Jesus: The Shepherd Who Takes Care of His Sheep

Opening

Good morning

I am grateful to have this opportunity to bring the word to you this afternoon

To introduce myself,

I am a pastoral assistant at the reformed baptist church in st Jerome was Pascal Denault

By training, I’m an engineer, and I’m originally from BC.

I moved here 10 years ago for university, and I have since decided to stay

I am currently in training for the ministry

Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of John, chapter 10.

This morning, we will look at one of Jesus’ “I am” statements.

We will see the tenderness of our Savior

and how He cares for His people.

He alone is able to protect, lead,

and meet the needs of His people.

I invite you to stand for the reading of God’s holy Word.

Reading

John 10:1–18 LSB

1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 “When he brings all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 “A stranger they will never follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. 7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 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 is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches and scatters them— 13 because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even 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, which are not from this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 “No one takes it away from Me, but from Myself, I lay it down. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

This concludes the reading of God’s Word.

Prayer

Let us pray.

Most Holy God, Your Word is perfect and unchanging.

You are the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us, Your sheep.

Be with us today, for Your sheep always need their Shepherd.

Bless the preaching of Your Word,

so that Your sheep may hear Your voice through it.

Help them not to hear my words,

but to hear Your voice through my words.

Amen.

Please be seated

Introduction

Today, few of us have had direct contact with shepherds or sheep.

In modern times, shepherds usually ride around on four-wheelers when they work.

They’re a bit disconnected from their ancestors.

But in biblical times, shepherds and sheep were everywhere

and all they had was a staff.

Many important figures in the Bible were shepherds,

notably David and Moses.

So we might ask the question:

Why were shepherds even necessary?

Other animals don’t need to be constantly watched.

What makes sheep so special that they require someone to care for them constantly?

Simply put, sheep are foolish.

They are completely dependent on their shepherd for their basic needs.

Left on their own, sheep will wander,

following anyone,

They are easily distracted and manipulated.

They can’t defend themselves against wolves or bears.

If they try to cross a stream, they risk drowning

because if they get wet,

their wool becomes too heavy to move.

They can literally drown under their own weight.

Honestly, it’s a miracle that sheep even exist.

In the context of our passage this morning,

the people Jesus is speaking to are well aware of these defects with sheep.

And that’s how Jesus describes the people of Israel, in

Matthew 9:36 LSB

36 And seeing the crowds, He (Jesus) felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd.

Sheep who have a shepherd are safe.

But sheep without a shepherd

or with a bad shepherd

is a recipe for disaster.

In one way or another, every sheep follows a shepherd.

Some shepherds are decent,

others are harmful,

and some sheep are their own shepherd.

So, which shepherd are you following?

In your natural, sinful state,

you go wherever you want,

following your own desires,

often putting yourself in dangerous situations,

with no defense against your enemies,

and with no concern for anyone but yourself.

The sinful man is his own shepherd

in other words, his own god.

He decides for himself what is good

and what is evil.

Pause

But we need a good shepherd

that is not ourselves

We need someone who can guide us through trouble

and defend us against our enemies,

and who can pick us up when we fall

What makes a good shepherd different from a bad one?

Quite simply: a good shepherd takes care of his sheep.

He knows them,

He leads them,

and He protects them from danger.

A good shepherd takes care of his sheep.

And Christ is that Good Shepherd we need.

He is able to care for His sheep

in a way no one else can.

He doesn’t run away from danger like others would.

He is even able to save His sheep from death.

He says that He is not just a shepherd among others

But that He is the Good Shepherd.

The only one.

The one who meets every need of His flock.

His message here in John 10 centers on this one truth:

Christ, as the Good Shepherd,

who takes care of his sheep.

Outline

The text develops this truth in four ways,

describing the four characteristics of the Good Shepherd.

The Good Shepherd knows His sheep.

He knows each of His sheep by name,

and they recognize His voice.

This is the most fundamental aspect:

knowing His flock.

The Good Shepherd leads His sheep.

He goes before them,

showing them the way,

and protecting them from thieves and robbers along the path.

The Good Shepherd protects His sheep.

When false shepherds come to deceive the sheep,

He is there to guard them.

He is able to give them far more than any false shepherd ever could.

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

He protects them from death through the ultimate sacrifice,

necessary to deliver His sheep forever.

This is the climax of His shepherding work:

defending His sheep from the greatest enemy.

Transition

There may be other shepherds who care for God’s flock,

but none is like Christ.

He is unique in this role.

Pastors and teachers serve as earthly shepherds,

but they must always serve under the guidance of the one and only Good Shepherd.

Pastors will fail

but not our Good Shepherd

His sheep may be scattered throughout the world,

but they are all kept by one Shepherd who cares for them.

The Good Shepherd knows His sheep.

So, to begin

the first and most essential characteristic of Christ as the Good Shepherd

is that He knows His sheep.

He knows them even before they know Him,

and when He calls them, they come.

This truth is repeated throughout the passage.

Two aspects are emphasized:

He knows His sheep,

and they know His voice.

He knows His sheep

Let’s begin with the first aspect.

In what way does He know them?

Verses 14–15 give us the answer.

John 10:14–15 LSB

14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

He establishes a parallel here.

He is in relationship with the Father

He knows the Father

and that relationship is the model for the one between Christ and the church

Though our union with Christ is not identical,

there is a deep parallel, a true similarity.

The Spirit of God who is the Spirit of the Father and the Son

dwells in us, His sheep.

We do not become “one” in nature with God,

but “one” in communion with Him.

God is omniscient

He knows the heart of every human being.

Because of sin, man is naturally separated from God.

But through Christ, we can find

reconciliation

and communion with our God

an eternal union within the Trinity.

In His high priestly prayer in John 17,

Jesus, speaking to the Father, says:

John 17:21 LSB

21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

So God knows us, and we are in communion with Him

through the work of Christ, by the Holy Spirit.

The sheep know His voice.

The second aspect

is that His sheep know Him.

Verse 5 says that not only do they know the voice of their Shepherd,

but they will never follow the voice of a stranger.

Jesus is pointing to a specific aspect of a shepherd’s role.

During the day, the shepherd is with his sheep,

and they would listen to his voice.

They became familiar with it,

and eventually responded only to that voice.

But at night, the shepherd would leave the flock in a communal sheepfold,

with sheep from other shepherds,

all guarded by a hired gatekeeper.

Now, all sheep more or less look the same,

especially when they’re mixed together.

So in the morning, how does the shepherd tell his sheep apart from the others?

All he has to do

is call his sheep by name

and only his own flock will recognize his voice

and follow him out of the fold.

I watched several videos on YouTube to understand how this works.

In one video, three people stood in a field

and each tried to call the sheep.

But the sheep didn’t move at all when they called.

They each took a turn calling, and nothing happened.

It was as if they weren’t even there.

Then the shepherd of the sheep let out one call—

and the sheep came running joyfully to meet him.

To the one they knew.

It’s the same for us with Christ.

The gospel is that call from God.

Those who are His sheep among the nations of the world follow Him.

In theological terms, this is what we call the effectual calling, or irresistible grace.

Though others may hear the call of the Good Shepherd,

only His sheep respond to His voice.

Application

Despite this profound truth,

false voices will still try to call out to you.

The world will use all kinds of methods to call the sheep

they’ll use extravagant shows,

bright lights,

and appealing music,

all designed to stir up intense,

but short-lived emotion.

Everything will seem aimed at drawing in Christians,

but in reality, they will only attract carnal people.

The true Christian, even if momentarily drawn in by these things,

will ultimately respond only to the voice of his Master.

It is the Word of God that draws Christians into the fold,

the preaching of His Word.

The world hates the simplicity of preaching,

and will try to reshape its voice to match their own desires.

Jesus and the apostles repeatedly give us strong warnings

about how to discern His voice.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

Matthew 7:15 LSB

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Discernment is necessary both inside and outside the church.

False prophets can present themselves as movement leaders

or even be found among the sheep.

They are wolves disguised as sheep or shepherds,

seeking only to divide and destroy the flock.

There are false sheep who spread discord or false teaching among God’s flock,

and shepherds who lead for personal gain,

using deceptive and manipulative tactics.

Pause

So, returning to the parable

how do the sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd?

As I said earlier, it’s by spending time with their shepherd

and listening to his voice.

They become familiar with it and recognize it when they hear it.

Pause

And for Christians, the answer is the same.

By knowing and listening to His Word.

By becoming intimately familiar with the Book Christ has given to His church.

In our time, when the winds of false doctrine blow in every direction,

take refuge in the Word of God.

Know it,

meditate on it,

study it,

memorize it.

As Paul Washer said:

Read the Scriptures, or die.

It is the solid foundation on which we must build our lives.

Then, when thieves and robbers enter the sheepfold,

the sheep of God will not follow them.

They will be able to quickly and clearly discern

the voice of Christ.

Transition

Many of the Lord’s sheep may be temporarily led astray by false doctrine,

but the Good Shepherd will not let them go for long.

He is there not only to call His sheep, but also to lead them.

The Good Shepherd leads His sheep.

This brings us to the second characteristic of the Good Shepherd:

He leads His sheep.

He goes before them,

clearing the path and removing every threat before the sheep arrive.

He goes before His sheep.

He doesn’t send His sheep into the darkness with instructions

they won’t understand

or won’t be able to follow.

No, He goes first

and the sheep will follow their Shepherd.

Sheep without a shepherd wander aimlessly

until they get into trouble they can’t escape from

and end up dying.

But when the shepherd is there,

he can help them out of trouble so they can keep following him.

Since Christ is that Good Shepherd,

we don’t need to fear where He leads us.

As Psalm 23:1–4 says:

Psalm 23:1–4 LSB

1 Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

He leads us toward greener pastures and still waters.

We cannot see the path ahead, but the Good Shepherd can.

To get there, the way may be hard

but we must trust our Shepherd.

Even if He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death,

He is with us and protects us with His staff.

Ultimately, through His life and His death,

He bore our sins,

our sicknesses,

and the death we deserved

just as Isaiah 53 says.

But in everyday life,

we still face hardships

yet our Shepherd is by our side.

He never leaves us alone.

He leads them into His sheepfold.

Verse 16 explains where the Good Shepherd leads His flock.

In the context of this discourse,

the sheep He has especially in mind

are the lost sheep of Israel.

But the Good Shepherd is not only the Shepherd of Jewish sheep

He is also the Shepherd of sheep from other nations.

John 10:16 LSB

16 “And I have other sheep, which are not from this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.

Before being called by the Shepherd,

the sheep may be scattered among many different flocks.

The Good Shepherd knows His sheep,

and He calls them to follow Him into His flock.

Application

Isn’t this the greatest encouragement for missions and evangelism?

The Lord’s lost sheep are everywhere

all that’s needed is to call them through the Gospel,

and they will come.

That’s why you are here this morning.

You are a Christian because you heard the voice of the Good Shepherd through the gospel.

And what did you do?

You came by faith.

In the end, evangelism and missions are nothing more than this:

calling the scattered flock across the earth.

This verse guarantees the success of evangelism

not in every circumstance,

but there will be sheep who respond to the voice of their Shepherd.

And if you, sitting here, have not yet heard the voice of the Good Shepherd

seek Him.

Don’t keep wandering aimlessly like the other sheep.

Seek the Good Shepherd, and go to Him.

In verse 9, Christ says:

John 10:9 LSB

9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

If anyone enters, he will be saved.

There are no other conditions or requirements

just enter through the door.

The door is Christ.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

He will take care of you

Election

But how can I say this,

if only the sheep of Christ will come to Him?

Verse 9 says, “If anyone enters,”

but verse 3 says, “Only the sheep will come.”

So which is it?

Can anyone enter,

or is it only the sheep who can?

Let me give you an illustration to explain.

Salvation is like a door

and Christ is that door.

And on the front of the door, it says, “Anyone may enter.”

Anyone.

no conditions, no requirements.

It’s an open invitation.

The door stands wide open.

You don’t need a ticket,

you don’t need to pay,

there’s no gate to unlock.

Just an open door, with an invitation to come in.

But once you’ve passed through that door,

you’ll be so filled with the new life you’ve just received

that you’ll turn around and look back at the other side of the door.

And on the back, you’ll see these words:

“Only My sheep will enter.”

This is the tension of the doctrine of election:

Anyone may enter

but only the sheep of God will.

Everyone else will simply pass by the door,

even though it’s open,

even though the invitation stands.

All I can do is tell you to enter through that door

to point you to it

and the rest is in God’s hands.

Transition

This is a complete salvation that is offered to you.

He will protect you, guide you,

and, in the end, save you.

This gift of salvation is something only the Good Shepherd can give.

The Good Shepherd protects His sheep.

This brings us to the third characteristic of the Good Shepherd:

He protects His sheep.

In verse 10, Jesus draws a sharp contrast between what it means to follow

thieves

and to follow Christ.

John 10:10 LSB

10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

The thieves are those who try to reach the sheep in the wrong way.

As verse 1 says, they climb over the walls of the sheepfold.

Those who do not come in through the door

come only to steal the sheep.

But why do they do this?

It may seem like an obvious question, but it’s important to consider.

Their intentions are clearly evil.

And from what I see, they attack for two reasons:

out of selfish desire,

and out of hatred toward the Shepherd who protects the sheep.

Attacking the sheep is the only way they can try to strike at the Shepherd.

William Bates, a Puritan, asked the same question:

Why did the devil tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?

What was his purpose, his goal, or his motive?

And his answer was:

“Out of hatred: condemned to final and irreversible judgment, he viewed God as an invincible enemy; unable to harm His essence,

he struck at His image, just as the fury of certain beasts is unleashed on a man’s likeness.

He chose Adam as the target of his malice, and by turning him from his duty, he thought he could overthrow the plan of God.”

That is the hidden motive behind every thief and false prophet.

Often, they don’t even do it consciously,

but in the end, this is the deep root of sin.

And sadly, they are all around us.

They are willing to say whatever it takes and use all kinds of tactics

to achieve their goal:

to strike at the God

who will one day judge them.

Application

They carry this out in different ways:

by distracting the sheep,

or by making false promises that lead them away from their Shepherd,

or by offering all kinds of empty things that appeal to their desires—

things that cause them to focus on themselves instead of on God.

Pause

Today, the prosperity gospel is one such example.

Its deceptive message says:

if you give a little money to their ministry,

your health will improve,

you’ll get a better job,

your investments will increase.

And God is reduced to nothing more than a footnote.

They lower faith to a mere tool to get what the human heart wants from God.

They’ll ask for money so that your prayers and desires might be fulfilled.

Pause

There is probably no greater threat to the church today than this message.

Governments may restrict us or persecute us

but that will only strengthen the church.

But this kind of corruption from within the church is far more dangerous.

The path they offer to those who follow them

leads to death.

Isn’t it true that Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 6:24 LSB

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

The path of the Good Shepherd does not lead to an abundance of material possessions.

But prosperity preachers often use verse 10 specifically

to justify their doctrine.

They say that since Jesus came to give you an abundant life,

then you should live in abundance.

Pause

My dear church, this is not the voice of the Good Shepherd.

As I said earlier, you must discern false shepherds from the Good Shepherd

by knowing His Word.

So if the abundant life Christ promises isn’t about material wealth,

then what does Christ offer His people?

He will save His sheep

The answer is found just before—in verse 9.

Verse 10 explains what it means to be saved.

We shouldn’t think that God can’t bless certain Christians with wealth,

but the problem is the pursuit of riches through Christ.

The abundant life that is mentioned

is eternal life

and communion

with the Almighty God.

It’s not a corruptible treasure,

but a union with our God!

This is exactly what Jesus tells His people again in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:19–21 LSB

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

All the treasures this life could offer are nothing compared to the treasure of knowing the living God!

Pause

The Good Shepherd takes care of His sheep:

He saves you from your sins,

He calls you into fellowship with Himself,

He blesses you with every spiritual blessing,

He saves you from:

hell,

judgment,

and the wrath of God!

He raises you from the dead so that you may be with Him.

Pause

What more could you possibly ask for?

This is the abundant life in Christ.

Pause

Material wealth is nothing compared to the gift of eternal life.

There is no greater gift that could be given.

And this gift is eternal life in the presence of Christ.

The flock will remain.

This gift is of immeasurable worth.

Even more—it is irrevocable.

No one can take it from you.

No one can destroy His flock,

or take away the gift of eternal life from His sheep,

no matter where the Good Shepherd leads us.

Even if we wander from Him at times,

He will bring us back,

He will guide us,

and He will protect us.

He will leave the ninety-nine to go after the one.

That is His promise

because He is the Good Shepherd that takes care of His sheep.

He goes before us

and leads us through every hardship of this life.

This is made clear later in the same chapter, in verses 27–29,

where Jesus again speaks to another group of Jews,

using the same image.

John 10:27–29 LSB

27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; 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.

No thief,

no robber,

no false shepherd

can take a single sheep out of the flock of the Good Shepherd

because they are protected not only by Christ Himself,

but also by the Father.

He guards them from both physical and spiritual enemies.

False prophets may draw their attention for a moment,

but not for long.

The Good Shepherd is there to bring their eyes back to Him.

They will never leave His flock.

I consider this one of the most precious doctrines of the church:

the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.

Cherish this truth deep in your heart.

Know that the Good Shepherd will always be there

to defend you against every attack of the enemy.

No one can take from you the gift of abundant life that He has given,

because no one is greater than the Father.

Rest in this truth.

Transition

This gift of eternal life, though offered freely,

was not purchased freely by Christ.

He is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect His sheep

even if it means laying down His own life.

The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.

This brings us to the fourth characteristic of the Good Shepherd:

He lays down His life for His sheep.

At this point in the message, it may seem almost contradictory

that the Good Shepherd would give His life for His sheep.

How can He protect the sheep if He is dead?

Yet this is exactly what Jesus tells us

four times in this passage.

Keep in mind, He says this before His crucifixion,

so it is a prophecy of what He will do as the Good Shepherd.

In verse 11, where He first calls Himself the Good Shepherd,

He is essentially saying that this is what makes a shepherd truly good.

To the human mind, this may seem illogical—

especially to do it willingly.

If the shepherd dies, aren’t the sheep left defenseless?

But Jesus says He must go even further—

and willingly lay down His life, as He declares in verse 18.

But why?

What was His purpose?

Pause

His purpose was to defend His flock from the ultimate enemy:

death.

This is the very heart of what it means

to be the Good Shepherd.

It is what makes Him unique.

It’s what makes Him not just a shepherd,

but the Shepherd,

who is Good.

Pause

Hired hands—those who are merely employed—

can care for the flock for a time,

but as verse 12 says, some will run away when danger comes.

They might even give their lives for the sheep,

but it wouldn’t accomplish much—

the sheep would still be left without a shepherd to protect them in the future.

But the Good Shepherd

He is able to lay down His life,

Pause

Because He alone has the power to take it back again.

What it takes to protect those who belong to Him.

How does His sacrifice protect His flock from death?

The answer is the very heart of the Gospel.

His death reconciles us to God.

We are saved from:

the wrath of God,

and from eternal death,

through the death of our Shepherd.

This is what was required of Him,

and He was willing to make that sacrifice

freely, on behalf of His sheep.

It wasn’t forced upon Him,

and it didn’t happen by accident.

This is why He came!

He came to call His sheep,

and to purchase their salvation by His death on the cross for them.

Only for the sheep.

This work that He accomplished was only for His flock.

Verses 11 and 15 make it clear that He lays down His life for the sheep—

that is, for those who belong to Him,

and no one else.

The Good Shepherd is concerned solely with the care of His own flock.

He knows them by name,

He leads them,

He protects them,

and ultimately,

He dies for them.

His sacrifice, like the path of salvation

is both exclusive and effective.

Not a single drop of His blood was wasted on those who were not His.

If you are one of His sheep, know this:

He came into the world to save you specifically.

He came to secure the salvation of His people,

and He will preserve them to the end.

He came to gather and save His flock.

It was an effective sacrifice for His sheep.

This is what we call the doctrine of particular redemption.

Jesus did not make all the sheep in the world merely savable

He truly accomplished salvation

for His flock,

because they alone belong to Him.

Conclusion

My dear congregation,

this is your Good Shepherd,

your Savior.

At every stage of His mission,

He did everything for you, His sheep

because you belong to Him,

and He takes care of you.

He came to call His flock by name,

calling them to Himself to make one flock from all the nations of the earth.

He protects them and leads them,

no harm will come to them.

Even if they walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

they will fear no evil,

for the Good Shepherd is with them.

He gives them eternal life

and brings them into fellowship with the eternal God.

He secures that eternal life by laying down His own life for them

as the ultimate act of protection.

Our Shepherd is not like the others.

He is able to lay down His life,

to take it up again,

and to continue defending His flock against every danger

forever.

Knowing this, David begins Psalm 23 by saying:

Psalm 23:1 LSB

1 Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Prayer

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus, You are our Good Shepherd.

There is no one like You.

You have called us, and You save us from our sins.

You are everything we need.

Help us to know Your Word more deeply,

to trust You more fully,

and to depend on You for all things.

Lord, I pray that Your Word would do its work,

that Your sheep would hear Your voice and come with joy.

May You bless the preaching of Your Word.

Amen.