Strike the Shepherd
The printed guide is laid out to teach from: a run sheet, a page per section with room for notes, and a one-sheet handout with a kids’ page on the back.
The Shepherd walked the right path himself, and leads scattered sheep back.
Open with it, bring it back after every section, close with it. By the end they should be able to finish the sentence for you.
Mark 14:17-26, Jesus' Table — Jesus set his table with his enemy beside him, and gave himself anyway.
Mark 15:33-39, Forsaken — The Shepherd took the rod of judgment, so his rod and staff comfort us.
Open
Recall last time (Mark 14:17-26): Jesus set his table with his enemy beside him. Today: the second half of Psalm 23:3, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.” Ask: Have you ever been sure of the way and been wrong? Read Mark 14:27-28. Big idea: The Shepherd walked the right path himself, and leads scattered sheep back. Ask one person what stuck from last time.
The run sheet
Paths of Righteousness
Psalm 23:3
The guidance of Psalm 23:3 rests on the Shepherd’s name, so it holds even when the sheep fail.
- The Shepherd chooses the road; the sheep follow.
- “Guides” is nachah, the verb for the pillar of cloud that guided Israel (Exodus 13:21).
- “For the sake of His name”: he guides because of who he is, not because of the sheep’s record.
“I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” (Mark 14:27) Psalm 23:3 says the Shepherd guides.
“After I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” (Mark 14:28) A shepherd leads from the front.
Discuss: Why is it good news that the Shepherd guides “for the sake of His name” and not for the sake of ours?
- Psalm 23:3: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.”
- Psalm 31:3: “lead me and guide me for the sake of Your name.”
- Ezekiel 36:22: “It is not for your sake that I will act... but for My holy name.”
Illustration idea: A mountain guide who goes back down the trail to fetch a hiker who wandered off, because a guide does not leave anyone behind.
Listen for:
- He guides, I follow.
- His name, not my record.
If it drifts: If the talk turns to how to know God’s will for specific decisions, bring it back: the psalm is about who guides and why he keeps on.
The Shepherd guides for his own name’s sake, and his name does not fail.
Short on time? Drop Ezekiel 36:22. Keep Psalm 31:3.
Bridge → On the way to Gethsemane, the Shepherd tells his sheep they are about to scatter.
Not What I Will
Mark 14:27-42
The Shepherd walked the right path himself, at great cost, and his obedience makes his sheep righteous.
- Jesus quotes Zechariah: the Shepherd struck, the sheep scattered.
- Peter insists he will never fall away.
- In Gethsemane Jesus prays, “Not what I will, but what You will,” while his friends sleep.
“Yet not what I will, but what You will.”
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation.”
Discuss: What does Jesus’ prayer show about what it means to walk a path of righteousness when the path is hard?
- v29-31: Peter trusts his own sense of direction (Jeremiah 10:23).
- v36: Jesus says honestly what he wants and yields to his Father; Romans 5:19: “through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
- Gethsemane means oil press.
- John 12:27-28: “Now My soul is troubled... Father, glorify Your name!”
Illustration idea: A leader who takes the hardest assignment himself so that his team can follow behind him.
Listen for:
- He chose the right path at great cost.
- The disciples trusted themselves.
If it drifts: If the discussion becomes about whether Jesus could have refused, return to v36: he asked honestly and chose his Father’s will.
In Gethsemane the Shepherd walked the path of righteousness for us.
Short on time? Drop the oil press note. Keep v36.
Bridge → Then the arresting party arrives, and the sheep run.
Everyone Fled
Mark 14:43-50
The scattered sheep are brought back by the Shepherd, who goes ahead of them.
- Judas leads an armed crowd and greets Jesus with a kiss.
- Jesus says the Scriptures are being fulfilled.
- Everyone deserts him and flees.
“Then everyone deserted Him and fled.”
“But this has happened that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.”
Discuss: The sheep scatter, just as Jesus said. What did he already promise them about what would come after?
- v49: nothing here takes God by surprise.
- v50 with v28: the scattering is real, and so is the promise to go ahead of them into Galilee.
- John 18:8-9: “let these men go,” so that he lost none of those given to him.
- 1 Peter 2:25: “now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
Illustration idea: A shepherd who counts his flock at dusk, finds the gaps, and goes out into the dark to bring each one back.
Listen for:
- They all ran.
- He went ahead of them anyway.
If it drifts: If people dwell on who was most to blame, return to v50: everyone fled, and every one of them was brought back.
The Shepherd walked the right path himself, and leads scattered sheep back.
Short on time? Drop John 18:8-9. Keep v50 and 1 Peter 2:25.
Bridge → So hear the psalm line again beside the scattering.
Close — never cut it
Read Mark 14:27-28, then Psalm 23:3. The Shepherd was struck, the sheep scattered, and he went ahead of them. Say together: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.”
If the last section starts late, read v36 and v50 and go to the close.
“He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.” Psalm 23:3
With one friend, over coffee
About 30 minutes · for a friend who is curious, or not sure
- Start with getting lost. Ask: When were you sure of the way and turned out to be wrong?
- Read the psalm. Read Psalm 23:3: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.”
- Read Mark. Read Mark 14:27-50 together.
- The Shepherd and the sheep. Jesus walks the right path in Gethsemane; the disciples, sure of themselves, all run.
- Leave the question. Ask: Why does it matter that he guides “for the sake of His name”? Leave it with them.
“What does “for the sake of His name” mean?”
God acts in keeping with who he is. His guidance rests on his faithfulness, not on how well the sheep are doing.
“Why did Jesus quote Zechariah?”
Zechariah 13:7 foretold the Shepherd struck and the sheep scattered. Jesus shows it is happening as written.
“Did Jesus want to die?”
He asked honestly, “Take this cup from Me,” and then chose his Father’s will: “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”
“What does this mean for me?”
Whoever has wandered can come back. Peter, who ran, wrote that the sheep have “returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25).
Evergreen principles
Four standards every week. The rest rotate: each lesson brings the few that fit its passage best.
Make it concrete
Mark names the places and the hours.
If you’re new: Trace the walk from the upper room, across the Kidron, to the olive grove of Gethsemane on a map.
If you’ve taught for years: Use Mark 14:26, 14:32 and John 18:1.
Let the Bible do the talking
Jesus’ prayer carries the passage.
If you’re new: Read v36 aloud twice, slowly enough for people to hear each phrase.
If you’ve taught for years: Then read Psalm 23:3.
Let the passage land the way it lands
It ends with everyone running away.
If you’re new: Do not rush past v50.
If you’ve taught for years: Let the silence sit, then read v28.
Pray before you prepare
Teaching the Bible is spiritual work first (John 15:5).
If you’re new: Pray for your class by name during the week.
If you’ve taught for years: Pray for the one person you find hardest to reach.
Study the text first
Understand the passage yourself before any help.
If you’re new: Read it in two translations; write your own questions first.
If you’ve taught for years: Don’t lean on old notes. What did you miss last time?
Teach one big idea
People remember one sentence, not four points.
If you’re new: Write it in 12 words or fewer before anything else.
If you’ve taught for years: Test every story against it. If it doesn’t serve it, cut it.
Point to Christ
All of Scripture points to him (Luke 24:27).
If you’re new: Ask: what does this show about Jesus?
If you’ve taught for years: Show grace as the reason for obedience, not just the rule.
Openings & closings
Pick one opening and one close; rotate so class doesn’t get predictable.
ask a real-life question
When were you sure of the way and turned out to be wrong?
use an object
Hold up a trail map and ask: who drew this, and why trust it?
raise a problem
If the shepherd is struck, who guides the sheep?
restate the big idea
The Shepherd walked the right path himself, and leads scattered sheep back.
call back to the opening
Return to the times people were sure and wrong, and read Mark 14:28 beside them.
pray the text
Pray Psalm 31:3 together: “lead me and guide me for the sake of Your name.”
When class gets hard
Someone feels they have wandered too far to come back.
Point to Peter: he ran and denied Jesus, and the Shepherd brought him back (1 Peter 2:25). The guidance rests on the Shepherd’s name.
Someone is facing a hard decision where the right path is costly.
Point to v36. Jesus was honest about what he wanted and still chose his Father’s will. He walks with those who follow.
Silence after a question
Wait. Then rephrase simpler, or ask them to talk to a neighbor first.
One person dominates
“Thanks. Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t spoken yet.” Talk privately if it continues.
A question you can’t answer
Say so, write it down, bring an answer next week.
A tangent takes over
“Great question. Let’s catch it after class so we can finish the passage.”
Read this week
- Zechariah 13:7-9
- John 10:1-18
- Psalm 31
For kids
The printable guide puts this on the back of the handout, with a word search and a secret code.
Jesus leads us on the right path.
- Jesus goes to a garden.
- He prays to his Father.
- His friends fall asleep.
- Men come and take Jesus.
- His friends all run away.
- Jesus praying in the garden: sad
- The friends who fell asleep: sad
- The friends when the men came: worried
- The friends when Jesus came back for them: happy
Memory verse: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness” Psalm 23:3
Act it out: One child is the shepherd and walks a winding path around the room. The other children are sheep and follow. At one point the sheep scatter, and the shepherd goes and gathers each one back, saying, “Follow me.”
Draw it: Draw a shepherd walking in front on a winding path, with sheep following behind him.
Finish the sentence: Jesus leads me on the ______ path.