He Knew and He did it Anyway

Relatable Stories

If you guys are paying attention at all, you have become very familiar w/ my preaching style.

I teach a passage from the bible. And, each passage has one main thing that God wants us to get. If we get the main thing from the beginning, we will be able to apply something in the end.

There are a number of possible applications to every sermon. I try to get you to think of a few. You may come up w/ one on your own. But, it’s important to get the big idea from the beginning.

So, I start out w/ a story, an illustration, figure of speech, that we can all relate to. Often times, it’s a story from my life, or our experiences that we share.

If there’s a message you need to get from this passage, then there’s a message I need to get, personally before I can preach it. God’s teaching me before He’s teaching you thru what I say.

Take the last few weeks for example.

Last week, I opened with a list of products that never worked like their manufacturer thought they would.

The 1957 Edsel. Never worked. Ford lost hundreds of millions of dollars on that.

New Coke. Some marketer in the company had a hair-brained idea they needed to change their formula. It bombed. It wasn’t long before they re-introduced the old formula as Coke Classic. It still dominates the soft drink market today.

The point being, it is much harder to bring to life something that never lived than it is something that used to have life but for whatever reason lost it.

The Edsel never lived. Old Coke did, so it was easier to bring it back.

Jesus proved He could do the harder thing when He gave a man the ability to see who had been born blind. Also, the man never lived, that is, never had faith until after the miracle. Jesus brought him to life at the same time he turned the lights on for the man. He was blind, but then he could see.

2 weeks ago, I started out w/ a breathing exercise.

Deep cleansing breath. Slowly. In thru your nose, out thru your mouth. Oxygenate your blood, your brain, and your body. It has a significant positive impact on your ability to think, feel, and do better things.

Jesus frees us from the things that bind us up and weigh us down so we can breathe and experience freedom to think, feel, and do better.

He frees us from our old nature, sin. He frees from having to exhibit the characteristics of Satan. And, He frees us from death.

We can think better, feel better, and do better b/c we are not weighed down by the things that keep us in the darkness.

3 weeks ago I talked about how dangerous it is to walk in the darkness.

We all get up to go the bathroom in the night. I’ve tripped over my dog. We had a couple in the church when we got here 9 years ago. She got up in the night, tripped over her dog, did a header into the wall and broke her neck. We need nightlights to avoid the trouble.

We know bad guys like the darkness. So we have motion censor lights outside around our house and car.

Jesus is the Light that lights up our life so we can see to follow Him, find God, and be saved.

Jesus Lights up our life, lightens our load, and gives life to those who had never lived before.

That’s my style. It’s not rocket science. I was trained like so many other preachers. And even Jesus uses this method.

Jesus uses illustrations, figures of speech, parables, stories that connect his listeners to His big idea from the beginning. If they understand what He’s teaching from the beginning, the better they will be able to apply it in the end.

Every passage in the Bible has something for us that, if we apply it, it will make our lives better. We will think, feel, and do better; bringing less trouble to us.

It’s not that we won’t have any trouble. We won’t apply it perfectly every time. But, the more we do, the better do.

Jesus wants us to understand the difference in how a shepherd treats and how everyone else treats us. And, He’s the best at shepherding us.

With the Holy Spirit’s help and Jesus’ opening illustration, we can understand what He’s teaching us from the beginning so we can better apply in the end.

Let’s get into it. This illustration comes from John 10. Jesus tells us right up front that He is our Shepherd and there are benefits to us having Him as our Shepherd.

Shepherd

John 10:1–6 NIV

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

This passage also connects clearly w/ the previous passage. The Pharisees were flabbergasted by Jesus. Stating, “Are you saying we’re blind? We can see perfectly.”

Jesus implied, Exactly. You think you can see. Those who know they cannot, will ask for help and Jesus will give them the ability to see things they had never been able to see before. Not physically, but spiritually and intuitively.

The Pharisees were supposed to be the shepherds of the ppl, leading them to God. But they had abdicated that role.

Jesus tells them this story using the figure of speech about sheep and their shepherd. Everyone in that culture would understand exactly what He was talking about regarding sheep and the shepherd. But the Pharisees still had trouble with the application in the end.

I have to be careful about too many sports illustration. If you’re not a sports fan, the story will not connect so well and you may have trouble relating to the point of the story.

We can all relate to stories about living in a forrest, fires in the summer and snow and ice in the winter. But, those who winter in the valley have a different perspective on snow and the emergency shelter than those who are here in the winter. I’ve got to careful to make sure you can all relate to one story. Or tell two that will connect w/ all of you.

Everyone in c.1 could connect to sheep and a shepherd. The average Jewish person there would have had at least one lamb. Or, they were in a business that was ovine related. The Pharisees were even in the sheep business.

The Xmas story when the angels showed up to the shepherds watching their flocks by night. Those sheep in Bethlehem were the sheep that would be sold in the temple marketplace that upcoming Passover.

For travelers who came to Jerusalem for the Passover and did not bring a lamb w/ them to sac., they would need to buy one from the official flock of approved lambs. The Pharisees oversaw and knew the lamb business as well as anyone.

The story. There is a pen in the village where several flocks are kept overnight. There is a night watchman for security. But the pen is in the village, close to home.

In the morning, each shepherd would come to that pen to collect his sheep for the day. The night watchman would let the shepherd in the gate. He would call his sheep to him.

They would know His voice. Maybe he had a distinctive whistle, or click. His own would recognize him and the rest would run to the back of the pen.

Each shepherd knew his sheep by name. He knew their personality. They knew him. He would lead them out for the day to their pasture for grass and water.

The shepherd would lead the sheep to the place where they would enjoy all the benefits of being in his flock.

The shepherd comes thru the gate. Anyone who climbs over the fence is a threat. They are not there for the sheep’s benefit. They are there for their own benefit. The sheep will suffer if the thief gets his hands on it.

The night watchmen will be watching for thieves and not let them in the main gate. They will face restrictions from full access to the sheep. They may get in, but the guard will force them out before they can do too much damage.

Jesus did not come out and say it, but what He is implying is He is the Shepherd of the ppl and the Pharisees are the thieves and robbers.

Jesus came to lead us places for our benefit. The Pharisees come to take advantage and use the sheep for their benefit.

Jesus is the Light that leads us where it’s best for us to go. He knows us personally. He knows us intimately. We know His voice.

BTW, do you recognize when Jesus is speaking to you? Can you discern the voice of God from w/in when the HS speaks?

Or, can you understand what you’re studying or reading in your bible?

Followers of Jesus, who know Jesus, know His voice and follow His lead to the best places for us to be.

The Pharisees didn’t get this. They don’t recognize the voice of God. Nor do they get the meaning and understanding that the voice is communicating.

So, Jesus shifts gears and offers another perspective on the sheep and the shepherd figure of speech.

Security Gate

John 10:7–10 NIV

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Now Jesus says He’s not just the shepherd, but He’s also the gate.

Once the shepherd took His flock out to pasture, they are on their own. He would have built another pen out by the pasture. Each shepherd had his own pasture and built his own pen for his own sheep.

The shepherd would sit in the gate of that pen and keep watch over his sheep.

The sheep would have the freedom to roam, come and go, as long as it was safe for them to do so. They could wander wherever they wanted to eat the grass in their pasture. If they wandered too far, the shepherd would call them back. If they got in trouble, he would go get them and bring them back.

Thieves and robbers don’t care if the sheep get into trouble. They would let them go if they had already taken what they wanted.

These thieves and robbers that Jesus is illustrating, came before Him and the sheep were not following them.

The general feeling about the religious leadership at the time was they were arrogant, controlling, guilt-motivating, aloof, and unconcerned w/ the conditions of the ppl. The were more concerned that the ppl would do what they said than making sure the ppl had what they needed.

W/ the sheep freely coming and going around the pasture felt secure w/ the shepherd in sight in the gate of the pen. If a threat came, and in the c.1 the threats included; wolves, lions, bears, jackals, panthers, leopards, hyenas, and other unscrupulous ppl. There was plenty to watch out for that could do serious harm to the sheep.

If a threat appeared, the sheep would make a bee line for their pen and the shepherd would save them. Whatever threatened them, he would ward it off and the sheep would be safe.

The shepherd makes sure the sheep are not only safe, but remain fat and happy.

This does not mean we won’t ever get hurt. We will. We live in a world filled w/ danger. But when we do get hurt, our shepherd stays w/ us and nurses our wounds until we are healthy again.

Here, Jesus clearly says He is the shepherd. And he came so that His sheep would be saved, have life, and have it to the fullest extent. That is, completely contented, satisfied, all their needs met and many of their wants.

This is the abundant life that Jesus provides us, not just when we leave this life, but while we are still here.

Freedom. He has freed us, liberated us from the tight bindings of evil and darkness that had kept us from enjoying all that He has for us. We can get out into the green pastures and still waters and breathe deeply of the life-giving oxygen He led us to. He stands at the gate, as the gate, protecting us from the human threats as well as the animals that would come to do harm to us.

That was not the priority of the religious leadership at the time. You can imagine that the steam is beginning to rise w/in these leaders listening to Jesus as if He’s making no sense. Why would He be subjecting them to this story? What’s your point.

Jesus just raised the ante and turned up the heat as He continued in this story. Not only is He the Shepherd and the Gate; He’s also the Good Shepherd. No one compares to Him and all that He does for us.

The Good Shepherd

John 10:11–13 NIV

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

The word ‘good’ means, noble, worthy, more capable than any other. In some cultures, shepherds were seen as soft, couldn’t do anything else in life so they settled for sheep. Not so here.

Think Schwarzenegger, Rambo, Rocky, Jack Bauer, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, Batman, Superman, Ironman, Capt. America, Wonder woman, and Xena all wrapped up into one.

Incomparable. None better, more powerful, stronger, or capable. Jesus was once called Good Teacher by someone who had a Q for him. Meaning, the same thing.

Jesus is not just our shepherd, He is our good shepherd. There is none like Him.

Omnipotent. Omniscient. Omnipresent. Sovereign. This is our Shepherd who is also our Gate.

He came knowing what this was going to cost Him. He came willingly and intentionally to do whatever it took to save us. No matter the threat. He would eagerly and willingly go out to face it.

And, there is no greater threat to us than death. Jesus came and took it on head on, and won for us.

B/C of the relationship Jesus has w/ us, He will never dessert us.

Thieves, robbers, hired hands are not here for our good. They take and they run. Jesus stays w/ us.

When we hurt, he hurt w/ us. When we’re happy, He’s happy for us.

He’s always there to hold you in his arms, kiss your booboos, and wipe away your tears.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and He lays down His life for us.

And He knew what this would cost Him and He did it anyway. He did it willingly and intentionally.

Anybody make any sacrifices like this for you? Jesus did.

What makes Jesus our Good Shepherd and our gate? 1st, He is a faithful Son.

Faithful Son

John 10:14–18 NIV

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to 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 authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Here, Jesus gets into the basis for Him being our Good Shepherd. It begins w/ Him being a faithful Son.

Jesus is closer to His Father than we are. He is so close b/c of His commitment to stay faithful and obedient to Him. He bel’s in His father. He bel’s is Father is better than He is. So, He also bel’s in His Father’s plan.

God sent His son to be our Good Shepherd and face down our greatest threat. God knew what He was doing when He sent His son to do it. And Jesus knew what He was getting into when He accepted the challenge.

The crux was no accident. God was not caught off guard by the actions of the Romans and temple leadership. This did not happen outside His control.

This was part of the plan. It was part of the plan from before the time Adam and Eve corrupted our DNA necessitating the redemptive work of God to restore our position in the presence of God.

Our free will broke it. God’s plan restored it.

Jesus knew full will what this meant for Him. He also knew His resurrection was was part of the plan. He had to die for 2 reasons. First, He had to take our punishment for us. But second, He couldn’t come back to life if He didn’t lose His life in the first place.

The second part of God’s plan was Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus knew death was not His end. Neither is it ours.

Jesus did not hesitate to obey His Father and carry out the plan b/c of His desire to please and obey His Father. He knew He’d live again. He knows we do, too.

Jesus faced down our greatest threat and won. He lost His life. It looked like He lost everything, Satan won. But when Jesus walked out of His grave, He proved He successfully defeated our greatest threat. Death will not beat us, either.

We will leave this life. Something will take us. It will probably hurt. But Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, will stay w/ us, nurse our wounds, and restore us to health.

Sometimes He does it on this side, sometimes He does on the other side. But everyone of His sheep lives again.

Jesus was aware of how it was going to play out from the beginning. His attitude was to be the best Son of God He could be and that included being out Good Shepherd, the best Shepherd He could be and the best we could ever have.

We have the freedom the come and go b/c He lightened our load freed us from the things that bind us and weigh us down. He came to be the Light that leads to the best places for us and protect us while we are there.

All this b/c He is first and foremost a faithful Son to His Father.

We’re certainly not worth this. He didn’t do it for us. He did it for His Father and for Himself. We just get the benefit of his faithful obedience.

Jesus used a story, an illustration, figure of speech that those listening to Him in c.1 would easily understand. For us, it requires a little more work.

But for anyone to fully get what He’s saying here from the beginning in order to apply it in the end, we first must be his sheep. We must decide to become a follower of X, making Him our Master, Lord, Savior, and Good Shepherd.

Applications

Memorize

There are 2 verses in this passage worthy of you considering memorizing.

John 10:10 NIV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:11 NIV

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Commit these to memory and they will comfort you when you are facing a serious threat here in this life. Fill you mind w/ the Word of God and be comforted when you need it most.

Jesus Knows You

He knows your name. In fact, He knows the name of all the stars. Have you looked up at night lately?

He knows you personally and intimately. He know things about you, you don’t even know. He knows things about you no one else knows.

Sometimes we feel all alone. We might be in a crowd of 100 ppl and still feel alone. We may feel like no one understands, knows what we’re going, and doesn’t care to find out.

He knows your voice. Do you know His? You know His unique way of calling you? It may be a word, a whistle, or a click. It may be a nudge, poke, or a prod.

This is what a shepherd does. By knowing His sheep, knowing what to call them and how to call them, he leads them to the places that benefit them most.

Listen for His voice and follow Him b/c He knows the best place for you.

Your Best Place

Jesus has you in your best place. He has protected you from things you don’t know anything about. You have no idea how bad it could have been. He’s got you.

He’s with you. He’s not worried about you. Are you worried about you?

W/ all that Jesus knows, and He’s not worried, why would you be. Relax. He’s got you in ways you don’t even know about.

We’re not worth what He did for us. He didn’t do it for us. He did it for His Father and for Himself. We just get the benefit of his faithful obedience.

Jesus uses illustrations, figures of speech, parables, stories that connect his listeners to His big idea from the beginning. If we understand what He’s teaching from the beginning, the better we will be able to apply it in the end.

Every passage in the Bible has something for us that, if we apply it, it will make our lives better. We will think, feel, and do better; bringing less trouble to us.

It’s not that we won’t have any trouble. We won’t apply it perfectly every time. But, the more we do, the better do.

Jesus wants us to understand the difference in how a shepherd treats and how everyone else treats us. And, He’s the best at shepherding us.

With the Holy Spirit’s help and Jesus’ opening illustration, we can understand what He’s teaching us from the beginning so we can better apply in the end.