The Good Shepherd

Who is the person you trust most in this world? Can that be situational? Why do you trust them? Would you let them know that this week?

John 10:1–21 HCSB

1 “I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them. 7 So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me, 15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves Me, because I am laying down My life so I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” 19 Again a division took place among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and He’s crazy! Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

In this text we get great word pictures. He uses language the people would have been familiar with. Several herds of sheep would use the same fold just outside of town.

Animals become familiar with their caregivers. Our dogs. Cows.

The Sheep

The sheep are DEPENDENT on the shepherd, whom they KNOW and TRUST

Dependent or self-sufficient, self-sustaining, self-reliant

Do I know Him, or have I acknowledged Him? “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

Trust loops back to dependent. Who do I rely on?

The Shepherd - Good Shepherd - contrasts the difference between the hired hands and Himself.

Good Shepherd

Although kalos is used for good, it means much more than the usual ‘good’ or ‘useful’. The author actually uses it much more like alethinos (true), similar to when he refers to images of bread, light, vine and God. So John points us to the Good Shepherd being the TRUE SHEPHERD. Then what is so good about the Good Shepherd? Video

Knows the sheep, leads them out and in. Leads them beside still waters and green pastures but sometimes through difficulty to get them there. There would have been occasions when he spent several days out with them. He would have birthed the lambs. Doctored the sick. Seeing Him as the Good Shepherd should give us insight to His heart toward us. Lambs born. Travel. Trouble climbing. Berate? Help! Sometimes we carry the idea that God is always mad at us, waiting to whack us with the staff. That’s a rock we shouldn’t ever pick up, let alone carry.

Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Leadership by Example

General Eisenhower would demonstrate the art of leadership with a simple piece of string. He’d put it on a table and say: “Pull it and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it and it will go nowhere at all. It’s just that way when it comes to leading people. They need to follow a person who is leading by example.”

At another time he said, “You do not lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership.”

Functions as the Gate.

Lays down His life as the gate itself - video

Verse 17 - no punctuation in originals.

The New American Commentary: John 1–11 (1) Discourse on the Good Shepherd (10:1–18)

“Because [dia touto] the Father loves me, that is the reason [hoti, therefore] I lay down my life.”

The Good Shepherd will lay down His life, but He has the right and ability to take it up again. The gospel is not written from the perspective of the cross, but from that of the resurrection!

You never know what will get passed down from generation to generation.

If you need me call, I’ll come help. Wesley Steele, Homer Wesley, Homer Gaylon, Jason Wesley, Bryce Jason

Provides well as opposed to SKaD. The author’s desire is to confront the readers with the truth that bandits and thieves were a real problem. There is an enemy. I would not have you be ignorant of the devil’s schemes. Steal - Kill - Destroy.

Gives life, abundantly. Perisson, that which goes way beyond necessity!

Unites all believers into one flock. He was likely talking about the Gentiles. He brings unity to His sheep. Unity creates TRUST.

One thing we’ve learned is that we cant go with God and stay where we are. We cant become like God and stay the way we are. We cant have the mind of Christ and continue to think like we do.

The Sheep

The things you saw when you looked with fresh eyes:

If it was physical, pray about your commitment to either do or sponsor (fund)

Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?!?

If it was relational, pray about your commitment to lead or serve