John 10:11-21
Notes
Transcript
The Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd.
Good evening my friends, how wonderful it is to see you my friends.
Last week we hosted the Youth Sports Camp, which is a multi church effort working alongside of HOPE and ISF.
We had a great camp, 80+ children each day and we saw 6 children give their lives to Christ and many more make other decisions for our Lord.
It was a wonderful time, we are so blessed to be apart of this great work.
Now, tonight we are glad to be back here and with this the gospel of John looking at the Great I Am’s of Christ, and tonight in particular we examine the theme where Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd.
Now this one is interesting because Jesus has already been teaching about who he is as the gate to the sheep fold that we looked at two weeks ago..
And so He has just completed that saying when he announces that He is the Good Shepherd. And as Jesus says this… I am the Good shepherd, there is a full rich meaning for it...
So lets start...
I am the Good Shepherd..
Jesus stops and takes the time to identify himself as the one who care for the sheep, and is the ultimate owner, the one who has possession of them.
Look with me at verses 11-13 John 10:11-13
11 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 does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
So think about what Jesus is saying here. He says I am the good shepherd… this is an important saying but it tells us more..
What is a shepherd? A shepherd is the one who cares for the animals (herding animals like sheep) that have been placed into his care.
That means that as the owner, you serve them, you lead them all through the year, from the pasture lands far away until they come toward winter and are finally back in their own fields. The Shepherd sacrificially serves the sheep.
One of the best books is a Shepherd’s look at the 23rd Psalm, the author really takes the time of pointing out what all a shepherd does in caring for the sheep.
One thing I remember is that the shepherd does not need them into areas that he has not examined himself. At times, even on his hands and knees up-rooting plants that could be dangerous to the sheep’s own health.
So the word “good” here in the Greek is the word, “kalos”, and here is really describes the role of the shepherd, the shepherd, who is Jesus is the one who is self giving, laying down his life even for the sheep.
So Jesus says here very matter of fact here, I Am, I am the good shepherd.
The one who is the creator and sustainer of the universe, he is the one who owns the sheep and thus as a parent cares for a child so He cares for his sheep.
He says verse 11 John 10:11
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Jesus says I am he! And The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… So the very nature that he is good, tells us what he does… He lays down his life for the sheep.
Listening to David in the old testament, we know that there was a time where he said that he fought against the lion and the bear and prevailed..
Why did that have to happen? Well these predators sought to kill, devour the sheep. The shepherd in turn would fight for them, protect them and would fight to the death if necessary.. why? The sheep were important, valuable and a blessing to the family.
Jesus says he lays down his life… we know he did this..
He gave his life as a sacrifice for sin, taking our place and offering his life as a substitution for us, taking our place, our punishment and yes our sin upon himself.
We understand that Jesus died for us, He gave his life that we might have life. I think we can all agree on his.....right
So he lays his life down for the sheep in contrast to others..
Look at what Jesus says next… I lay my life down for the sheep, the hired hand, others will not...
verse 12-13 John 10:12-13
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
So Jesus says the hired hand would not care for and protect the sheep… Why
These people were often called “watchers of the sheep.”
They were people who were hired to help watch over the sheep at times so the the owner and or family members could go or attend to other matters.
But they do not own the sheep…the premise that Jesus makes is that, if the sheep belonged to them, they would act differently.
But since they do not own the sheep, they will not sacrifice their life, their safety for the sheep.
You see my friends, when the enemy comes, here in this story, the wolf shows us… the hired hand, the watcher of the sheep flees..
Also, these watchers can point to the religious leaders of the day, they cared nothing for the people, they only used the people for their own benefit.
As Jesus worked and healed they should have rejoiced at the things that took place, bu tthey did not...
Why? The sheep are not theirs and they will not sacrifice themselves for the sheep. In contrast, the shepherd is self sacrificing on behalf for the sheep.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Even Caiaphas the high priest at the time, prophesfied unknowingly… Listen to John 11:50-52
50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
And then later in John 18:14
14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
The Shepherd is willing to lay down his life for the sheep, for they are his and most certainly they are important.
But listen to this, when the wolf comes, he snatches them, and scatters the sheep.
Listen to Ezek 34:5
5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
8 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep,
These are false shepherds, Remember Jesus said that any of those who tried to come into the sheep fold by any other way other than the gate is a theif and a robber.
They are false shepherds who seek to only help themselves.. Listen to Ezek 34:1-5
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;
These are the false shepherds that Jesus is speaking about here...Remember verse 13 John 10:13
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
But now Jesus transitions to a new point,
The Shepherd knows His sheep
in contrast to the false shepherd, whom the sheep will not follow. They will follow the true shepherd because they know his voice and he calls them by name
Listen to John 10:14-15
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; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
So Jesus confesses, I am the good shepherd. I am the shepherd that is good, remember the good is self sacrificing, he is the shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep.
We have already discussed this part. Yet to tell us again, the emphasis is a wonderful reality that He doesnt want us to forget it.
But look at this, he continues to say I know my own and my own know me.... verse 14b. The word for know here isn’t just someone is who an acquaintance, rather it is an intimate knowledge, a love that is between family.
I know my children and my children know me… I can say that… there is knowledge there, love there and we care for one another, you and your families could identify with that...
This is what Jesus is speaking of here, but it is much deeper, he knows the head and heart of the person.
We see it spiritually demonstrated in verse 15 John 10:15
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
So we understand the relationship between the Father and Son.... listen to this in John 10:30
30 I and the Father are one.”
Do you think the Son and Father know each other? Yes, they are one....then we can know who God is as the good shepherd who cares for us.
In fact the end of verse 15 says what I lay down my life for the sheep.
The new community of believers is based on the death of Jesus. Jesus laid down his life for the church...
The Son of God who poured out his life for us on the cross has brought life to us, He took away the sins of the world and gave us life, a relationship with him and the father and a future hope....
Now lets look at verse 16...
16 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.
What does he mean by this… ???
Well remember Jesus here is speaking to the Jewish community. The gospel has not gone to the gentile world completely just yet.
One of my favorite verses is Rom 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
God sent the son for the whole world, not just the children of Israel.
A day is coming when both Jew and Gentile would gather as one church, this is the oneness of the flock.
The old saying is that ground is level at the foot of the cross, it is there for all to come, Jew and Gentile alike.
Someone once said “The oneness comes from sharing the life of the one God in his Son by his Spirit.”
Now let me share these last two verses with you, verses 17 and 18
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 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.”
Without a doubt the Father loves the Son, I think without him even being a sacrifice, he loves the Son.
But with the rest of the verse, Jesus makes it clear that no one takes his life from him. He lays it down of his own accord.
The phrase of my own accord translates that it is His actions …from myself he does this....
Those who oppose him have no power to take his life, man cannot kill God…Human agenda do not determine the actions of God.
darkness might look like it wins, but it does not.. Even Pilate thought he had all authority, But Jesus makes it clear in John 19:10-11
10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
Human agents can be those who work within the power of God to determine his will and actions. God allowed all these characters to be a work in order that His will might be made complete..
That he would indeed lay down His life for his sheep
Jesus is the good shepherd.