"I AM..." | The Good Shepherd | John Lee | Mar 26, 2023

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John Lee

Mission Church

"I AM..." • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago • 37:18

John 10:1–18

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Please grab your copy of God’s Word and turn to John 10. We are continuing our current sermon series entitled “I AM” in which we have been studying various passages from John’s Gospel with the intention of fixing our eyes upon the person and the work of Jesus Christ.so that we might know Him, love Him, and follow Him.

If you are able to..please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

John 10:1–18 (CSB)

1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

The feeling of longing is profoundly intrinsic to the human experience. Deep within every one of us there is a seemingly insatiable longing… a yearning…and a hunger.... We know it all too well, it’s that cavernous and persistent ache in our soul that leaves us feeling restless, disillusioned, and disappointed. We frantically try and make sense of the messiness in our world and the chaos within ourselves as we yearn to be safe, saved, and satisfied.

We long to be truly known and to be loved for who we really are .....but being truly known requires vulnerability ....and being exposed is scary…it’s terrifying... so we hide from the real…the ugly..and the raw …we curate personas and personalities...meaningful relationships have been replaced by social media…we now have more friends than ever but we lack authentic community..... and the result is isolation and loneliness. Many have run to the church for answers but have been hurt by domineering leaders void of feeling, sympathy, or compassion…and so we often find ourselves disappointed, discontented, and disillusioned…as we ask ourselves…Will I ever be safe? Will I ever be truly known and yet still loved? Will I ever be able to find satisfaction and contentment?

In our passage this morning, Jesus answers our questions of longing..... as He declares a comforting truth about himself and a beautiful reality about his relationship with his people. He says that He is The Good Shepherd who knows and loves his sheep, who cares and provides for them, and who even died to protect them and give them life. And...much like a healing balm....I pray that this text will sooth your weary and longing heart while also providing a firm foundation for you to grow in your love and in your likeness of Christ.

I am reminded of a story about two men who were called on, in a large classroom, to recite Psalm 23. One guy was a published author who was trained in speech technique and drama…and.... He powerfully recited the Psalm.... In fact...when he finished, the audience cheered and even asked for an encore so that they might hear his wonderful voice again.

“Then the other man, who was much older, repeated the same words—‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want …’ But when he finished, the class was silent…you could her a pin drop...as people sat in a deep posture of devotion and prayer.

“Then the first man stood to his feet. ‘I have a confession to make,’ he said. ‘The difference between what you have just heard from my old friend, and what you heard from me is this: I know the Psalm, BUT my friend knows the Shepherd.’ ” Of all the images painted by John in his wonderful Gospel...... probably the most descriptive, endearing, and intimate is that of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. For like a shepherd, Jesus is concerned with the welfare and the care of His sheep.

In John 10.....Jesus shares with us an illustration in which He puts His heart on display...revealing His great love for us and His plan for dealing with our sin. (1) In fact…our text communicate Christ’s identity, His purposes, and His plans. But.... before we get to these beautiful realities ....there is some work we must do in order to interpret Jesus’s words.

Jesus is using sheep and shepherding as an illustration. And I am well aware that the collective knowledge that we all bring to the table regarding first century sheep farming in the Middle East is probably lacking…but sheep and shepherds were a familiar part of everyday agrarian life and the values of shepherding would have been engrained in the consciousness of Jesus’s Jewish audience.

The country of Judea was not well suited to agriculture, but it was ideal for pasturing livestock…and as a result..... the Jewish way of life depended on shepherds and sheep. And......everyone knew that sheep were helpless, dirty, and defenseless animals who often strayed away from the fold. They knew that sheep required constant oversight, leading, rescue, and cleaning or they would die.

And it seems as though being a shepherd was how God trained Israel’s leaders to lead His people. Consider how Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David were all shepherds at one point....which clarifies why the Old Testament often uses this shepherding imagery…depicting Israel as God’s flock..God as her shepherd…and her leaders as under-shepherds. The New Testament continues this imagery as it points to the church as the flock of God and pastors as God’s under-shepherds. It's possible that God’s intention for using this imagery throughout His Word is so that this idea of shepherding and sheep would take a hold of our imaginations .

That we would imagine a shepherds tender care for His sheep....But while Jesus points us to this truth....he's also introducing us to a different side of shepherding..... You see....the words of Jesus in John 10 are not spoken in a serene or peaceful setting.

God had appointed leaders who were supposed to serve as God’s representatives…and care for His flock. But those who were supposed to lead weren’t caring for God’s people…rather ....they were hurting them....Instead of leading them to know God and obey God they were leading them away from God and towards empty religious rituals....rather than grazing in the pastures of God’s grace they were weighed down with the weight of man made religion and requirements and forced to graze in the dusty fields of legalism, Rather than leading them to the overflowing fountains of God’s grace they were leaving them distressed, diseased, and spiritually dead.

And as we look around and assess the scope of modern American Evangelicalism we see this truth remains today as many pastors are leading God’s flock away from the life that can only be found in the Gospel . They have moved from feeding the flock with God’s Word…and have replaced their diet with consumerism, prosperity, legalism, and moralism. Pastor’s....myself included... would be wise to heed God’s warning in Ezekiel 34.

You see.....In Ezekiel 34 God condemned the religious leaders of Israel for their mistreatment of his sheep (34:1–10). He says the shepherds have left the sheep exposed. They’ve forced them to fend for themselves. They’ve even killed the sheep for their wool and meat. And in response to this travesty.... God promises that a Messiah would come and serve as the “one true shepherd ” of God’s people…and this coming shepherd would care, protect, and lead them to the green pastures of God’s grace and mercy.

And friends.....Jesus is the fulfillment of Ezekiel 34 ....and He points us to the truth that God has not forgotten about His people.... you see.....friends …you and I are not left to wonder if we will ever be safe, satisfied, or saved......God has sent a Shepherd to lead, care for, and protect us......and His name is Jesus.

Perhaps the most important job of the shepherd is to protect His sheep …to defend them from robbers and wolves..and this is exactly what Jesus is doing in our text…in fact....we see in chapter 9 that Jesus healed a blind beggar at the temple gate......and when the man would not denounce Jesus...he was kicked out of the synagogue by hostile religious leaders. The religious leaders left him to wander alone and to fend for himself…the man was left vulnerable and exposed....but the good news is that this man didn't wander for long …he wasn't alone for long....because Jesus found Him!

And now.....our conversation begins as Jesus contrasts these false shepherds with Himself and as He does we find three Gospel truths regarding Christ’s identity and His relationship with His people…Let’s take a look.

The Good Shepherd knows and is known by His sheep.

John 10:1 (CSB)

1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.

Now…most towns would have had a community sheep pen and at the end of a long day of feeding and caring for the sheep in the pastures they would return home and bring their flocks into this communal pen for the evening. The pen would have had a high wall to protect the sheep from wolves and there would have been a paid gatekeeper who watch the sheep thorough the night.

So in this pen you would have sheep from various different flocks all mixed together. So the next morning when the shepherd would come for His sheep He would call out his sheep by name and knowing the sound of their shepherds voice the sheep would follow.

In v.1 Jesus is pointing at these false religious leaders who was burdening His people and He condemns them…not only as false shepherds but as thieves…as robbers. You see…one of the jobs of the gatekeeper was to diligently watch for thieves who…in the darkness of nighty…would attempt to scale the walls of the pen and steel sheep.

Look at John 10:10 and see the motive of these false teachers and leaders....He says...

John 10:10 (CSB)

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy....

Many have taken this verse out of context and have taught that the thief is Satan…or sin…or death…and although those statements may be true....Jesus is specifically calling out Israel’s false religious leaders whose ministry was not devoted to the good of the people but to their own gain. This failure is seen clearly in their mistreatment of the man whose eyes Jesus just restored. So…to apply this verse to anyone or anything other than unqualified or disqualified leaders or teachers would be incorrect....and we would miss what Jesus considered to be a great threat to the well-being of the Church.

Brothers and Sisters.....it’s not popular today for a pastor to expose false teaching....but it’s a shepherd’s duty to defend his flock against wolves. According to the Bible, Christians are like sheep and we are prone to wander and into danger. Without the faithful under-shepherds that Jesus has given the church we are vulnerable to “thieves and robbers” who would climb the wall of the pen and destroy God’s sheep with false teaching.

J.C. Ryle says it like this,

“Nothing seems so offensive to Christ as a false teacher of religion, a false prophet, or a false shepherd. Nothing ought to be so much dreaded in the Church, and if needful, to be so plainly rebuked, opposed, and exposed.”

Like thieves..... some pastors today are motivated by personal gain and they teach a message of worldly comfort and earthy glory... but this is neither the motive nor the message of a genuine shepherd....rather true shepherds are motivated by God’s glory as they faithfully teach the Bible and are centered on the person and work of Christ and the message of His gospel

Friends....we must be aware of the motives and tactics of these false teachers....and we must know our Shepherds voice …we must study and memorize His Word…so that... when we hear the call we recognize His voice and go to Him. True sheep know the shepherds voice....

Now...look back at v2

John 10:2–3a (CSB)

2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, ......

Friends Jesus enters through the gate...he’s not a thief climbing over the wall…and this speaks to the truth of who He is.... that He is the long awaited Messiah…that He is in fact the Shepherd whom Ezekiel prophesied would come and feed, protect, care for ..and ultimately die for His sheep! Look at v.3

John 10:3 (CSB)

3 and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

Brother’s and Sisters…if there is ever a moment in which you are struggling with doubts regarding your salvation…rest in the truth that you are a Christian because Jesus called you by name! And understand…that before He called you ....you already belonged to Him. You see, God gave sheep to His Son...and He did so before the foundation of the world…and Jesus proclaims that everyone who the Father has given Him will hear His voice …they will know Him…and they will come to Him.

Friend…you do not belong top Jesus because you followed Him.....you follow Him because you are His… In other words.....it is the Shepherd who takes the initiative…not the sheep. You see…God sent a shepherd to draw His sheep back to God. Jesus came and His sheep responded.

Brothers and Sisters.....Jesus calls us by name…we hear and we respond. And the fact that He knows our name speaks to the truth that He knows us individually and intimately. Jesus is a personal shepherd who knows both your strengths and your weaknesses..He knows you…yet He still loves you and calls you His own…and He promises that you will never be forgotten…that you will never be left to wander again…and that He will go before you....Look at v4

John 10:4–5 (CSB)

4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

Shepherds do not drive sheep like cowboys do cattle…rather they go before the flock…so that they might find the greenest pasture....fend off any predators…and remove any poisonous plants. Jesus does this for us....Jesus went before us and battled with and defeated temptation, He gave us His Word so as to lead us in paths of righteousness.

Also...remember..as Jesus was saying these words…he’s days away from going to the cross where He would lie down His life for His sheep....where He drove away the threatened penalty of God’s wrath on our sin. You see....Jesus went before us into the valley of death..where he conquered the grave…and now... the green pastures of heaven await all who He has called.

But…in v.6 ...the religious leaders didn't understand what Jesus meant so Jesus makes a slight change to His illustration… and it’s within this next picture that we see our second Gospel Truth

2. The Good Shepherd gives life to His sheep.

Old Testament scholar Sir George Adam Smith tells a story of when he was traveling through Palestine and came across a shepherd and his sheep. During their conversation, the shepherd showed him the pen into which he led his sheep at night. It consisted of four walls, with one open space. Sir George asked the shepherd whether that opening was how the sheep got in. “Yes,” said the shepherd, “and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe.” “But there is no door,” said Sir George. “I am the door,” said the shepherd. He explained, “When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in the open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door.” (2)

Jesus refers to this shepherding practice in v. 7

John 10:7–10 (CSB)

The way to life can only be found through the body of Christ, which He offered for our sins on the cross....and all who enter through Him …they find eternal safety and abundant life. Jesus…He's not one of many gates but He is the one and only gate. Friend....the point is this….the sheepfold of God has one entrance…in other words...salvation is through faith in Christ Jesus alone.

Notice that Jesus says that He is the gate…or the door. I am so thankful he didn’t say, “I am the wall” or “I am the ladder that you have top work really hard to climb up to earn God’s favor.” No! He says, I am the door and those who enter by faith are immediately received and given an abundant…everlasting life.

Notice also that Jesus does not say, “ I am the door and all who have a good reputation…come from a good family…or has lived a decently moral life..those folks can enter by me and be saved.” NO! Look back at v.8 Jesus says, “If anyone enters by me will be saved.” Jesus is the only way to salvation but this door is open to absolutely everyone. The gospel is genuinely and freely offered to any and all.

Anyone means…anyone…It means the moral person who has never committed notorious sins but realizes that his heart has regularly broken God’s holy law. It means the selfish person who has lived for himself, using others and taking advantage of opportunities to sin. It means those who have had one foot in the church but have never made a true commitment. It means you who are broken by the hardship of life and hear the Shepherd’s voice calling in their hearts. “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved,”

Friend....this morning Jesus is offering you life that comes only by faith in Him.... and there will never be a better time to enter through Christ than right now.

But maybe you are thinking......, "How can anyone enter God’s fold through faith in Jesus?” And that’s a great question…especially considering what Jesus says in John 6:37

John 6:37 (CSB)

37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.

According to this verse …it’s only those who were chosen by the Father who are saved? Is the Bible contradicting itself? No. Not at all!....We are just being shown two sides of the same coin.

Imagine with me for a moment that the cross has a door in it. …and.....all you are asked to do is to go through. On one side, the side facing you, there is written an invitation: ‘If anyone enters by me will be saved.’ You stand there with your sin upon you and wonder if you should enter or not. Finally you do, and as you do the burden of your sin drops away. You are safe and free. Joyfully you then turn around and see written on the backside of the cross, through which you have now entered, the words ‘Chosen in him before the foundation of the world.”

You see…not only does God know your name....He knew you before the foundation of the Earth and He called you and He gifted you with faith and He enabled you to believe on Christ and respond to the call of the Gospel.

Brothers and Sisters Jesus is the good shepherd and all who enter the fold of God through faith in Christ are saved…and are given an abundant and eternal life that is safe and secure. Jesus…protects us from the danger from sin and corruption.

Charles Spurgeon told a story of some travelers on the Russian plains who were pursued by wolves. Their horses were rushing forward madly, with the savage beasts hot on their heels. They barely made it to some huts into which the travelers all rushed. Immediately, they could hear the wolves crashing against the sides and leaping on the roof, howling and thrashing, but they could not get in. Spurgeon writes,

“Now, when a man is in Christ, he can hear, as it were, the devils howling like wolves, all fierce and hungry for him; and his own sins, like wolves, are seeking to drag him down to destruction. But he has got in to Christ, and that is such a shelter that all the devils in the world, if they were to come at once, could not [dislodge] a single beam of that eternal refuge.”

You see....through faith in Christ we enter a salvation that is made eternally secure by the precious blood of Jesus who gave His life in our place so that we might have life…and not just life ...but abundant life… a fully satisfied life in the green pasture of God’s amazing grace, love, and mercy. THis leads us now top the third gospel truth....which is...

3. The Good Shepherd dies for His sheep

Look at verses 11 through 18 and notice …that in these final verses...Jesus promises to lay down His life five times....

John 10:11–18 (CSB)

Friends…Jesus is the hero of the story…He is the Good Shepherd who went far beyond merely risking His life for His sheep but He willingly…voluntarily…and sacrificially laid down His own life for His sheep.

Now…look back at v.11 and underline or make note of the preposition “For” .... this small word points us to Christ’s substitutionary atonement. You see…Jesus’s death was an actual atonement…it was a payment that fully satisfied God’s wrath upon the sins of all who would believe.

And it’s because of His love for you that He gave His life.....you see…Jesus says in v.12 that He is not a hired hand that runs at the first sight of danger....the hired hand saw three wolves coming and he bailed on the sheep…But Jesus…he saw those wolves rushing in toward the pen.....But he did not run away…friend Jesus will not bail on you…rather he stepped between you and those three wolves called sin, judgement, and death and he gave His life to protect you. You see..He didn’t just let the wolves tear Him apart so that you would you could see how much he loved you…that’s only part of it.....He died because you were in real danger....He died in your place so that through His death you could be saved.

But as John Piper says..... this story doesn't end with a mangled shepherd laying dead among wolves..and sheep scattered in the desert. Jesus’s death defeated sin and death and judgement because he did not stay dead…but He broke those wolves jaws when he rose from the grave.

Brothers and Sisters…Our Good Shepherd is Victorious. He is risen. And He is alive!!! Look to Him and find all that you need. Find rest in being fully known and fully loved. Find satisfaction in the abundance that only He can provide. Find security and safety in the life that only He can provide. When we are thirsty He gives us the water of life. When we are hungry He gives us bread. When we are tired He lays us down beside still waters and leads us into green pastures. When we are afraid He comforts us with His presence.

And friend..if you are here and you have not entered through the gate....This morning...Jesus....your Good Shepherd is calling you by name. Heed His call and follow Him and when you do you will find that goodness and mercy will follow you for all the days of your life and when this life ends you will dwell with Him forever.