, and I shall overcome

Yet not I, but through Christ in me

The Good Shepherd Prepares a Feast for His Sheep in the Presence of Their Enemies