How good is the Good Shepherd?
Notes
Transcript
Good morning!
Grateful to share God’s word.
Introduction - I’m Gill, Tony and Chris working with me. Love in action through the church
Today’s text is rich and beautiful. When I first read this, I was so excited I got to preach on this today.
We have a lot of slides and a lot of scripture to cover today, so it’s going to be good.
We get to see how God has provided for us a Savior, and how that Savior loves His people so very much, that He would lay down His life for us. We get to see how good the Good Shepherd really is.
Context - Jesus healed up the blind guy in chapter 9, He has been having these back and forths with the Pharisees. They have literally tried to kill Him multiple times. There is tension. Lots of it.
So here’s what we are going to see today
We have Jesus declaring that He is the door….not a door but the ONLY door, we have the sheep and I know Tony talked about the sheep fold, right. The Sheep pen basically. We’ll see another sheep fold today and what that represents. Finally we will see the authority of Jesus and what He does for those specific sheep.
So let’s read the text and get into it.
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
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. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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.”
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
7 So Jesus again said to them, “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 listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by 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 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. 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?”
Just awesome. Let’s pray.
As I was reading this, I was kind of in awe. There is so much here, and I know we have limited time, so I am going to do my best to just share some of the beauty of these passages with you guys today.
This text is very impactful and so Jesus takes His time and sort of drives some points home.
So let’s unpack some of these verses and see what God has to say to us today.
So in verses 7 and 8
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “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 listen to them.
So this claim again to be THE door. Jesus is making it very clear that He is the way to the Father and besides Him, there is no other way. We have these claims from Jesus Himself and many others. Here are a couple of my favorite verses that support this claim. We have the most clear and concise in John 14:6.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
We have the Apostolic confirmation in Acts. I love this because Peter is very specific about who he is talking about.
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.”
This is so clear.
Jesus is the only way to salvation. There is no other name!! Period.
This is what gets me though, we know we are mortal. There is one thing people will all face. Death. The death rate is precisely 1 per person. No on gets out alive.
And yet, people complain that Jesus can’t be the only way. Instead of being grateful that God made a way…So many people believe that there are many paths to heaven.
Good works, being a morally good person, religion in general (all religions lead to heaven), Following the law, heritage or blood line, remember the Jewish elite were big on that, “Son’s of Abraham”. Spirituality without Jesus. Baptism….etc etc etc.
Sorry folks, but according to the bible, NONE of that will get you into heaven. There are all man made ideas that lead to salvation. And they are all false.
Bringing us into verse 8….
All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
all who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
I think this verse speaks of false prophets but also other beliefs that lead to Heaven
So we have all these proclamations, in the time of Jesus, and now. In the time of Jesus the Greeks Hellenistic views were very mainstream. You could pick your God of worship basically and today is no different.
We have crystal healing, Reike, manifestation or law of attraction, chakras, astrology, tarot cards, psychics, mediums, like the list goes on and on. Pick your god….
But His sheep do not listen to such things. Verse 9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
So powerful and what a claim here from Jesus. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved!! WOW!
The word pasture here got me thinking a little bit, so I stated looking up verses about pasture and there a a bunch, so due to time restrictions, I found this kind of overview of what pasture is biblically.
Pasture, biblically, is the place where God’s sheep are fed, rested, protected, and sustained through His presence, His Word, and His covenant care—ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
I thought that summed it up pretty good.
So verse 10, we have a real threat….
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Notice what the thief does here. But not just what he does, but what he ONLY does. Robbers don’t break into homes and do you dishes folks.
But Christ says He came to give us life in abundance.
I think this has two meanings. I think it means that we have this life here, and once we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, once Christ has opened our eyes, our lives improve dramatically. I can speak from experience on this one. You guys have heard my testimony and I have never been so fulfilled, joyful or grateful in my whole life until Jesus.
Secondly, this applies to our eternity in heaven with Him. Now, I don’t have any experience in that just yet, but one glorious day, I certainly will.
Verse 11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
Another “I am” statement. Jesus tells us that He is a care taker, the one who will literally die to save His own. What love, what an example of what real love looks like. Even while we were sinners, we were the misbehaving sheep, He still died for us.
In contrast, we see in the next verse, the hired hand…it says….
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.
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.
Oh the hired hand. The employee. The one who has no stock in the company. If a sheep dies, he loses nothing. Not even his daily wages.
He doesn’t love the sheep, even if all the sheep die, he can simply go get another job.
But the Shepherd has much at stake. His sheep are his livelihood, they are his passion, they are his love. If He loses even one, it would be dreadful.
We all know the story of the Shepherd leaving the 99 for the 1 lost sheep right?
So how important are the sheep to Christ? They are worth His life.
So sheep depend on their shepherds. They rely on Him for everything. The sheep/shepherd relationship in the bible is so incredible. Such love and care is described.
So how confident can we be in our Shepherd? To not allow us to fall victim to the wolves or the enemy? What about salvation? Can we lose it??? Let’s see what scripture says about that…So there were quite a few of these too, so I just grab a couple of my favorites.
Back in John 6
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Then here in Ephesians 1
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee[e] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[f] to the praise of his glory.
So simply by these two scriptures, we can clearly see, Jesus will lose none given to Him according to the Father’s will, and then the sealing of the Spirit who is the guarantee of our holdings in heaven.
Also have the beautiful picture of the Trinity working together in harmony.
So we can be confident in our Shepherd because if any of that fails, God would not be God. So as certain as we are about who He is, we can be assured, He will do exactly what He says.
He will take care of us….we can rest so peacefully in that. His love never fails.
Next verses we’re going to look at
I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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.
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.
So Jesus again, the good Shepherd, He knows His own and the passage says they know Him just as He knows the Father and the Father knows Him. That right there folks, describes the relationship that the christian has with Jesus.
It is so intimate, so special, so loving, that it should radiate from us.
Honestly, We should be waking up like a child on Christmas every day folks. We have the most amazing Savior and He woke us up! He woke us up! Each day should start with this very gratitude that the God of all creation gave us another day of life by His grace and mercy.
Because if we woke up and got what we actually deserve, we wouldn’t have woken up.
Moving on to the mention of a different sheep fold, or a different sheep pen. Who is Jesus talking about here? Well, one fold is for the Jews, and the other fold is for the gentiles.
Then Jesus talks about unity, bringing everyone together to have one flock and our One beautiful, glorious Shepherd, Christ Himself. Awesome.
Verses 17 and 18…let’s look at our Shepherds authority.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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.”
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.”
Well, that is quite the authoritative position. That God would charge the Son with this. That He would give all authority, all the sheep, all of creation to the Son.
Well, the Son is now in possession of all things, and has all authority. Christ is King, He is God in the flesh.
I thought about the trial of Jesus when I read this. How Pilate talks of his authority to have Jesus crucified. But Jesus gave a response that put that to bed. I want to read ahead here in John chapter 19.
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 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?” 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.”
19 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews[a] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 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.”
Jesus straight up tells Pilate, the only authority he has, has been prearranged and given from Heaven.
Jesus willingly gave up His life for His sheep. By His own authority. What a God we serve.
I want to ask you all a question.
How often do you think of your Shepherd laying down His life for you. How often do you think about the crucifixion?
I think many of us lose sight of how great of a sacrifice was made for us.
We water down sin. We dilute it so it doesn’t taste so bad going down. Thus we water down the sacrifice that paid for it.
Our society has become so polluted with sin, most don’t even recognize it anymore. It is literally impossible to avoid. Everything is infected.
My wife and I talk about our intake. What we watch, what we listen to, what we view online etc.
Honestly, this is something I take pretty seriously and so I really try to manage what I watch and constantly put into my brain.
But no matter what we do, unless we’re ready to go Amish, we are going to be exposed to it.
The bible tells us to keep guard of what we take in. To not be conformed by the ways of the world. It tells us that what we think about matters and is important.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
What we think about matters…What we meditate on, matters.
We were having a discussion on Wednesday night about being convicted of sin. Somehow turned into a lengthy discussion about bacon….
But the basis of the conversation was about what sins we are convicted of and maybe what sins we are not convicted of. And I got to thinking. What makes sin, sin?
Is it our convictions, or is it God’s Word. See, whether or not we are convicted of sin, sin does not change. God’s word defines sin. Period.
But we watch movies and listen to music that will glorify sex, drugs, murder, etc etc etc. Conditioned by society that all these things are acceptable as long as it’s for entertainment value.
I didn’t come here today to try to make you feel bad about your entertainment choices, but what goes in, will eventually come out. And what we take in and think about matters.
I just want to encourage you all, read your bible daily, feed your family with clean entertainment, again, I know we can’t avoid it all together, but we can certainly try.
Jesus doesn’t just hear our prayers, He hears our conversations, He hears our music, He knows what we take in on our social media feeds.
Just remember, when we are entertaining sinful things, we are entertaining the very thing that put our Beloved Savior on the cross.
We are called to be a reflection of His love. He is a perfect and holy God, He is worthy of our obedience, not out of obligation, but out of complete adoration and love of our Lord and Savior. We should want to obey Him, to love Him as He loves us.
Jesus tells us if we love Him we will obey Him. But He promises to send help. Look at this…
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,[f] to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be[g] in you.
He doesn’t ask us to do it alone. Pray to Him, ask Him to help, and He is faithful. We can’t walk a perfect life, but we can choose to try to honor Him, and with the help of the holy Spirit, we can grow in our faith and obedience.
Now that everyone feels bad about what they watched on TV last night, let's finish up….
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
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?”
So lastly, we have this challenge of the identity of Jesus. Is He good, or is He bad.
Let’s recap…He will lose nothing given to Him, He is a good care taker, He will lay down His very own life to save His sheep, He gives us life in abundance in the now and in the eternal.
Is He good? There is none above Him, He is the Savior of the world, He is the Light of the world, He is not only our good Shepherd, He is our God.
Let’s Pray.
