Scripture · John 20:16-17
Psalm 23:1 · Christ carrying a lamb
The Good Shepherd
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The flock moves toward us, with one lamb held above the uneven ground. Plockhorst puts the shepherd’s care in two places at once: the path he leads and the animal he carries.
What does The Good Shepherd show?
Christ walks barefoot at the center of the flock, wearing a red robe beneath a light cloak. One arm supports a lamb against his body; the other hand holds a shepherd’s staff. Sheep press close on either side of the narrow, rocky path.
A pale glow surrounds his head against the evening sky. His lowered gaze and the small lamb’s position give this broad view of a flock an intimate center. The animals walking beside him and the one resting in his arms suggest different ways of being kept close.
The National Trust preserves a later print of this composition, catalogued after Bernhard Plockhorst. That record establishes the picture’s title and artist without supplying a date for the original work.
What does Psalm 23:1 mean?
Psalm 23 begins with a personal declaration of trust: the LORD is the speaker’s shepherd. The following verses give that care concrete forms—pasture, water, restored life, and guidance. Even the dark valley lies within a journey accompanied by God.
Plockhorst presents Christ in the shepherd’s role. This Christian reading also draws on John 10:11, where Jesus calls himself the good shepherd and speaks of giving his life for the sheep. Beside Psalm 23, the image invites attention to dependence, protection, and being led.
The lamb in Christ’s arms makes the care expressed in Psalm 23:1 immediate and personal.
Sources
National Trust — The Good Shepherd. A later print after Plockhorst, preserving this composition.
Psalm 23 — Berean Standard Bible. The shepherd’s provision, guidance, and presence.
John 10 — Berean Standard Bible. Jesus’ words about the Good Shepherd in verse 11.
Also from Psalm:NativityMorning Prayer