The Good Shepherd

Can you name some shepherds of the Bible? Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, David.

Any passages of scripture concerning the good shepherd? , ,

Ever had a sheep pen? Can you picture one?

Rock walls, one door, could be multiple herds, but one who guards the door over night. anyone entering through the door is probably welcome. But he who climbs the wall is up to no good.

Can you picture day break when the shepherd arrives, goes into the pen and calls his sheep? The sheep hear his voice and they follow him out to pasture.

But a stranger entering the pen, calling the sheep cause confusion and the sheep run from him. The know not his voice and they move away.

People come to God because HE calls them: Prevenient Grace, the grace that goes before.

Our response to his call is to follow

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Most of those around Jesus missed this. The did not see Jesus as Lord but as a misguided prophet

10:7-9 Jesus then tells the story another way. Once out to pasture a less secure pen is formed and the shepherd becomes the gate. The sheep are free to pasture but if needed, they can become a little more secure entering through the gate of the shepherd.

Jesus analogy is He is the gate

David wrote what about God?

He is the good shepherd, he does what...

10:10 The theif only cares about feeding himself.

He steals only to kill and feed himself

He steals to sell and pay for his own wants

Christ came why? 10:11

To care for the sheep, to provide for them that they may have life

To protect the sheep

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To give his life a ransom for many, to give his life for the sheep

17-18

One more illustration Christ gives: the hired hand

V12: leaves the sheep and flees; the wolf wins

Has no commitment to the sheep

Israel had many false prophets, selfish kings and imitation messiahs

the flock of God suffers greatly under the abuse of a bad leader

Saul, Solomon, Ahaz, and others were wicked or absent leaders

Verse 16: who is Jesus speaking about? Gentiles yet to enter the fold

Jesus continues to save sheep

One flock, one shepherd for all people

Jesus came to lay down his life for the sheep

He has a personal interest with the sheep

He knows them and they know him

The relationship between the Father and the Son is the example

Jesus will willingly give his life for the sheep

Jesus has the authority to do all this