Jesus Is The Good Shepherd | John 10:1–21

OPENING REMARKS

We’re going to be in John 10 this morning. Last week, in John 9, we saw how Jesus is the dividing line of humanity. Every man, woman, and child must come to a point at which they make a decision about Jesus Christ.

Those who receive Him are on one side - They have eternal life and a future home in Heaven

Those who reject Him are on the other side - They will spend eternity separated from God

Jesus, like the continental divide, is the dividing line for all mankind.

Another truth that John 9 reveals is the obvious contrast between what Jesus offers and what the Jewish religious system offered.

Jesus healed a man blind from birth. That’s what He offered. At the same time, the Pharisees kicked that man out of synagogue because he was healed. That’s what they offered.

Jesus came offering hope. The religious system only offered judgment.

There’s a huge gap between what Jesus can do and what anyone else can do. And that theme is carried from John 9 right into John 10.

READ John 10:1-21

Jesus uses the concept of a shepherd to highlight the difference between Himself and the religious system of the Jews.

A Good Shepherd cares for and wants a relationship with the sheep.

TITLE Jesus Is The Good Shepherd

PRAY

INTRODUCTION

When Jesus came to earth, He arrive at a time of great frustration among the Jews. They were trying to follow a system that buried them under an impossible list of rules. Hundreds of religious rules had been added to the law and the leaders forced the people to keep them.

Now, that’s not to say there shouldn’t be standards in our Christian lives. But we don’t keep standards in order to please God. We have standards because He’s a holy God and we love Him. There’s a difference.

But in Jesus’ day, it was just about the rules.

Religion no longer represented a vibrant, joyful, relationship with God. It came to represent the toil and labor of people burdened with lists.

It had devolved from a God-centered relationship to a Man-centered religion. In many ways, their spiritual lives had become all about pleasing their religious leaders. And it wasn’t fulfilling.

So Jesus came along saying, “I am the living water. Come and drink and never thirst again.”

“I am the bread of life. Receive and be eternally satisfied.”

“I have come to heal and remove your burdens, not add to them.”

He came offering internal fulfillment, not just external rules.

Like a cold drink of water when you’re thirsty, or a warm piece of bread when you’re starving. He offered fulfillment they couldn’t find elsewhere.

So, on one side, you have a mean-spirited group saying, “Keep our rules.” On the other side you have a man named Jesus saying, “I can give you something real and satisfying.

He was healing people and speaking words of mercy and compassion. They were kicking people out of the synagogue for being healed.

That’s the religious culture the people are used to. And that’s the backdrop of John 10.

A cold, rules-based religion on one side. A warm, relationship-based life on the other.

And that contrast is the basis for John 10. What man offers against what Jesus offers.

Then Jesus uses a parable to illustrate the difference.

I. Jesus Points To The Relationship Between A Shepherd And Sheep

The Jews were very familiar with the Shepherd and Sheep relationship.

They were a shepherding culture since the days of the patriarchs.

They understood sheep.

Vs. 1 talks about the “sheepfold” which they understood.

A sheepfold was an enclosure used to protect the sheep.

Usually made of stone with only one entrance, several flocks owned by different families would use them each night.

Typically, one shepherd would be tasked with keeping watch at the entrance while the animals slept. He was called the porter or doorkeeper, which Jesus refers to in vs. 3.

One unique feature was that each fold only had one entrance or opening. The walls were fairly tall - maybe 10 feet high all around - so there was only one way in.

And the porter would usually lay across the entrance each night, which meant no one came in and no sheep went out without him knowing.

Sheep are basically helpless, and there would have been many dangers around:

Jesus warns against thieves and robbers:

A thief is sneaky. Dishonest. Underhanded. A robber is more direct and violent. Whether it be predators or men trying to steal, the sheep need someone to protect them.

There were those who wanted to steal or destroy the sheep. And the only way they could do it was by climbing over the wall. And anything coming in that way was either a predator or a thief.

But those that come through the door could be trusted

Vs. 2-4 - Jesus says, “Real shepherds come through the front door. And when the sheep hear his voice at the door, they know who He is and they trust Him and they know they can follow Him without being in danger.”

Look at Vs. 5. “They won’t follow a strange voice. They’re listening for their shepherd whose voice they know.”

And they understood this concept. But look at vs. 6.

The people weren’t getting the point of the Parable.

II. Jesus Was Talking About His Relationship With Them

He’s not just telling a story. He’s pointing to His relationship with them.

God’s sheep were the Jewish people. In Matthew 10, Jesus sent the twelve apostles to preach the gospel to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

The Jewish people were God’s flock, and they considered themselves to be safely tucked inside His sheepfold, but the Gospels make it clear that many were scattered and maybe didn’t even know it.

Look down at vs. 16.

Jesus makes it clear that there’s plenty of room in the fold for others. Which could refer to anyone coming in the following generations, and it also refers to those outside of Israel.

Which is a truth we should rejoice in, because it means us non-Jews, who haven’t always been part of the fold, now have the opportunity to enter in. Because Jesus came to die for the sins of the whole world. Which means we can be part of the flock.

Anyone who is saved in Christ is part of God’s fold. Jews, Gentiles, it no longer matters. Anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ is brought in. Heaven will be made up of people of all colors and nationalities and languages. If you’re saved, you’re in the fold.

That’s great news, but there’s also an issue being dealt with. There are enemies, wolves, trying to mess it all up.

Thieves and robbers trying to deceive and destroy the sheep. And while they understood that with sheep, it was also true for them.

Vs. 8 - Jesus is pointing to the religious system. The crowd that was ready to stone the woman caught in adultery. The group that kicked the blind man out of the synagogue simply for being healed.

Thieves and robbers. These are the ones Jesus blamed for the spiritual downfall of Israel. False shepherds deceiving the sheep of Israel. Wolves in sheep’s clothing, if you will.

And this isn’t a new concept. The prophets called out the bad shepherds many years before this.

Ezekiel said in 34:2, “Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves!”

Vs. 3 - “Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.”

Vs. 10 - “Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds.”

The religious leaders had been bad shepherds for a long time.

Fast forward to the NT and Jesus was calling them out to their faces.

They didn’t care for the people. They burdened them. They showed no mercy. They used their positions to manipulate and get what they wanted. And the people were burned out. Burdened with all the religious rules of their “shepherds.”

And this is where the contrast between Jesus and the religious leaders is so obvious.

Jesus says in Vs. 11, “I Am The Good Shepherd.”

He is saying, “In spite of what you’ve experienced, there is someone who seeks to give you a life of fulfillment. Not burdened and fearful. Fulfilled.”

Look at Vs. 10. Jesus wasn’t in it for Himself. He came for the benefit of the sheep.

Which means, if we’re now able to be part of the fold, that Jesus came for OUR benefit. He came for YOUR benefit.

III. Jesus Is Our Good Shepherd

How do we know?

1. He Gives Access To The Sheepfold

Vs. 7 - “I am the door of the sheep.”

He lays across the entrance of the sheepfold. Which means only those who come through Jesus get in. While that sounds exclusive, it means that anyone who goes through Jesus gets in.

There’s no requirement to be born to a certain family or have a Christian pedigree. There’s no list of works required.

If you will admit that you are a sinner and recognize Jesus is the only way to gain entrance into God’s sheepfold, you can spend eternity in Heaven. Jesus is the door.

Look at Vs. 9. The Law is not the door. Rules are not the door. Religion is not the door. Being a Baptist isn’t the door.

Jesus is the door. John 14:6.

Jesus gives anyone who comes by faith access into the fold. Gentiles. And sinners. Utter failures. Those no one else gives the time of day. You simply have to enter through the door - Jesus.

You can’t climb over the wall and bypass Jesus.

You don’t sneak in with good works or baptism. No one gets in but through the door, Jesus.

But anyone that humbles themselves, admits their sin and places their faith in Jesus alone gets to enter.

So, a Good Shepherd gives access to the sheepfold, which means Jesus welcomes you with open arms. But you have to come in through the door. Submit yourself to His plan and you can enter the fold.

2. The Good Shepherd Benefits The Sheep

Vs. 10

He’s talking about freedom. The law was so binding that it made the people feel like they were in bondage to their efforts to be saved.

But going through Jesus gives you the freedom to simply enjoy being part of the fold.

A Good Shepherd takes care of your daily needs. You go in and out and find pasture. Plenty to eat. Plenty to drink. Resting in the Shepherd’s care.

Which means your religious life becomes less about making sure God stays happy with your performance and more about enjoying a relationship with Him.

Works based religions are a product of Satan’s lies:

“I have to work to be saved.”

“I have to work to keep my salvation.”

And the question will always be, “Have I done enough?”

That’s bondage. There’s nothing so free as when you are secure in Christ’s ability to save you.

You are free to come and go as you please. And you have all the security to simply enjoy your life with God through Jesus Christ.

In verse 10, “abundant” means overflowing.

Thieves rob us of life. But a Good Shepherd wants us to have abundant life.

Illustration: “Light Ice” drinks, some places fill the whole cup with ice and you take two drinks and it’s gone.

Jesus doesn’t work that way. He wants us to have as much as we’ll take. Security, peace, satisfaction, rest. It’s all available if we’ll have it.

Are you living that kind of Christian life? Restful or restless?

Life abundant? Or life getting by?

Consider this: The kind of life we live is a reflection of our shepherd.

A ragged, tired, dirty sheep points to a Bad Shepherd.

But He’s the Good Shepherd. And He’s made abundant life available. If we’re tired and ragged, it’s by our own choice.

So accept what He offers. He wants to benefit His sheep.

3. The Good Shepherd Sacrifices Himself For The Sheep

Vs. 11-15

He says another three times in verse 17-18 “I lay down my life.”

His point: You can tell a Good Shepherd by His sacrifice.

Jesus died on the cross to redeem us.

He paid for our sins with His own blood.

He’s no hireling. He won’t run at the first sign of a wolf.

If Jesus died for our sins, you can have confidence that He will always do what’s best for the sheep.

He’s proven it. He paid the ultimate price. He bought us. Which means He will always do what’s best for us.

But we often panic when unexpected things happen as if we’ve been abandoned.

I’m not saying it’s always easy, but has Jesus not already proven how much He loves us? Rest in that.

Remember that He has already laid His life down for us sheep.

He lays across the door of the fold for us.

He doesn’t run at the first sign of danger. He’s no hireling.

He cares. When He sees a wolf, He acts on our behalf.

So give Him the benefit of the doubt. He’s already proven Himself.

He’s a Good Shepherd, and He wants what’s Good For Me.

Which leads to one more truth:

4. A Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep

Vs. 14

The Shepherd knows us.

He knows you by name. He’s personally interested in your life.

This is not a “one size fits all shepherd” experience. He knows each sheep by name.

He knows what you specifically need. He know what you can handle. He knows what you’re struggling with today. And, He knows what we don’t need.

Which is hard, but if He knows me, then…

He knows if I need my faith stretched with some undesirable situation right now.

He knows that I may not be ready for that job promotion.

He knows that I don’t need to be in that relationship right now.

He knows that I need a time of waiting patiently for Him to answer my prayer.

He knows us better than we know ourselves.

IV. We have a Good Shepherd. The Best Shepherd.

But we also have a responsibility.

Vs. 14 - “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”

The Good Shepherd knows us, but He says His sheep know Him.

Remember earlier in the chapter when He said the sheep know when their shepherd comes calling. All those flocks in the same pen, but they know the voice of their Shepherd. They’re familiar with Him.

So if the sheep don’t follow, it’s not because He’s not a Good Shepherd. He’s proven it.

And it’s not because there are wolves and thieves. The sheep have a Good Shepherd who protects them.

The only reason a sheep wouldn’t be protected is if they failed to follow the voice of their Shepherd.

Which means this is true for us: The only reason we don’t live abundant Christian lives is because we’re following voices other than the Good Shepherd.

We have a Good Shepherd.

We’re safe in the fold.

We are protected from our enemies.

But if we aren’t familiar with the voice of our Shepherd, we are in danger of being deceived or destroyed.

So many voices out there. And only one voice has our best in mind.

Application:

1. God’s sheep must be careful not to follow the wrong voices

The wrong religious voices

Those trying to convince you Heaven can be gained in your own efforts

Those voices that teach doctrine contrary to Scripture

Online influences instead of your own church family

Someone you don’t know instead of the pastor God has given you

The wrong priority voices

Anything that would convince you that you can be fulfilled apart from Christ

Money is a terrible voice to follow

A career matters, but it can’t satisfy you like Christ can

Work is important, but not at the expense of your commitment to Christ

2. The most important voice to be familiar with is Jesus Christ’s

Be familiar with how He speaks

Not audibly, but through His Word and the Holy Spirit

He will never lead you to do something contrary to His Word

Anything He leads you to will be good for you

Our problem is not the lack of a Good Shepherd. Our problem is we haven’t become familiar enough with His voice.

How much time did you commit to hearing His voice through Bible reading, prayer and sitting under teaching and preaching this past week?

There are wolves out there. Commit yourself to the Good Shepherd’s voice.

Conclusion:

Family whistle:

Dad taught our family when we were kids

Separated in store or in public, could always find each other with the whistle

When our kids got to be old enough, we taught them the same thing

Now I can whistle from anywhere within earshot and they all immediately look

Why? Because they know the sound of their dad. It’s a sound they can trust. They’re familiar.

I’m wondering, are we that familiar with Christ?

When He speaks through His Word, can we even hear it?

Are we as familiar with Him as we are other voices?

Is He our priority? Or have we become followers of other voices?

I can tell you this, no other voice loves us like Jesus.

No other voice has literally died for us.

No other voice always has our best in mind.

There’s no voice worth following like the voice of Jesus Christ.

Why? “Because the only voice that will lead you to a fulfilled life is the voice of the Good Shepherd.”

A life of peace. Safety. Comfort. Freedom. Hope. Satisfaction.

Oh, other voices promise all that, but only one voice delivers.

That’s the Good Shepherd.

So be careful of all the other voices. They’ll never do the good for you that the Good Shepherd can.

It’s true in Salvation (You can’t have abundant life if you’re trusting in something other than Christ to save you).

It’s true in our Christian Lives (You can’t have abundant life if you’re following a different voice than Jesus).

There’s one way to have a Good Life - follow the Good Shepherd.

He has done so much for us. And He continues to do so.

Why don’t you ignore all the voices and make your life about following the Good Shepherd?