Jesus: The Great I Am-Good Shepherd-PM

We read in Exodus 3:13–15 (LSB) [That at the burning bush] Moses said to God, “Behold, I am about to come to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 And God furthermore said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation.

Thus, God identified Himself to Moses and to us as Yahweh, the “I Am.”

The names Yahweh and “I am” come from the same root Hebrew word and is the personal name of the living God found 6,823 times in the Old Testament.

Yahweh is God’s redemptive, covenant-keeping name, called THE Name (Lev. 24:11, 16) and “this glorious and awesome name” (Deut. 28:58).

To Moses, God revealed the meaning of his personal name “Yahweh” by connecting it with the Hebrew phrase, usually translated “I am,” though it is better translated “I will be.”

In Exodus 3:12 God said, “I will be (ehyeh) with you.” Then in verse 14 God went on to say, “I am who I am,” or, “I will be what I will be.”

The form of the Hebrew word used by God to identify Himself to Moses indicates action going on.

Thus, we can understand God to be saying:

“I will show you who and what I am by who and what I will be to you, for I will be with you.”

God was saying to Moses, “I want to be known to you and all Israel as the God who is present and active.”

Yahweh and “I am” reflects the promise of God’s constant presence with His people (cf. v. 12; see Ge 2:4, note).

It expresses His faithful love and care and His desire to bring people into a right relationship with Himself.

This relates to the basic covenant promise God made in Genesis 17:7, “I will be your God” (see Ge 17:7, note; Ps 46).

And in the passage I just read from Exodus the Lord states that Yahweh, the “I Am” will be His name forever

Jesus is The “I Am”

Therefore, it is extremely significant that Jesus said in John 8:58: “before Abraham was, I Am.”

By making that statement Jesus is stating unequivocally that He is God.

So this evening, right off the bat, I am asking us to decide:

Who is Jesus to me?

Is He God, as He declares by making His “I Am statement in John 8:58?

Do I see Him that way? Do I see Jesus as God?

If not, why not?

May the Holy Spirit keep us from the error so often found in this world?

That Jesus was just a man.

That Jesus was a good man, a good teacher, a defender of women and children?

As I have mentioned a few times, C.S. Lewis reminds us that …

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with a man who says he is a poached egg—or else he’d be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.

C. S. Lewis

I don’t quite see how we can read the Gospels and say Jesus was just another man when He:

Healed the sick

Cast out demons

Taught the multitudes with authority

Jesus raised the dead.

So, rather than ever seeing Jesus as “just a man” I ask us to believe what Jesus said of Himself - that He is God.

The second decision I ask us make this morning relates to the revelation that Jesus is God.

If we say that we believe that Jesus is God, are we living in obedience to Him?

Luke 6:46 (LSB) [Jesus asked:] “Now why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

How can we call Jesus, Yahweh and not do as He says?

Matthew 7:21 (LSB) [Jesus said:] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

Not everyone who calls Jesus, Yahweh, or God, means what they say.

Only those who demonstrate their faith through the action of obedience.

ONLY those who mean it when they say, “Jesus is God,” who demonstrate that belief through OBEDIENCE to the WILL of God, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The “I Am” statements of Jesus in John’s Gospel

So, in John 8:58 we have the foundation for the rest of the 8 “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John.

The “I Ams” of the Gospel of John:

Which total 9 when you count the original John 8:58 passage

The 9 “I AM” statements of John’s gospel are:

“I am” (8:58)

2. “I am … the bread of life” (6:35).

3. “I am … the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5).

4. “I am … the gate” (10:7, 9).

5. “I am the good shepherd” (10:11).

6. “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25).

7. “I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6).

8. “I am the true vine” (15:1).

9. “I am the Messiah” (4:26 NLT)

Let’s look at the 5th “I am” from John’s Gospel:

John 10:11–15 (LSB) [Where Jesus says:] “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches and scatters them— 13 because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

John 10:27 (LSB) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

From the time of Abraham, Israel was known as a people who raised sheep.

Therefore it was a part of the daily experience of the Jews that Jesus was talking to, to know the characteristics of the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.

It was a natural development that the term “shepherd” should be used to represent a spiritual overseer who would care for his congregation in much the same way as a shepherd would care for his sheep.

It was also a fulfillment of prophecy that Jesus would be a Shepherd to His people:

Isaiah 40:11 (LSB) Like a shepherd He will shepherd His flock; In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

Here in John 10 Jesus speaks of the shepherd and the sheep, the sheepfold and the door. He refers also to hirelings and strangers, thieves and robbers. And then He explained: “I am the Good Shepherd...”

Last year in May I preached on how 1 Peter 5:1-4 reveals Jesus as the Chief Shepherd:

1 Peter 5:1–4 (LSB) Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, 2 shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing not under compulsion, but willingly, according to God; and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The Chief Shepherd leads His under-shepherds.

He is the One to whom I look for leading “the flock of God among you.”

But, this afternoon, let’s see Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

Let’s hear 2 things Jesus says about His role as the Good Shepherd of the flock of God.

The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life

First of all, Jesus doesn’t just SPEAK of His love for us — He DEMONSTRATES His love.

He demonstrated His love for us by dying on the Cross in our place.

WE deserved to die a horrible death for our sin and rebellion against God.

He did not. As Hebrews 4:15 (NLT) … [Jesus] faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.

But the Good shepherd died for us:

Romans 5:8 (LSB) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Even while we were rebels, obstinate sinners, completely undeserving and in fact — not even WANTING His love — even then Jesus died for us.

As John 10:12 & 13 says:

If He had been a “hired hand” like the Scribes and Pharisees, He would have run from that death on the Cross.

But He didn’t!

He proves His place in our lives as the One who created us by dying in our place.

The Good Shepherd Knows and Is Known By His Own

How do we respond to such sacrificial love?

How do we respond to the knowledge that He KNOWS us?

2 Timothy 2:19 (LSB) Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS,” …

If we would respond correctly, we will surrender to His will and we will follow Him.

Like the old hymn says:

Where He leads me I will follow

I'll go with Him with Him all the way

Do You KNOW the Good Shepherd?

Jesus is the “I am,” He is Yahweh. He is God.

As the “I Am” Jesus tells us: “I Am … the Good Shepherd.”

As you hear what Jesus said about His role as the Good Shepherd to His sheep, where do you fit in?

Maybe you are listening to this video and you say:

“I don’t know Jesus as the Good Shepherd of my life — but I want to!”

The Holy Spirit is pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus — He laid down His life — for you and for me.

He’s reminding us of Jesus’ love, not just spoken, but DEMONSTRATED.

The Spirit is also telling you how to respond.

It is to pray:

Heavenly Father, I have been a rebel and a sinner — I repent of those things and ask you to forgive me.

By faith I believe 1 John 1:9 [That says:] “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Or, maybe your response is: I know Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but I am not following Him in obedience as I should.

Tonight, let’s seek the Good Shepherd’s guidance for right now.

And as He reveals His will, let’s decide to surrender to His will in our lives.

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