The Mission of the Good Shepherd

Read

John 10:14–21 (ESV)

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. 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. 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.”

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Opening Prayer

Our Union with Christ

John 10:14 (ESV)

14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

This verse is detailing the intimate union and knowledge that Christ has with His sheep.

We are told it is a reciprocating intimate knowledge.

We know Him like He knows us.

These words express the close and intimate union there is between Christ and all His believing people.

We have a union with Christ and we know it, we feel it.

To the world, such a relationship and such a knowledge of such as relationship is foolishness.

Our Lord, like a good earthly shepherd, knows every one of his people.

He knows them with a special knowledge of love and approval.

He knows where they dwell and all about them.

He knows their weaknesses, trials, and temptations.

He knows exactly what each one needs from day to day.

We, His people, on the other hand, know Him with the knowledge of faith and confidence.

We feel in Him a loving trust of which an unbeliever can form no idea.

We know Him as our own sure Friend and Saviour.

We have biblical peace because of this…

And, we rest on this knowledge.

Like Peter after his denial…

Peter knew he loved Christ, and Christ knew the same.

The devil and demons know that Christ is a Savior.

The sheep know and feel that He is their Saviour.

Compare this with…

Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I Never Knew You

He knows who rely upon Him for all they need to be reconciled to God.

We know, and acknowledge, our dependence upon Him for all that we need to be reconciled to God.

This is what separates us from those who He does not know.

We are even given the exclamation point on this wonderful relationship we have with Christ as our Divine King Shepherd…

(and I want to read these two verses together because they are together)

John 10:14–15 (ESV)

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 is saying that our relationship can be understood in light of His relationship with His Father.

v.15 … just like

I know the sheep and the sheep know Me just like the Father knows Me and I know the Father.

This is an astounding statement.

This is such a worshipful, assuring…

Cup filling to overflowing, joyous statement.

The Triune God who has perfect communion.

Cannot be separated.

That is the description Jesus uses in comparison to our relationship with Him.

I hope you can feel the love and security of such a statement, dear Christian.

The mutual knowledge and communion of Christ and believers is something so deep and wonderful that it can only be compared…

To that which exists between the Father and the Son.

He’s not saying it is equal to, but Jesus is saying it is similar to.

We don’t have a divine knowledge of anything...

But, our relationship is so intimate that it cannot be severed.

And, Jesus can say later in this very chapter…

John 10:28–29 (ESV)

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

This is why Paul can say…

Romans 8:38–39 (ESV)

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The relationship that we have with God through JC is so intimate…

We are inseparably bonded so that nothing can break our relationship.

No one can lead us out of His pastures.

No one can sneak and and take us away.

Think about this, dear Christian, think about the security that we have in Christ.

Like a crying baby longing for it’s mother’s embrace and being picked up and comforted by the Mother…

Are we embraced by Christ so that we know He has a grip on us…

As we lay our hand on Him, as well.

In Christ, we have an…

Inseparable Union w/God!

Oh, the beauty of our Savior who secures is in His steadfast love.

He knows you, dear Christian, and all that knowledge entails…

And He still loves you.

Amazing Grace!

Let’s continue in our passage…

John 10:16 (ESV)

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.

This may be a shock to Jesus’ current audience.

The Jews thought they alone were God’s flock.

But, this is not a shock to the OT promises.

In Gen. 17 God promises to make Abraham into Nations, plural.

Not just Jewish, but Nations will be the inheritors of this promise.

“Kings shall come from you,” God says to Abraham.

And, Gen. 17 is where God promises this to Abraham through Abraham’s offspring (singular).

This is what Paul speaks of in Gal. 3:16 and he says the offspring was Christ.

The New Covenant prophecies of the OT…promise, not only a Divine figure who is to be the Messiah…

But, this figure will be the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, as King of God’s Kingdom.

And, He will make a people, God’s people, who were not God’s people before.

This is speaking of bringing into this new covenant with God, not only Jews but Gentiles, as well.

Jesus is proclaiming here that He is the divine figure of the OT that will fulfill this promise.

This is a necessary function of His office of Savior-Shepherd.

—> Blessings to the Nations

—> Bringing sheep into the fold out from the Nations.

Now, not only is Christ teaching us that this is part of His Messianic role…

—> But, He is teaching that it is a sure thing.

There will be one flock, one Shepherd.

Christ will and is building His church, His kingdom, His flock.

How can He be so sure that this will occur?

He says, “I must bring them also. So, there will be one flock, one Shepherd.”

That word must means obliged, commanded.

Another interesting note…

Let it be noted here that our Lord uses the present tense have.

The pagan sheep were still pagan.

They were not, at this moment, brought into the fold.

Yet Jesus says, “I have them.”

They were already given to Him in the eternal councils, and foreknown from the beginning of the world.

Christ said the same to Paul in…

Acts 18:9–10 (ESV)

9 And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

Before the Corinthians’ conversion, Jesus told Paul: “I have many people in this city.”

So, what is Christ teaching us here:

How does Christ have sheep that are not of this fold?

How does He guarantee bringing them in?

How is He obliged, commanded to do this?

These questions are answered in the…

Covenant of Redemption

The participants of this covenant are:

God the Father

God the Son

God the Spirit

The foundation for this covenant can be found in a couple of NT passages that speak to our salvation by God in Christ…

2 Timothy 1:9–10 (ESV)

9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

This is a promise made in eternity past.

Only God existed in eternity past.

So, this is a covenant made within the Godhead in eternity past.

And, that covenant has been revealed slowly through the ages of man…

But, burst forth in a documentary when the Son of God incarnated.

Titus 1:1–3 (ESV)

1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior;

Again we hear, eternal life was promised before the ages began…

And, has been properly manifested through the preaching of the gospel.

If you were in the DoG class this summer, you know how much I love these verses.

Paul is saying that he is an apostle for the sake of the elect, who are called out of darkness by the preaching of the gospel of JC.

God has ordained that the preaching of the gospel be the ordinary means to draw out the elect.

In the gospel, is the voice of Christ calling out His sheep to follow Him.

This promise of the elect being saved was given before the ages began, eternity past.

We see how this will be expressed in the servant of the Lord passages in Isaiah.

Isaiah 42:1 (ESV)

1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Isaiah 42:6–7 (ESV)

6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

These verses show God the Father, the servant of God, the Son, and the Spirit of God all with roles in this mission of redemption.

God the Father will give the Servant as a covenant for the people.

God the Father will provide His Spirit to the servant to equip and sustain Him for the mission.

In Isa. 50, the Son willingly takes upon this mission.

The Spirit of God comes upon the Son servant.

Remember the baptism of Jesus…

As the Spirit of God descended on the Son…

God the Father said this is My Son in whom I am well pleased.

And, here in John’s gospel, we’ve already been told that Jesus has the Spirit of God without measure.

—> The servant will accomplish the task.

John 10:16 (ESV)

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.

God the Son is on a mission.

His mission was much more than His atoning death.

His mission was to be Mediator for His people.

We see Jesus continue speaking in this covenantal language…

John 10:17–18 (ESV)

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.”

Christ says He has a mission from the Father.

One that He takes upon Himself to complete.

He commits to this mission, willingly.

Here, in John 10, as the good Shepherd, Christ mediates as:

The sheep’s Prophet

Because He speaks as God and the sheep hear His voice and follow it.

The sheep’s Priest

Because He makes the needed sacrifices on behalf of His people.

The sheep’s King

Because He represents them in perfect righteousness so nothing but blessings flow.

The Covenant of Redemption was one of Obedience

The Father charged the Son with a mission.

The Son willingly volunteered for the mission.

The Spirit equipped and enabled the Son for the mission.

And because Christ obeyed perfectly…

—> And because Christ fulfilled the covenant…

All the rewards of the covenant flow to us:

by grace lone

through faith alone

in Christ alone

Let’s think about this...

Outside of Christ

This is what we have…

Deuteronomy 12:28 (ESV)

28 Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.

If you disobey in the least…

If you do not keep every dot of the Law…

Deuteronomy 28:19 (ESV)

19 Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

But, in Christ…

John 10:9 (ESV)

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

We come in and we go out…

And, we enjoy the blessing of God forevermore…

Because we belong to the good Shepherd.

Closing Prayer