Full Sermon Jesus is the Good and Caring Shepherd based on John 10:11-18

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. We hear many different things. We regularly hear many different things. Some things we hear are bad things. Bad things like the destruction caused by tornadoes and floods and wars. Other things we hear are good things. Good things like people helping the needy and giving others hope and showing others compassion. Each one of us hears a number of different words today in the worship service. We do not work to listen to everything and understand everything we hear. Some things we hear are more interesting to hear than others. Or our minds can wander and think about things that are not even a part of the worship service.

II. We listen more to those who care and to Jesus. We tend to listen more carefully to those who care about us. If we do not think someone cares about us, then why would we want to listen to them. Someone who is good and caring is someone we want to listen to in life. Our Gospel lesson today in John 10 tells us about Jesus. Jesus tells us that He is our good and caring shepherd. Jesus is someone worth listening to today.

III. People then heard from prophets of old. The people in the time of Jesus had heard from many spiritual leaders. They heard from Moses and the other prophets in the Old Testament Scriptures. They heard the Words of the Lord from the prophets like Isaiah, Daniel, and Jeremiah. Those prophets had written down the things the Lord wanted to have them know. The people looked at the Old Testament Scriptures as loving and caring words from the Lord to them.

IV. Most Pharisees were self-centered then. Most of the Pharisees and religious teachers of that time were thinking more of their popularity than anything else. They wanted the people to look up to them. They wanted the people to listen to them. They wanted the people to praise them to others.

V. Jesus was different. Jesus was different from the Pharisees and religious teachers of that time. Jesus cared about the people. Jesus was not interested in winning any popularity contests. Jesus wanted the people to know that He was a good and caring shepherd.

VI. Read John 10:11a and talk about bad shepherds. Jesus in John 10:11 told the people: “I am the Good Shepherd.” Most of the Pharisees and religious teachers were bad shepherds. They cared more about themselves than they cared about the people around them. They were like a hired hand who does not care about the sheep and runs away from the sheep in times of danger. They were willing to leave the sheep defenseless when the wolf came among them. Unlike the bad shepherds, Jesus cared deeply about the people who were wandering about like a sheep without a shepherd.

VII. Read John 10:11 and talk about Jesus’ caring ways. Jesus described His caring attitude for the people by stating in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Now that is the kind of teacher to listen carefully to. Usually, a good shepherd would try to defend the sheep against wolves that wanted to attack them. Laying down His life for the sheep is something above and beyond the job of most shepherds. A hired hand runs away from the sheep when the going gets difficult. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is willing to die for the sheep.

VIII. Jesus came to give His life for all people. Jesus came to show His care for the sheep of the world, people all over the world, by giving His life for them. Jesus came to suffer and die on behalf of the people of the world. Jesus came to suffer and die to set people free from their biggest problems of sin and wrongdoing. Jesus came to give His life as a ransom payment for the sinners and wrongdoers of the world.

IX. Read John 10:17-18 and talk about Holy Week. Jesus did not come only to give His life for the sheep. John 10:17-18 tells us, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” Jesus was not planning to stay in the grave. Jesus not only laid down His life, but He took His life up again. Jesus knew that He would die on the cross on Good Friday, but He also knew that He would rise to new life on Easter Sunday morning. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life on Good Friday. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, took His life up again on Easter Sunday morning. Jesus knew what He needed to do to save the lost sheep of the world. He needed to die for and rise for each one of the lost sheep of the world—past, present, and future.

X. Read John 10:16 and talk about “other sheep.” Jesus did not only die and rise for the scattered sheep of the house of Israel of that time. Jesus died and arose for the scattered sheep of the people of every nation and people as well. John 10:16 is an important key verse in today’s Gospel lesson, where Jesus said: “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” We are some of those “other sheep.” We believe Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He laid down His life for us and took up His life again for us. He cares for us. That is why we listen to His voice. The Christian Church throughout the world is the one flock under the one shepherd, Jesus. All who believe in Jesus know that He cares for us. We all listen to His voice by listening to the things the Bible teaches us about our Good Shepherd.

XI. Old Testament word pictures of God as Good Shepherd. The Old Testament gives us some amazing word pictures of God as our Good Shepherd. Psalm 23:1-3 tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Isaiah 40:11 states, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Ezekiel 34:12 tells us, “As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.”

XII. Read Hebrews 13:11-12 and sum up. In the New Testament Hebrews 13:11-12 tells us, “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.”

To sum up, Jesus is our Good and Caring Shepherd. He laid down His life and took up His life again for sheep like you and me. Jesus is the One we want to listen to and learn from every single day. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.