23

Life is finite. Death is certain. What happens in between is what mourners will recall at one's funeral.

One popular psalms from the Bible is No. 23:

23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Jack Shepard was assigned candidate number 23. His last name is referenced in the psalm as the Lord is one's shepherd for lost souls.

In the series, this passage was referenced numerous times. It was spoken by Eko on several occasions and misspoken by Charlie at one time. "23rd Psalm" was engraved on Eko's stick, along with the bearings that helped Locke find his way. When Eko was reciting the the passage in the episode, The Cost of Living, jungle whispers say ".... paths of righteousness . . ." just before Eko is grabbed and taken away. We know that the whispers represent trapped souls.

In The End, the characters are assembled for a funeral. It was referenced as Christian's but if one look closer, it was really for Jack. It was Jack's island friends in the church. It was Jack's island friends who were waiting for him. It was Jack's island friends who wanted to celebrate their after life with him. It was through Jack that the mourners celebrated their own lives and found the bonds of personal friendship and love which they had missed during their pre-island struggles.  Jack was their shepherd and they did not want for passage to the next level of existence.

It would seem that the characters path toward salvation had to run its course through the island universe. It had to have conflict, danger, struggles, love and hate in a concentrated form in order to find out who was truly worthy to live on in the sideways realm. Just as the trapped island whispers, the characters needed to bond their souls to one leader, Jack, in order to find the light of a new beginning.

In a roundabout way, Jack saved his friends from damnation because Jack made them his friends.