BibleProject Podcast: "Jesus, the New Shepherd in the Wilderness"

Date: November 3, 2025
Hosts: Tim Mackie ("B") & Jon Collins ("A")

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tim Mackie and Jon Collins explore how Jesus is depicted in the Gospel of Matthew as the new shepherd leading God’s people through the wilderness. Drawing on key biblical themes of wilderness, leadership, failure, and divine provision, they show how Jesus both fulfills and transforms the role of Moses, providing bread and healing not only to Israel but also opening God’s abundance to the nations. The conversation explores deep literary and theological connections and invites listeners to see their own seasons of hardship as places where God’s presence brings the reality of the garden—abundant life—even amid wilderness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wilderness in the Biblical Story

• Wilderness as Preparation: The wilderness in the Bible is not merely a place of tragedy but an intentional environment where God prepares people for a life of blessing ("garden life"), stripping away illusions of self-sufficiency.
  • “The wilderness is a tragedy, but God uses it as an opportunity to prepare them for a future garden land.” (A, 00:05)
• Model for Testing: Israel's journey through the wilderness after Egypt is a template for hardship, where trust in God is formed (B, 02:41).
• Repeated Pattern: Biblical history (exile, drought, famine) is told as repeated "wilderness tests," with implications for both leadership and faithfulness.

2. The Need for a Shepherd

• Failure of Human Leaders: Both Moses and later leaders (David, the kings, priests) ultimately fail the wilderness test, leaving God's people "like sheep without a shepherd" (A, 05:53).
• Divine Promise: Prophets look forward to a new, divinely appointed leader (“shepherd David”), who will feed, heal, and gather the sheep (Ezekiel 34).

3. Jesus as the New Moses/Shepherd

• Matthew’s Portrait: Matthew’s Gospel portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of the Moses figure—surpassing Moses by succeeding where he failed, and offering restoration after exile (B, 06:46).
  • “He is succeeded where Israel failed in the wilderness. He succeeded where Moses failed in the wilderness.” (B, 12:03)
• Solidarity & Fulfillment: Jesus enters into Israel’s wilderness experience, not because he needs repentance, but to fully identify with his people and fulfill what they could not (A, 09:25; B, 09:43).
• Proclaiming the Kingdom: Emerging from the wilderness, Jesus declares the kingdom’s arrival (A, 11:37), launches his public ministry, and begins teaching from the mountain as the new lawgiver.

4. Jesus Feeding the Multitudes: Echoes of Exodus

• Feeding in the Wilderness (Matthew 14 & 15):

  • First Feeding (5,000 - Israel): Jesus provides bread and healing, echoing Moses providing manna, but goes beyond as the true shepherd with compassion (B, 15:03, 26:57).
    • “When he saw the great crowd, he had compassion on them and he began to heal the sick. That's just Jesus. Even in his grief... he's able to foreground that.” (B, 26:57)
  • Second Feeding (4,000 - Nations): After the encounter with the Canaanite woman, Jesus feeds a largely non-Israelite crowd—extending God’s abundance to the nations (B, 53:02).
    • Symbolism of Numbers: 12 baskets left over for Israel, 7 for the nations; reminiscent of full satisfaction and completeness.

• Theme of Bread: Bread symbolizes both God’s daily provision during ‘wilderness’ times and the coming of the garden’s abundance into the dry places.

  • “Garden in the wilderness. There you go.” (A&B, 36:17–36:18)

• The Disciples’ Role: Jesus makes the disciples/apprentices mediators of the bread, both in the feeding miracles and at the Last Supper, hinting at their future mission (B, 58:49).

5. Contrasts with Bad Shepherds and Religious Elite

• Failings of the Leaders: Herod (political leadership) and the Pharisees (religious leadership) fail to care for the lost sheep—either through violence or burdensome traditions (B, 40:06–41:14).
• Jesus’ Radical Inclusion: The Canaanite (Gentile) woman's faith opens the blessing of bread/healing to the nations, inverting the old boundaries (B, 44:42–45:39; 50:03–50:49).
  • “With this Joshua, the nations get bread. It's pretty rad.” (B, 46:51)

6. Experiencing the Garden in the Wilderness

• Immediate Abundance: With Jesus, the garden’s plenty appears right in the midst of hardship, not merely after passing a test or proving worthiness.

  • “If you're in the wilderness with Jesus, then you're ready... because he's ready.” (A, 57:59)
  • “God will surprise you and just give you gifts of Eden in the wilderness, even when you're not ready to be in the garden.” (B, 57:46)

• Mission Forward: The disciples, who doubted their readiness, are equipped by Jesus’ readiness—and this is extended to all who join him.

  • “Jesus is ready, therefore, people are ready... If you're with him, if you follow him...” (A&B, 58:02)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Leadership Failure:

  • “If the wilderness is meant to prepare us for the garden... It's not working. Didn't even work for Moses.” (A, 06:01–06:08)

• Jesus as Both God and Shepherd:

  • “So in Ezekiel 34, Yahweh pipes up and he says... I will come personally. I will feed my flock, I will lay them down into pastures.” (B, 21:34–22:13)

• Disciples as Apprentices:

  • “I'm making a translation of Matthew for the Matthew Bible Project classes... I think [apprentice] more immediately communicates... It's like the perfect word in English.” (B, 28:03–29:11)
  • This highlights the commitment to accessible, relatable biblical language.

• Jesus’ Compassion Amidst Grief:

  • “Even in his grief... when he sees the needs of others, he's able to foreground that.” (B, 26:57)

• Faith of the Outsider:

  • “It's this Canaanite woman. So good... In the book of Joshua, the Canaanites were on the kick them out... In this fascinating inversion... the nations get bread.” (B, 45:39–46:51)

• Abundance for All:

  • “Here in these stories, it's just a full on feast with an overabundance in the wilderness... As soon as you are with Jesus in the wilderness, the garden appears.” (A, 57:36–57:38)

• On Readiness:

  • “You may not think you're ready, but... it's not really you. He says, it's not me who's living my life anymore. It's the Messiah who's living in me.” (B, 58:20)

• Mission Forward:

  • “Now, go to the nations. I give you bread, you give bread to the nations... All authority... has been given to me. So go into the nations...” (B, 59:13–59:29)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Wilderness Setup & Biblical Backdrop: 00:05–08:45
• Jesus’ Baptism, Testing, and Readiness: 08:46–11:21
• Launching the Kingdom & Moses Parallels: 11:22–15:03
• Shepherd, Sheep, and Leadership Imagery: 15:04–22:54
• Feeding of the 5,000 (Israel): 24:08–35:46
• Feeding of the 4,000 (Nations): 44:42–54:59
• Radical Bread-sharing & Inclusion: 50:03–54:59
• Garden in the Wilderness – Theological Reflection: 56:10–58:49
• Implications for Discipleship & Mission: 58:49–59:48

Summary Table: Bread Miracles in Matthew

| Miracle | Primary Audience | Loaves/Fish | Leftover Baskets | Numbers Symbolism | Theological Point | |--------------------------|------------------|-------------|------------------|-------------------|----------------------------------| | Feeding of the 5,000 | Israelites | 5/2 | 12 | Twelve Tribes | Bread for God’s people | | Feeding of the 4,000 | Non-Israelites | 7/few fish | 7 | Completion/All nations| Bread extends to all humanity |

Conclusion

This episode richly explores how the ministry of Jesus reframes the wilderness not as a place of perpetual failure, but as a site of new creation when entered with the true shepherd. Jesus doesn't merely prepare his people for the garden—he brings the garden’s abundance into the very heart of the wilderness, inviting everyone, even those formerly excluded, to share in God’s provision. The call to listeners is to trust in Jesus’ readiness, and to participate in spreading this garden life to others, especially in seasons of hardship and waiting.

For those wanting to explore more:

• Read Matthew 14–15, Ezekiel 34, and Deuteronomy 8
• Reflect on your "wilderness" experiences—how might Jesus be bringing abundance amid hardship?
• Consider the role of leadership, inclusion, and mission in your own community

“If you’re with the Messiah, you’re ready, because he’s ready.” (B, 59:48)