The Good Shepherd
I AM: Jesus in the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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Perhaps use as well? Last part is still about sheep and (sort of) Jesus as Shepherd. Ends with 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”
Housekeeping Stuff & Announcements:
Housekeeping Stuff & Announcements:
Welcome everyone to the family gathering. Each member of our church staff is currently on our Facebook Live page or our YouTube page, and on Facebook, you can feel free to comment and do emojis and such during the service if you’re on a device that allows that. Even though we can’t meet together physically, that doesn’t mean that we can’t do some of the same things as we would if we were together. Worship is participatory, it’s not something that you sit back and watch. It’s something that you actively join in, because we are each called to worship the Lord, not to watch someone else worship Him. So, if you would normally sing out as we praise together, then sing out at home or wherever you’re watching. If you would clap your hands, go for it. When I ask us to stand, stand if you can. Make sure you have a copy of the Scriptures with you and use them. Take notes if you ordinarily would. When we pray, lift your own prayers, or even share them in the comments on Facebook Live.
If you’re able to use two devices at the same time this morning, feel free to jump onto our Live Event on YouVersion. This week, our lyrics (in theory) will be streamed as part of the video, so hopefully that will help, and we won’t include them in YouVersion or in the Facebook Live stream.
We are currently collecting our offering to support SBC missionaries and church planters in the United States and Canada, called the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering. Our goal this year is $14,000, and we have given $7,520 so far. We will be collecting this offering during March and April. Please pray and ask God how He would lead you to give to this important offering this year. Here’s a short video about one area of ministry that our Annie Armstrong Easter Offering dollars will go to support:
VIDEO
Use online giving. Go to our website, and right there on the front page is a button linking to our online giving page. It’s even mobile-friendly. You just choose the fund you want to give to (Church budget or something specific, like Annie Armstrong), and walk through the steps.
I need to let you know that Georgia Crabtree, who got up and testified in front of the church family just like 3 weeks ago, went to be with the Lord this past Tuesday night. Her daughter Amy is planning on holding her memorial service once people can more easily be together.
Shine ABQ Partnership, serving Kennedy Middle School. We need some supplies for snack bags for students at Kennedy. If you can help, there is a list on our website at ehbc.org under EHBC Family Life. If you can help, please bring those supplies by during our delivery times, 1-4 pm Monday-Friday. We will also need church members to volunteer for packing and delivering the snack bags. Contact Pastor Trevor by email trevor@ehbc.org to let him know you can help. We have also asked the community to help through NextDoor.
We are going to plan to do services online until further notice. For Easter weekend, there will be some changes from how we normally do things every year:
Good Friday service will still be at 12:15 pm on Friday, April 10, but it will be online only. Pastor Joe is going to preach that message, and he will do so on our streaming channels from his house. It should be a short service (30 minutes or less). We obviously will not be having the dessert auction to support our high school ministry missions trip, so if you would like to give to that, you can do so online.
The Egg Hunt on Saturday the 11th, as well as the Sunrise Service on the 12th have both been canceled. For those of you who might be disappointed about the Sunrise Service at Elena Gallegos not happening, it may soften the blow a little bit to know that we wouldn’t have had it at Elena Gallegos anyway, due to a change in availability for the pavilion.
, and we are working on a plan to (sort of) be able to come together to worship on Easter Sunday, even if the Stay at Home directive is still in place as it is now. We’ll communicate through all of our social media channels, the website, and through One Call to keep you apprised of plans.
We are working on a plan to (sort of) be able to come together to worship on Easter Sunday, even if the Stay at Home directive is still in place as it is now. We have some testing to do before we announce that, but we will do that testing this week, and then we’ll communicate through all of our social media channels, the website, and through One Call to keep you apprised of plans. At this point, we are planning on the Easter service being slightly earlier than normal, just to give you a heads up.
PRAY
MUSIC:
MUSIC:
Sing to the King
Lay Me Down
Yes I Will
O Praise the Name (Anástasis)
PRAY
Use online giving. Go to our website, and right there on the front page is a button linking to our online giving page. It’s even mobile-friendly. You just choose the fund you want to give to (Church budget or something specific, like Annie Armstrong), and walk through the steps.
I need to let you know that Georgia Crabtree, who got up and testified in front of the church family just like 3 weeks ago, went to be with the Lord this past Tuesday night. Her daughter Amy is planning on holding her memorial service once people can more easily be together.
We are going to plan to do services online for at least the next two weeks, but hopefully will be able to come together to worship on Eastern Sunday. We’ll communicate through all of our social media channels, the website, and through One Call to keep you apprised of plans.
Opening
Opening
Through this time, we are continuing our series through the 8 “I AM” statements that Jesus made in the Gospel of John that connect his identity and ministry to that of God the Father, who had declared His identity to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM” in . We have looked at this point at when Jesus declared “Before Abraham was, I AM,” in , at Jesus’ declaration that He is “the bread of life” in , and that He is “the light of the world,” in . Then last week, we looked at Jesus’ statement that He is “the gate for the sheep,” in . Last week’s message was really part 1 of 2, because you might recall that Jesus shared an opening symbolic illustration, called a mashal, in verses 1-5 of chapter 10. Let’s review that mashal now before we look at the remainder of our focal passage.
john 10:1-5
1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper 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 know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.”
Our primary focal passage this morning will be , and then 25-30. Let’s stand as we read that together:
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, 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 hand and doesn’t care about 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. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; 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 lay down my life so that 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.”
24 The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
25 “I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
john 10:
PRAY
As I mentioned last week, the opening mashal of this chapter is foreign to most of us. We don’t shepherd actual sheep. But for those that Jesus was speaking to, they would have at least been familiar with how shepherding worked and the relationship and responsibility that shepherds had with and for their sheep.
The relationiship
In Gerald Borchert’s commentary on John, he shares a couple of time that he saw shepherds in modern society when he taught in Israel. I found it helpful in understanding Jesus’ illustration, so I wanted to share it with you.
“Of the two pictures, one is that of a shepherd leading his sheep through the city of Jerusalem just outside the Jaffa Gate. Cars were whizzing by while the shepherd sang and gently whistled to his sheep, and they dutifully followed him despite all of the bustling traffic nearby. The other picture is that of an early morning with the Bedouins when the shepherds began to lead their sheep out of the sheepfold, which contained the combined flocks of four shepherds. As each shepherd took his turn and began to sing and call his sheep, they dutifully separated from the larger flock and began to follow him to the hills for their daylight feeding. Such contemporary pictures of the intimate relationship between shepherd and sheep can provide us with the framework of thinking about the great shepherd texts of the Bible.” (Borchert, NAC John Vol. 1, p. 330)
I hope this helps you imagine a little of the intimately close relationship that good shepherds have with their flock. Shepherding appears throughout the Bible. Abel was a shepherd, according to . Jacob, also known as Israel, was a shepherd as well. When God called Moses, he was shepherding his father-in-law’s flock, and then was called to shepherd the nation of Israel. Joshua was appointed to follow Moses so that Israel would not be “like sheep without a shepherd.” When Israel asked for a king, they were first given Saul—a poor example of a shepherd— and then David, who wasn’t even originally invited to what would be his own anointing ceremony as king because he was out taking care of the flock. These guys knew what it was to shepherd.
1-5: Mashal illustration about what shepherds do and how sheep respond to them.
Last week, we considered the picture of Jesus as the gate, the fact that Jesus provides direction, peace, and life for the sheep. In many ways, last week’s message was really “part 1” to today’s “part 2.” In our focal passage today, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Good Shepherd.” One traditional role for the shepherd is to actually BE the gate for the sheep pen if a gatekeeper and other physical gate was unavailable by laying across the opening to the sheep pen during the night. The shepherd could be both. So Jesus declares here that He is, in fact, both the gate and the shepherd.
Illustrate from Borchert commentary.
We need to remember here that this passage is about the Good Shepherd, not about the sheep. All that the sheep are and have are from the Good Shepherd, not the other way around.
Before we get into Jesus’ statement of his identity as the Good Shepherd, it’s important for us to realize a couple of things: first, we need to remember that this passage is about the Good Shepherd, not about the sheep. All that the sheep are and have are from the Good Shepherd, not the other way around. For us to just focus on the sheep would be to miss the point to a certain extent.
Tie to last week.
1-5: Mashal illustration about what shepherds do and how sheep respond to them.
We need to remember here that this passage is about the Good Shepherd, not about the sheep. All that the sheep are and have are from the Good Shepherd, not the other way around.
Mashal of the shepherd (1-5)
We need to remember here that this passage is about the Good Shepherd, not about the sheep. All that the sheep are and have are from the Good Shepherd, not the other way around.
Second, this isn’t some random illustration that Jesus is bringing up. He’s connecting Himself to a very important picture from the OT, which He has already started in His use of the gate illustration. By saying that He is the “Good” Shepherd, He is drawing an intentional contrast to those who would be “bad” shepherds—the religious leaders in Israel at the time. We addressed this last week briefly.
In doing this, Jesus is connecting Himself again to the identity, centrality, and activity of God in the Old Testament—because God was often referred to as a shepherd for His people.
24 Yet his bow remained steady, and his strong arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
Jacob referred to God as Shepherd in . In , David writes:
8 The Lord is the strength of his people; he is a stronghold of salvation for his anointed. 9 Save your people, bless your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever.
In several places in the prophetic books, God prophesies about the bad shepherds—the religious leaders—and then identifies Himself has the ultimate Shepherd of Israel. These prophecies also carried in them a Messianic message:
5 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
23 I will establish over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Ezekiel 34:23-24
2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are small among the clans of Judah; one will come from you to be ruler over Israel for me. His origin is from antiquity, from ancient times. 3 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of the ruler’s brothers will return to the people of Israel. 4 He will stand and shepherd them in the strength of the Lord, in the majestic name of the Lord his God. They will live securely, for then his greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.
When Jesus declared Himself to be the Good Shepherd, He was making a particular point. He is the Good Shepherd, the One who has always been and will always be. He is the ultimate Good Shepherd, God in the flesh. Other writers in the New Testament pick up on this idea in their writings as well, referring to Jesus as Shepherd:
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
So what does it mean that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and how does that apply to us? We’re going to see three aspects of Jesus’ role as the Good Shepherd, and then three clues to identifying whether or not we are actually His sheep.
1) The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep.
1) The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life for His Sheep.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
If we take into account the picture of the shepherd literally laying down as the gate for the sheep pen, there is a very tangible aspect to the idea that a good shepherd would “lay down his life” for his sheep. In doing so, the shepherd would be literally risking his life. If someone or something were going to try and steal the sheep, he would have to take them out of the gate, and thus, past the shepherd, even if they had gone in some other way (as Jesus mentioned in verse 1). In our focal passage today, Jesus said five times in eight verses that He would lay down His life for His sheep. The first and most clear is in verse 11:
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
This is decidedly practical in nature. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, actually lays down His life for the sheep. Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfect life, and didn’t deserve death. However, He died on the cross in our place anyway.
We like to lift Jesus up as an example, which He certainly is (and we will get to that in a moment), however, Jesus’ death was not first and foremost so that He could be a good example for us to follow. While His death does declare how much He loves us, that is not the first purpose of His death. No, the first purpose in the death of the Good Shepherd was because His sheep (us) have found ourselves in a position of mortal danger that only He can rescue us from. And it is only by His death that He can rescue us.
D.A. Carson said this about the truly practical nature of Jesus’ death:
“The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd.” (Carson, p. 386).
: great passage where God condemns the poor shepherds (religious leaders) of Israel, and then Himself declares that He will shepherd them (11-31). Messianic promise in verses 23-24:
Jesus actually lays down His life for the sheep. It’s not that He was just being a good example, showing how much He loves us by dying. He dies because the sheep (us) are actually in mortal danger, and only He can rescue. This is why He dies. As Carson observes, “The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd” (Carson, p. 386).
It’s not that He was just being a good example, showing how much He loves us by dying. He dies because the sheep (us) are actually in mortal danger, and only He can rescue. This is why He dies. As Carson observes, “The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd” (Carson, p. 386).
On our own, we are sheep who have gone astray. We go our own direction, as Paul said in :
10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.
Since none of us is good enough, and never could be good enough, to deserve our salvation, Jesus died in a very real and very practical sense so that our punishment would be poured out on Him. In His death, He brings about the rescue of those who trust in Him for their salvation: He trades His perfection for our sin. He takes our sins, and gives us His righteousness, so that we can be in a right relationship with God.
23 I will establish over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be a prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
So, while Jesus’ life and death do provide us with a good example to follow (a point we will consider momentarily), He died so that we could be rescued. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. And it is through His death that we can be forgiven of our sins, because the wrath of God against sin has been poured out on Jesus.
But Jesus also said that He would choose to lay His life down, and that He has the authority to 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.”
john 10:18-
Jesus died on the cross, yes. He was buried in the tomb, yes. But He didn’t stay dead because death could not defeat Him. He fulfilled this statement in when He rose from the grave on what we celebrate now as Easter morning. He has defeated death, and will never die again. He lives forever, and we can live forever with Him.
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, and He takes His life back up again. Since He lives forever, He also cares for His sheep forever.
2) The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep.
2) The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep.
: again, a passage about God’s condemnation of the poor shepherds (religious leaders) of Israel, and then a promise of shepherding them… and another Messianic promise as well.
Jesus contrasted His role as the Good Shepherd with “the hired hand,” the one who draws the paycheck, but doesn’t have any real connection with the sheep. He doesn’t care to invest in the sheep or risk his life to protect the sheep. He’s just the hired hand:
12 The hired hand, 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 hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.
john 10:12-
Part of the role of the shepherd is one of protection. When the wolves come, and they do, the Good Shepherd protects His sheep, and they are safe in His care. Notice what Jesus said in verse 28-29:
Contrast with the hired hand.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
12 The hired hand, 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 hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.
john 10:
Last week, we saw in verse 10 that Jesus has come so that His sheep “may have life and have it in abundance.” When we trust Christ for our salvation, we become His sheep. And Jesus cares and provides for His sheep like no other shepherd could. He provides eternal life—abundant life that starts now here on earth and lasts forever with Jesus in heaven. Jesus’ sheep are rescued from eternal separation from God—they will never perish. Believers cannot be taken away from Jesus, because no one can snatch them out of His hand or His Father’s hand. This is the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer. If someone is truly a follower of Jesus, his eternal future is completely and totally secure.
is a favorite of many, and it speaks directly to how the Lord shepherds His sheep:
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.
5 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
Jesus said in that He and the Father are One. The God who David was speaking of here in is One and the same as Jesus. David was speaking of that same Good Shepherd. There’s true comfort in belonging to the Good Shepherd. Comfort that the world cannot ever begin to provide. Comfort even in the most difficult of times, when we are worried or frightened. Care when we lose a loved one or when we struggle with our situations. Provision when we are in danger or lost. He is faithful. We may not always understand what is happening around us, or why, but Jesus knows. He is with us in the storm. And He will lead us through it in His timing and in His will.
: again, a passage about God’s condemnation of the poor shepherds (religious leaders) of Israel, and then a promise of shepherding them… and another Messianic promise as well. .
Eze 34:11-
3) The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep.
3) The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep.
3) The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep.
3) The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep.
Righteous Abel: Shepherd ()
Righteous Abel: Shepherd ()
Jacob: Shepherd ()
Referred to God as Shepherd in .
Jacob: Shepherd
Referred to God as Shepherd in .
Moses: Shepherd ()
Joshua as shepherd ()
David: Shepherd ()
()
God as shepherd ()
God as shepherd ()
()
Prophecy of shepherd ()
(… xf )
Jesus as Shepherd ()
(, )
(… the Lamb will shepherd)
Modern: Elders as shepherds ()
Jesus actually lays down His life for the sheep. It’s not that He was just being a good example, showing how much He loves us by dying. He dies because the sheep (us) are actually in mortal danger, and only He can rescue. This is why He dies. As Carson observes, “The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defense the shepherd loses his life; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd” (Carson, p. 386).
In the mashal, Jesus said that the shepherd “goes ahead of” his sheep, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Then, when speaking of Himself as the Good Shepherd, He said:
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. I lay down my life for the sheep.
john 10:14-
Jesus knows exactly what is going in our world. He knows exactly what is going on in our lives. He knows exactly what is going on in our hearts. And He is right in the middle of it all with us by His Spirit. He was there and with me this week when I was agitated and just couldn’t take one more moment thinking about and talking about and listening to information about COVID-19. And He is there and with you in those times of uncertainty, loneliness, and fear.
Jesus also said that He is the Shepherd over one flock. That flock includes both Jews (who He was speaking to in ), and those who aren’t Jews, also called Gentiles.
Part of leading is knowing His sheep. Jesus said this:
16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.
In the Hebrew mind, there were only two types of people in the world—Jews and Gentiles. When Jesus said that He has other sheep, He was referring to the fact that He would also lead the Gentiles to a right relationship with God. He died for everyone, so that all who believe in Him would be one body:
john 10:
11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh—called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. 12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
All who are in Christ have one Shepherd, are one body, one flock. But that fact should be evident. We show that we belong to Christ by how we respond to the Shepherd.
part of this is knowing. unifying his sheep.
The Sheep Respond to the Good Shepherd.
The Sheep Respond to the Good Shepherd.
But He is also an example. Boice emphasizes the Lord’s example for our own lives: “We will never be able to give our lives as Jesus gave His life for us—He died for us as our sin-bearer—nevertheless, there are other ways in which we can give our lives for others. We can give our time in order to help them. We can sacrifice things that we would rather do or rather have in order to serve and give to others. In other words, we must put others ahead of ourselves. Our primary desire must be for their spiritual well-being and comfort” (Boice, pp. 110–11).
Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 197). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Believe.... the sheep show us what “believing” looks like. They completely trust and follow the shepherd. This includes listening and following.
Gangel, K. O. (2000). John (Vol. 4, p. 198). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
john 10:26-
Believe.... the sheep show us what “believing” looks like. They completely trust and follow the shepherd. This includes listening and following.
Believe
So basically, my outline will be along this line:
Opening:
Shepherding is a great picture in Scripture.
contrast the bad shepherd passages and the Good Shepherd.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
The Good Shepherd Leads His Sheep.
26 But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.
Application: The Sheep respond to the Good Shepherd:
The Good Shepherd Lives.
Believe - Believing in completely trusting in. The sheep truly believe in the Shepherd. They place their lives in His hands. Do we trust Him?
Application: The Sheep respond to the Good Shepherd:
Believe
Listen - Jesus is not silent. His sheep hear His voice and listen. Are we listening to the voice of Jesus?
Follow. While His death wasn’t first and foremost as an example for us, He is also an example. Boice emphasizes the Lord’s example for our own lives: “We will never be able to give our lives as Jesus gave His life for us—He died for us as our sin-bearer—nevertheless, there are other ways in which we can give our lives for others. We can give our time in order to help them. We can sacrifice things that we would rather do or rather have in order to serve and give to others. In other words, we must put others ahead of ourselves. Our primary desire must be for their spiritual well-being and comfort” (Boice, pp. 110–11).
Jesus gave Himself completely in saving us. What an act of service! We can serve other people by giving ourselves for their well-being and benefit. Reach out to your neighbors if you are able. Serve in places where you can, even if it’s online.
But He is also an example. Boice emphasizes the Lord’s example for our own lives: “We will never be able to give our lives as Jesus gave His life for us—He died for us as our sin-bearer—nevertheless, there are other ways in which we can give our lives for others. We can give our time in order to help them. We can sacrifice things that we would rather do or rather have in order to serve and give to others. In other words, we must put others ahead of ourselves. Our primary desire must be for their spiritual well-being and comfort” (Boice, pp. 110–11).
10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Closing
Closing
Closing
Closing
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He lays down His life so that we can be saved. He cares for us. He leads us. If we are His sheep, we will believe, and show that belief in listening and following. If we are completely unwilling to listen and follow, do we really believe? Are we really His sheep?
By way of invitation today, believer: Reflect on your trust, listening, and following.
Not a believer: Jesus laid down His life for you, so you could be saved. Trust Him. Listen for His voice. Give up your right to yourself and follow Him in surrender.
Let me know if you need prayer or counsel this week. Post to Facebook, email me at bill@ehbc.org.
PRAY
For Offering, we are going to sing “Yes I Will” one more time, and then close the service.
YES I WILL
Each week, we are going to thank a different group of people who are still hard at work taking care of our nation. Thank healthcare workers with applause. Docs, nurses, hospital admins, techs, pharmacists, anyone else in healthcare.
Pray.