The Good Shepherd Part 2

“Do You Know Song”

“I tell you the truth” — Jesus begins with an emphatic statement. They had not understood his use of metaphors and subsequent teaching in the first 5 verse of the chapter. So, He will go further and explain more clearly what it means for Him to be our “Good Shepherd.”

“I am the Gate” — Jesus is the one entry into the sheepfold.

Sheepfold — Represents salvation…the place where the sheep of Jesus go into for safety, security and salvation.

Christianity is an exclusive religion — There is only one way to God. One way to know who God is and one way to have a relationship with Him. There is only one way to be saved from sin and coming physical as well as spiritual death.

“There is only one source of knowledge of God, one fount of spiritual nourishment, only one basis for spiritual security — Jesus alone!”

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Jesus is the embodiment of all truth…and only in Him is eternal life.

John 17:3 NASB95

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

A majority of all American Christians (52%) think that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life.

“Do You Know Song”

What a wonderful blessing that Jesus came to earth in order to die and rise from the dead so that we might have a way to salvation from sin, death and eternal separation from God. But, unfortunately, not everyone sees, or wants to see, this reality.

The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2008) surveyed 35,000 Americans, and found that 70% of respondents agreed with the statement "Many religions can lead to eternal life." Even more remarkable was the fact that 57% of Evangelical Christians were willing to accept that theirs might not be the only path to salvation, since most Christians historically have embraced the words of Jesus, in the Gospel of John, that "no one comes to the Father except through me."

At a recent missions conference attended by thousands of evangelical students, only one third of the participants indicated their belief that "a person who does not hear the Gospel is eternally lost."

But this isn’t what Jesus thought. This is not what He said -- Remember, this section begins with a statement indicating the emphatic nature of what is to be said. Jesus is saying, emphatically that HE is the one and only way by which anyone, anytime, anywhere, will ever find God’s revelation of Himself to mankind and subsequent salvation therein.

All who came before me — There were those “Messiah want to be’s” who came before Jesus. There were false religions, cult leaders and, even in His own day, Pharisees and Sadducees who preyed upon the people with their false religious ideas.

False religions and the teachers who propagate them only lead their adherents to destruction.

Those called of God to salvation…the real seekers of God…are not fooled by the shenanigans of the false teachers. They have discernment enough not to go after them…They hear the voice of their true shepherd, Jesus, and follow Him.

And all who come into relationship with God through Jesus are “saved.” Saved from sin, death, hell and the devastation of those who come in the name of Satan to steal, kill and destroy our lives.

Saved — Delivered from all of the consequences of sin unto the blessings of God. The sheep that goes into the sheepfold through Jesus goes in and out to secure pastures and God’s supreme good for their life. All of our need are met in Jesus. We are set free from bondage unto secure and free living in Christ.

False religions and the teachers who propagate them only lead their adherents to destruction. There is no real life found in any religion other than Christianity…none at all. There is no salvation found therein…no relationship with God…none at all!

Here is the problem — We want to believe everyone makes it in the end. We do not like to think about anyone going to hell. How many times have you heard someone stand over an open casket and lament the fact the person is now in hell, eternally separated from God? We don’t want to think that way.

We instead pretend. We like to say things like, “We just don’t know…they may have prayed and accepted Christ at some point before they died.” Or “We just don’t know the extent of God’s grace.” Or “God works in mysterious ways and we will be surprised who makes it to heaven someday.”

John 14:6 NASB95

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

But reality is harsh — People die and go to hell everyday. Every day people step out of their body into a Christ-less eternity. They missed God in life and now are separated from any opportunity to know Him in eternity.

But this isn’t God’s will...

There is only one way to be saved and it is by the grace of God given us in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. And there is only one chance to be saved and that is while living on this earth in the one life we have here. This is God’s will for our life!

Saved — Delivered from all of the consequences of sin unto the blessings of God. The sheep that goes into the sheepfold through Jesus goes in and out to secure pastures and God’s supreme good for their life. All of our need are met in Jesus. We are set free from bondage unto secure and free living in Christ.

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Abundant, eternal life — The imagery here is fat, contented, flourishing sheep who are not terrorized by the thieves and robbers of the world. It is the best life to be lived.

This does not mean that the health and wealth prosperity Gospel preachers are right in their interpretations of this verse. Jesus was not saying that He came to die in order that you might have a Mercedes, big house and fat bank account.

We are talking about a life that matters…a life in relationship with our creator, with God. A life of purpose on mission with Him. A life of hope that we will never taste death, will always experience His love and be given the opportunity to worship and enjoy Him. A life that cannot be put into words or imagined on this side of heaven because it’s greatness and blessing is beyond comprehension.

A little boy who lived far out in the country in the late 1800s had reached the age of twelve and had never in all his life seen a circus. You can imagine his excitement, when one day a poster went up at school announcing that on the next Saturday a traveling circus was coming to the nearby town. He ran home with the glad news and the question, "Daddy, can I go?" Although the family was poor, the father sensed how important this was to the lad. "If you do your Saturday chores ahead of time," he said, "I'll see to it that you have the money to go."'

Come Saturday morning, the chores were done and the little boy stood by the breakfast table, dressed in his Sunday best. His father reached down into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out a dollar bill-the most money the little boy had possessed at one time in all his life. The father cautioned him to be careful and then sent him on his way to town. The boy was so excited, his feet hardly seemed to touch the ground all the way. As he neared the outskirts of the village, he noticed people lining the streets, and he worked his way through the crowd until he could see what was happening. Lo and behold, it was the approaching spectacle of a circus parade! The parade was the grandest thing this lad had ever seen. Caged animals snarled as they passed, bands beat their rhythms and sounded shining horns, midgets performed acrobatics while flags and ribbons swirled overhead. Finally, after everything had passed where he was standing, the traditional circus clown, with floppy shoes, baggy pants, and a brightly painted face, brought up the rear. As the clown passed by, the little boy reached into his pocket and took out that precious dollar bill. Handing the money to the clown, the boy turned around and went home. What had happened? The boy thought he had seen the circus when he had only seen the parade!

Come Saturday morning, the chores were done and the little boy stood by the breakfast table, dressed in his Sunday best. His father reached down into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out a dollar bill-the most money the little boy had possessed at one time in all his life. The father cautioned him to be careful and then sent him on his way to town.

The boy was so excited, his feet hardly seemed to touch the ground all the way. As he neared the outskirts of the village, he noticed people lining the streets, and he worked his way through the crowd until he could see what was happening. Lo and behold, it was the approaching spectacle of a circus parade! The parade was the grandest thing this lad had ever seen. Caged animals snarled as they passed, bands beat their rhythms and sounded shining horns, midgets performed acrobatics while flags and ribbons swirled overhead. Finally, after everything had passed where he was standing, the traditional circus clown, with floppy shoes, baggy pants, and a brightly painted face, brought up the rear. As the clown passed by, the little boy reached into his pocket and took out that precious dollar bill. Handing the money to the clown, the boy turned around and went home. What had happened? The boy thought he had seen the circus when he had only seen the parade!

Are you experiencing all that God has for you? The Christian life is a marvelous adventure, an exciting journey. Many people-including Christians-seem to be content to float in a sea of mediocrity, settling for second best. Do you want the abundant life that Jesus promised? Do you want to live life to its fullest? Then aim higher. Don't set your sights too low. Determine to become all that God created you to be. Give yourself to Christ, follow Him completely, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you. You ain't seen nothin' yet

An abundant life is a life in Christ and on mission with God!

“I am the Good Shepherd — Is the one who gives us this abundant life…He provides for it. Jesus is contrasting Himself with those who are hired hands. The hired hand cares for the sheep when it is easy…when there is no trouble and it costs him nothing. There is no relationship and no genuine care for the sheep.

Jesus has a relationship with His sheep — He knows us and we know Him. He loves us and this love leads Him to genuinely and truly care for us...

Jesus goes so far as to relate His relationship with us to that of His relationship with the Father. How can we ever comprehend this? Jesus knows us in the same way that the Father knows Jesus. He is comparing the Father’s knowledge and love for the Son with His own knowledge of us and love for us.

The love Jesus has for the Father leads Him to perfectly obey and follow the Father’s will for His life on earth. Jesus lays His life down for us because He loves us. Everything is born from relationship and love.

Lay My Life Down — The way Jesus cares for us and brings us into abundant life is by willingly laying down His life for us…The Father directed Jesus to come to earth, lay His life down for us and then take it up again at the resurrection. Jesus always obeys the Father perfectly…the Father loves Him for it. Not because He obeys.

“It is not that the Father withholds his love until Jesus agrees to give up his life on the cross and rise again. Rather, the love of the Father for the Son is eternally linked with the unqualified obedience of the Son to the Father, his utter dependence upon him, culminating in this greatest act of obedience now just before him: willingness to bear the shame and ignominy of Golgotha, the isolation and rejection of death, the sin and curse reserved for the Lamb of God”

It is not that the Father withholds his love until Jesus agrees to give up his life on the cross and rise again. Rather, the love of the Father for the Son is eternally linked with the unqualified obedience of the Son to the Father, his utter dependence upon him, culminating in this greatest act of obedience now just before him: willingness to bear the shame and ignominy of Golgotha, the isolation and rejection of death, the sin and curse reserved for the Lamb of God

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to John c. Expansion (10:7–18)

It is not that the Father withholds his love until Jesus agrees to give up his life on the cross and rise again. Rather, the love of the Father for the Son is eternally linked with the unqualified obedience of the Son to the Father, his utter dependence upon him, culminating in this greatest act of obedience now just before him: willingness to bear the shame and ignominy of Golgotha, the isolation and rejection of death, the sin and curse reserved for the Lamb of God

Jesus loves the Father and this love leads to obedience even to the cross. The Father loves the Son and loves the obedience and dependence of the Son upon Him.

Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 388). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.

Hired Hand — Jesus has a relationship with His sheep. He doesn’t take care of us like a hired hand would. What He does for us is born out of His relationship with us an d subsequent love for us.

Jesus willingly laid His life down and took it up again so that we might be saved…so the Father’s plan for His life and ours might be fulfilled. So Jesus might defeat sin and death on our behalf…so that we might be born again and experience Abundant life.

Jesus goes so far as to relate His relationship with us to that of the Father and Son. Jesus obeys the Father because He loves the Father…Jesus lays His life down for us because He loves us. Everything is born from relationship

kkk

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I want to conclude today by focusing on the words of Jesus in verse 16

John 10:16 NASB95

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

He was talking to a Jewish audience in 1st century Jerusalem. He wanted them to know there would be other sheep…in other parts of the world…in other times…who would follow Him as well. Yet all of us together…those in the first century as well as 21st…those in the United States as well as Jerusalem…we would all be of one sheepfold.

We are all the Body of Christ. We are all His church. Our faith in Him unites us and keeps us secure in Him.

All of humanity is either in or out of the sheepfold of Christ. The question is simple…where are you this morning? And have we taken seriously the fact that upon death, those outside the sheepfold of Christ, remain there forever?

W A Criswell — “If men are going to be eventually saved, there is no urgency in preaching the gospel, none at all. But if men are lost, outside of the saving grace of our blessed Savior; then, Lord help me to preach. Help me to pray. Help me to visit. Help me to win. Help me to appeal. Help me to invite. God bless us as we bear the only message of hope to men and women who are lost, outside of our dear Lord.”

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus received His command from the Father…He loved the Father and was obedient even to death on the cross. We have received our commission…we love Him…will we be obedient to be a part of what God is doing to reconcile the world to Himself?

Marco Polo is one of the most famed explorers of history. It seems he inherited the travel bug from his father. In 1260, when Marco polo was 6, his father and uncle traveled to Mongolia (part of modern day China). When they arrived there the Mongol emperor revealed an interest in Christianity. He asked the brothers to take a letter to the Pope requesting as many as 100 wise men to spread the Gospel among his subjects. Three years later the brothers arrived home, and two years later set out on their return trek. Did they take the 100 wise men with them? No. Just two friars, for this was all the church felt they could spare. And even those two didn’t make it, turning back shortly into their journey. What a tragedy! Imagine if the Kublai’s request had been fulfilled. Perhaps the whole history of China may have been changed.

Three years later the brothers arrived home, and two years later set out on their return trek. Did they take the 100 wise men with them? No. Just two friars, for this was all the church felt they could spare. And even those two didn’t make it, turning back shortly into their journey.

What a tragedy! Imagine if the Kublai’s request had been fulfilled. Perhaps the whole history of China may have been changed.

Abundant life is a life in relationship with God and on mission with Him. How might your life change the history of the world? How might it change the eternity of even one soul?

Finally…Can you and are you at rest this morning? Can you rest in the fact that Jesus did it all? He is the gate…not you…not me…He is the way, truth and life…He is the one who has made a way into abundant life and keeps us there…all by His grace.

The Good Shepherd Part 2

Introduction

Abundant Life

Conclusion