I AM the Good Shepherd

English Standard Version Chapter 10

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

This morning we begin the study of our 4th I Am statement of Jesus within the New Testament. Thus far we have looked at Jesus as “I AM the Light of the World”, “I AM The Door, IAM The Bread of Life”, and this morning we will look at Jesus as “I AM The Good Shepherd.”

Sheep. They often get a bad wrap as being the dumbest farm animal out there. Yet according to my research, they are not dumb, but are often considered so because of their being mindless followers. Every sheep, whether it realizes it or not needs a shepherd. One who protects, guides, and leads them where they need to go, when they need to go, and even how to get there. And if we get right down to it, brothers and sisters, we aren’t that much different. Not that I’m calling us dumb or anything, but we need a shepherd just as much as sheep do, if not more. Someone to guide us, lead us, and direct us through this crazy journey called life. And in my opinion, there is no better shepherd that the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. So, as we take the time to look at Jesus as our Great Shepherd this morning, I want us to first, realize our need for a shepherd. Secondly, I want us to see what all our Great Shepherd does for us. And lastly, may we praise and glorify our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. And with that in mind, May God Bless the Preaching of this, His Most Holy Word.

The first verse that I want us to look at this morning comes from the book of John, chapter 10, verse 11. Once again, it reads, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” So, if you will remember, a couple of weeks ago, we looked at Jesus being the Gate or the Door. Well the text that we are looking at today is right behind where we left off studying Jesus as the Door. The miracle that comes before these names of Jesus, if you will remember is the healing of the blind man. Then we read of Jesus announcing to the crowd, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

The Greek word that we find for “shepherd” is the word, “poimēn” (pee mean). And it means not only shepherd whose occupation consisted of tending, feeding, and guarding the sheep but it also means pastor. Just as Jesus is our Great Shepherd, we as pastors are shepherds over our flocks or congregations. We are to protect you, feed you, and lead you just as a shepherd would. Sadly in our world today, there are many so-called pastors who are not living up to this requirement. May we as pastors take our responsibility seriously and live out the calling that God has placed upon our lives.

Now back to the text. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” One interesting thing to note here. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” Not the bad shepherd, not the lazy shepherd, not the okay shepherd. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd.” Jesus knew that during that day and time there were all types of shepherds like I just listed. In verses 12 -13 Jesus gives the example of a hired hand guarding the sheep of a shepherd. We read, “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.” You see, the hired hand, when the wolf or the enemy came, he ran. He cared more for his own life than he did for the sheep. He was not a good shepherd. Yet Jesus explains what qualifies Him as the Good Shepherd. For we read.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The Good Shepherd, when danger comes, doesn’t run and scatter His sheep. No. He stays. He fights. He protects. He is the One who has laid himself down in between the world and His sheep. So whatever comes to attack must first come through Him. Commentator David Guzik writes, “What Jesus described as a good shepherd is actually a very remarkable shepherd. Shepherds may take risks for the safety of the sheep, but it is probably rare to find one who would willingly die for their sheep.

Commentator Charles Spurgeon provides us with a unique look at Jesus as our Shepherd. He writes, “In the Latin tongue the word for money is akin to the word ‘sheep,’ because, to many of the first Romans, wool was their wealth, and their fortunes lay in their flocks. The Lord Jesus is our Shepherd: we are his wealth.” Wow! What an amazing way to look at this. If you ever doubt your worth or value in this life, simply look to the Great Shepherd. Gaze into His eyes, and allow Him to show you just how precious you truly are. To others you may be just a dumb sheep, but to the Great Shepherd you are a lamb worth dying for.

As many of us know today, what Jesus was referring to here was not only truth for that day and time, but also foreshadowed the day in which He would truly lay down His life for us, by sacrificing Himself on the cross. May we never forget that Jesus’s life was not taken from Him, but that He gave His life freely, for you and for me. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Won’t you worship and praise the One today who gave His all for you?

The next verse that I want us to look at this morning is John 10:14 and it reads, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,” Once again, Jesus begins by proclaiming, “I am the good shepherd. In the book of Isaiah, we get a glimpse into what makes a Good Shepherd. Isaiah 40:11 reads, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” The idea of a good shepherd as described here in Isaiah is one who is close. Look again with me. He will gather the lambs in his arms. He will carry them in his bosom. And gently lead those that are with young. He is close. The Bible is filled with verses that remind us of the nearness of God. Psalm 145:18 says, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” Philippians 4:5 reads, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;” James 4:8 reads, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” And Matthew 28:20 reads, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” As I have heard it said, God is closer to us than the air that we breathe. Our Great Shepherd is near. Won’t you sense His nearness to you today.

Following Jesus’s statement once again as being the Great Shepherd, He continues by saying here in verse 14, “I know my own and my own know me.” Knowing the shepherd involves time and effort. It’s not something that happens overnight. I have probably used this example before but how many times have you heard someone yell your name from across the store or parking lot and without ever turning around to see who it is, you instantly knew. Why? Because you knew the voice and knew who the voice was attached to. The same is true of Jesus. The more time we spend with Him in prayer and commune with Him in Spirit and in His Word, the more familiar we will become to His voice. Jesus said in our text a few weeks ago, in John 10:4-5,“When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

In a world where we are constantly surrounded by voices, we have got to know the voice of our Good Shepherd so that we can distinguish His voice from the rest of the voices in the world.

So, my dear brothers and sisters, thus far this morning we have looked at first, our need for a shepherd and secondly,what all our Great Shepherd does for us. Lastly, I want us to see the importance of praising and glorifying our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ and also the importance of simply being in His presence.

Due to all that our Great Shepherd has done for us, this should stir within us a sprit of joy and praise to our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. As I like to say, there should never be such a thing as a “grumpy Christian.” Our hearts should constantly be filled with praise and adoration. Yet, what often happens is that this world has a way of pulling our attention away from Christ and what He has done and centering our attention on everything that is wrong in our lives. I don’t have this. I wish I had this. My life will never be perfect. Look! Him and his wife have everything. She has the perfect husband and the perfect kids. The list goes on and on. If Satan wants to steal our joy and praise of our Great Shepherd, all he has to do is distract us with won’t we don’t have or remind us how bad our plight is. May we fix our minds and hearts on Jesus. May we remind ourselves daily of all that our Great Shepherd has done and fill our hearts with joy and praise towards Him.

So this week, let us remember our Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. When we ride past a field, let us remember our Great Shepherd, who guards and protects us. When we see something white, may we remember the sheep and how precious we are in God’s sight. And when we see someting beautiful this week, may we remember to praise our Great Shepherd who has laid down His life for us and knows us by name. Rest in the arms of your Good Shepherd this day forth and forevermore. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!