Good Shepherd
Notes
Transcript
Last week, we learned that Jesus is the Door leading to the pen and good pastures. We discovered that a shepherd would lie in the doorway to protect the sheep. We recognized that He is God incarnate, as expressed in the “I AM” statement in John 8. We understand He is the True Light of the World, and anyone who walks in His light will not be in darkness. We also learned that He is the Bread of Life, and anyone who eats His bread will never hunger. Additionally,
we learned that He claimed to be the Christ (Messiah), the Prophet who was to
come. Now we will understand that He is the GOOD SHEPHERD, as noted in 1 Peter 2:25.
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
What is a shepherd? The Oxford Dictionary defines a shepherd as:
“a person who tends and raises sheep (noun); a guide or directs in a particular
direction (verb). The Old Testament (Hebrew) signifies tending, feeding, and
grazing sheep in a pasture. In a human context, it refers to the leader of
Israel. In the New Testament (Greek), πομαἰνω (pomaino) means to tend and feed his flock, caring for and leading people in spiritual or governmental roles. I think of Jesus telling Peter to care for the sheep in John 21:15-17. These
passages show us the advantage of following the Good Shepherd. Why is it
important to follow the Good Shepherd? First, He lays down His life; second, we are protected; third, we are known; lastly, we belong.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Lays Down:
Lays Down:
For a shepherd, laying down their lives for their sheep is not something to take lightly. If they die, their sheep are exposed to predators, thieves, and robbers. It would take little time for them to be either killed, stolen, or scattered without the shepherd to defend them. Through the strong language Jesus uses, He points beyond the metaphorical world to Himself. He does not merely risk His life; He lays it down, in accordance with the Father’s will. Far from being accidental, Jesus’ death is precisely what qualifies Him to be the Good Shepherd, a point presupposed in Hebrews 13:20, which acknowledges Jesus as “that Great Shepherd of the sheep.” By His death, instead of exposing His flock to further dangers, He draws them to Himself. This phrase is unique in John’s writings and always refers to a voluntary, sacrificial
death. 1 John 3:16
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,
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Most of us picture a man with a beard and a shepherd’s staff as feeble, resembling a grandfather figure. Let me change that imagery. Imagine someone more like Jackie Chan—a pleasant demeanor, but capable of knocking you out with a single punch. Shepherds had to fend off bears, lions, wolves, and other predators, while also keeping thieves
and robbers at bay. They understood they were the only defense their sheep had. Jesus Christ is the only defense His sheep have.
A soldier stands guard over his comrades in battle, aware that danger lurks nearby. When the moment arrives, he steps into the line of fire to ensure that others may live. Similarly, Christ entered the greatest battle of all: the one against sin and death. He bore the weight of the world’s sins, knowing it would cost Him His life. This ultimate act of sacrifice, as our Good Shepherd, invites us to reflect on the lengths He went to secure our salvation and the depth of His love for each of us.
We can honor His sacrifice by laying down our lives, picking up the Cross, and following Him. We no longer live out of selfish motives but out of a desire to live a life worthy of Him. If we truly love Him, we should live for Him.
Protected:
Protected:
Biblical authors often describe savage and ravenous individuals as wolves. This metaphor is applied to Benjamin (Genesis 49:27), unjust officials from Judah (Ezekiel 22:27; Zephaniah 3:3), and Chaldean invaders (Habakkuk 1:8). In the New Testament, both Jesus and Paul refer to false teachers and other hostile individuals as wolves (Matthew 7:15; 10:16; Acts 20:29).
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey and at evening dividing the spoil.”
Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.
Her officials within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave nothing till the morning.
Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;
There were two main classes of wage earners in Israel: the mercenaries and the agricultural laborers. They symbolize, respectively, dereliction of duty (Jeremiah 46:12) and inadequate service (Job 7:1-2) under exploitation (Malachi 3:5), hence the pejoratives in Jesus’ words. The hired hands Jesus refers to are the Jewish religious leaders, and by extension, all false shepherds. They are always mercenaries, engaged in ministry not for the love of souls or even for love of truth, but for money (Titus 1:10-11; 1 Peter 5:2; 2 Peter 2:3).
The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for warrior has stumbled against warrior; they have both fallen together.”
“Has not man a hard service on earth, and are not his days like the days of a hired hand? Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
We all need protection. I need protection from the wolf and from myself. I reflect on what Paul wrote in Romans 7:14-20. His laying down His life was meant to protect us not only from the wolf but also from the sin we entangle ourselves in, even though we do not desire to sin. We need protection from the wolf, from ourselves, and from those who seek to fleece us.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
There are people standing behind pulpits declaring contradictory things. These individuals are hired hands and are only looking for personal gain.
Do you remember in the movie The Lion King when Simba is tucked in the cave and the three hyenas are coming after him? Simba roars, and they laugh at him, telling him to do it again. The second roar is a deep roar, the roar of his father, who
jumps on all three of them. The father tells them that if they ever come around
his son again, they will regret it. Well, our Father sent the Only Good Shepherd who defeated sin and the enemy. So let out your roar because your Good Shepherd will fill your airwaves with a roar that the whole world will hear!
In a quiet village, a shepherd named David spent countless hours watching over his sheep. One night, a wolf crept into their pasture. With a calm yet firm resolve, David stood between the wolf and his flock, risking his own safety. The next day, everyone praised David for his bravery. Like David, our Good Shepherd, Jesus, stands guard over us, ready to protect and defend us against the dangers that threaten our spiritual lives.
Protection can be ours as long as we stay in Christ. I know there have been times when I went somewhere I should not have gone, and trouble happened. I realized that my predicament was my own doing, but Christ protected me.
Known:
Known:
Know: (γινὠσκὠ) ginosko: to have an intimate relationship that involves deep feelings of love. Such a relationship results in obedience on our part, 1 John 2:4.
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
I know Michael Jordan. I can tell you about his stats, where he went to college, how many NBA championships he won, how long he played baseball, and how good he is at golf. But what I can tell you is that he does not know me. We can know someone without truly knowing them. To know someone and to ginosko (know) are two different things.
The Old Testament often described Israel’s covenant relationship
with God as “knowing” him, which meant having an intimate and obedient
relationship with him (Hosea 6:6). The intimacy anticipated here appears to
exceed even that of earlier biblical prophets. As a perfect reflection of God,
Wisdom was expected to provide people with intimacy with God like prophets;
probably more importantly, all of God’s people would “know” him in the time of
the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33–34).
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
We can have an intimate knowledge of Christ, which is different from knowing Him, through prayer, scripture, and service to others.
Every evening, a shepherd calls his sheep back to the fold. Each sheep recognizes his voice and responds, illustrating the intimate relationship between Christ and
His followers. When a storm arises, the shepherd's calming presence prevents
the sheep from panicking. In our own lives, when we face storms—doubts, fears, or trials—let’s remember that our Good Shepherd calms the chaos, urging us to trust in His guidance and protection.
Belong:
Belong:
Jesus first went to the “Lost Tribe of Israel” with His gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Him. In these scriptures, He makes it clear that He has other sheep that He must bring in. This fulfills messianic prophecy and establishes the Gentile mission. Indeed, if Jesus Himself must gather these sheep from other pens, it is understood that He is also the one actively involved in the Gentile mission. The missionary message of the Gospel of John is clear: “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Jesus defied tradition and reached out to a Samaritan woman. He rejected the exclusivist stance of the Jewish religious leaders. He died for a lost world, and His desire is for His people to share the message of a lost world with them. If He brought you into the flock, you BELONG to HIM!
During a particularly harsh winter, a shepherd discovered that one of his sheep had wandered off. Despite the driving snow, he ventured out, calling for his beloved sheep. After hours of searching, he found it stuck in a thicket, scared and alone. He didn't hesitate to rescue it. This story mirrors Jesus's parable of the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for His sheep, showing how deeply He cares for each one of us.
To belong to Him means never being without Him. We’re not just shielded from the destruction of sin; we’re given the joy of walking with
Jesus. That doesn’t imply we’re always frolicking in the meadow where life is
easy. Jesus doesn’t promise us a life without troubles; instead, He promises us joy that is greater and lasts longer than our challenges. Even when we walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, we will not fear. Even when it feels
like armies are encamped around us, Jesus will prepare a banquet table for us
in the presence of those enemies.
Can I encourage beach of you who has Christ as the Good Shepherd in your life? Take joy in knowing that you belong to the King!
