Dealing with Sheep (Part I)

Calling from the Door

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd tending his sheep at the edge of a country road. A brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee screeched to a halt next to him. The driver, a man dressed in a designer suit, expensive shoes, flashy wristwatch, and sunglasses asks the shepherd, “Say, if I can guess how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?”

The shepherd looked the man over and then looked at the sprawling field of sheep and said, “All right.”

The young executive parked his SUV, connected his notebook and wireless modem, entered a NASA site, scanned the ground using his GPS, opened a data base, then printed his report out on a mini printer. He turned to the shepherd and said, “You have exactly 1,586 sheep in your flock.”

The shepherd answered, “That’s right. Wow! You may have one of my sheep.”

The young man took one of the animals and put it in the back of his Jeep. The shepherd called out and said, “Hey, before you leave, if I guess your profession, will you pay me back?”

The executive smiled and said, “Sure, go ahead and try.”

The shepherd said, “You’re a consultant.”

The man said, “That’s right, but how did you know?”

The shepherd responded, “Very simple. First you came here without being called. Second, you charged me to tell me something I already knew. Third, you really don’t understand anything about my business and I’d really like to have my dog back.”

There are a lot of consultants calling on corporations and small businesses … and I’m sure many of them do a great job!

But, there are certain times when a consultant’s call is just not needed. There are certain things that a consultant just can’t do. Sometimes when a consultant comes calling at the door.... you don’t answer.

One of those situations is found in our text for today… in the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.

We are going to be returning to our study through the Gospel of John today.

I would like to invite you to open your bibles to the 10th chapter of the gospel of John.

If you will remember from where we left off in our study, Jesus has just healed a man born blind in chapter 9. This amazing miracle taught us about God’s sovereign plan in the world. Jesus, the light of the world… gave a man who was born blind sight.... and then called him to believe.

Because of the way chapter 10 begins, we can understand that there is no time gap between chapters 9 and 10. When John wants to indicate a geographical or a time transition.. he usually says something like “after these things” or “after this” or “on the next day” or “as Jesus passed by”. We don’t have any of those clues here in the beginning of chapter 10, so we can understand that chapter 10 is taking place in the same general time frame as chapter 9… and more importantly that Jesus is talking with the same general people that He was talking with in John 9.

Remember at the end of chapter 9, Jesus speaks with some Pharisees (who themselves had demonstrated that they were spiritually blind) who had been standing near by when Jesus calls the man who had been born blind to believe.

Jesus keeps the conversation going as he introduces a parable in chapter 10. There are actually 2 different parables in this passage (vs. 1-21) that deal with sheep. We will look at them both briefly today and then finish our discussion about shepherds and sheep next week.

If you have found your place in John 10, let’s begin by looking at verses 1-10 together.

John 10:1–10 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 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.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

The first truth presented in verses 1-6 of this parable is the Shepherds Relationship with the Sheep.

I. Relationship with the Sheep (1-6)

As you read this passage you might think… this should be an easy parable to interpret… to understand. In a way, you are right. We can understand and interpret this passage fairly simply if we have the right understanding of the context.

But, many different interpretations have been made about this passage over the years. If you read 5 different commentaries you might read 5 different views on what this passage means.

I want to suggest to you that if we can first understand the context, then we can more easily understand what each part of the parable represents. Then, we will be able to understand and apply its rich meaning.

Understanding that chapter 10 flows right out of Jesus’ miracle (calling the blind man out of darkness) and his comments about the pharisees being blind at the end of chapter 9. With those things in mind, Jesus tells the parable recorded for us in chapter 10.

Legend to the parable: (Parable = illustrative story that teaches a lesson)

Thieves and robbers = false shepherds of Israel (the Pharisees) — today these thieves and robbers could be any person… or any system of beliefs that is contrary to the Word of God. Cults, false religion, secularism, materialism, and most other “isms” that you can think of.

Sheepfold = Judaism (vs. 1-6)

The ones who hear Christ’s voice and respond to His call = those who are part of Israel who are called out to follow Christ. (blind man is an example)

Having that framework in mind about what each part of the parable represents, let’s understand a little bit about the historical context....

Most of us are not Shepherds.... and none of us are Shepherds living in 1st century Israel.

There were 2 different types of sheepfolds. There is one type described in verses 1-5 and a different type of sheep pen is described in verse 7-21.

The one referred to in verse 1 is a community sheepfold that would have been in the town, village or city.

All the shepherds in that area would have kept their sheep in that sheep fold. When the shepherds would lead their flocks back into town at night, they would keep them in this community sheep fold.

This type of sheepfold would have been a large area with a regular door or gate. There would have been a gatekeeper that would basically stand watch outside of the gate… protecting the sheep. The gatekeeper would only open the gate for the shepherds.

Anyone else who gained entrance… by climbing the walls… or gaining entrance through any means other than the provided way.... would have been considered a thief… or criminal.

In this community sheepfold situation described in verses 1-5, in the morning each shepherd would come to the sheepfold, the gatekeeper would let him enter the sheepfold where all the sheep have been all night mixing up together. The Shepherd would then call his sheep... by name. We are told here in our text… as well as through historical documents that the sheep actually knew the shepherds voice… and would respond to it.

Actually, they would only respond to the voice of their shepherd (vs. 4-5).

John 10:4–5 ESV

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.”

I have read about people who have gone to the middle east and have paid local shepherds to change clothes with them and then the tourists would call the sheep.... try to lead them.... .and nothing would happen. But, even dressed differently in the tourists clothes… the sheep would respond to the voice of their shepherd and follow him.

Once the sheep recognized the voice of their shepherd, they would then follow him out of the sheepfold and into the pasture for the day.

That is a general explanation of the illustration Jesus is presenting here in verses 1-5.

What truth is Jesus expressing through this first parable?

The truth in this parable is connected with God’s sovereignty in Salvation.

Salvation is being illustrated in this passage as the shepherd is Calling out to His sheep.

A. Calling Out

In the first parable, once the gatekeeper opens the gate… and the shepherd enters the Sheepfold, “… the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (vs. 3).

There is a beautiful truth here that should not be missed.

Jesus is revealing that He knows those who belong to Him.... and He calls to them… by name!… and those that are His know Him… they know His voice... and they respond to Him in faith when He calls.

Christian... Jesus knows you! That should excite us beyond belief!… at the same time it might cause us to tremble.... because He knows us...

The creator and Sustainer of the Universe knows you! ... He knows you by name.... He knows that you belong to Him… He knows everything about you..... He intimately knows you..... you are part of his flock....

When Christ called you.... you responded to Him. You followed Him!

How do you know that you are a Christian? — The question you need to answer is this: When you have been confronted with the truth of the Gospel..... how did you respond?

In the gospel, Jesus calls to us..... He calls out to all those who would respond in faith to Him.... Repent of your sins.... Believe that Jesus is the only Son of God… God in the flesh who came to earth and laid down his perfect sinless life as the perfect sacrifice for your sins....

When Jesus calls.... how have you responded?

When you hear the gospel… do you respond by saying… I recognize that voice.... that is Jesus! He is my shepherd… He is my savior! I know Him.... and he knows me!

— Friend, if you continuously respond this way when you hear the Gospel, read the bible, study God’s Word.... then Jesus says that you are part of his flock.... you belong to Him.... Your faith in Christ alone.... has branded you as a member of Christ’s flock.

Or… when Jesus calls, do you respond to the gospel by saying.... hmm… sounds too good to be true… or that sounds unfair..... or I can’t accept it...

... then your response to God’s Word… your response to the truth of who Christ is..... is evidence that you have not been born again… you have not had your sins forgiven..... you have not yet embraced the free gift of God’s grace.......

When Jesus calls...... do you hear him?

When you are presented with the truths of God’s Word.... how do you respond?

Belief and faith are evidences that you are part of Jesus’ flock..... a true Christian

Unbelief and rejection are evidences that you are not ....

Everyone has an opportunity to respond to the truth of the gospel.... God has made the truth of His plan of redemption known..... The question is.... do you hear Jesus calling?

There are several illustrations of this truth (that Jesus calls to those that are His… and they respond to Him).... lived out in the Gospels.

These are times when Jesus was seeking out His sheep.... When He called to them..... those that were His… those that were called… believed and responded in faith to Christ.

Consider a few examples:

Matthew (Matt. 9:9)

Matthew 9:9 ESV

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

Jesus.... the shepherd… is calling His sheep

Zacchaeus (Luke 19:5-7)

Luke 19:5–7 ESV

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”

Jesus knew the faults… the flaws… the past history.... and yet He still called.... and when He called… His sheep responded to Him in faith....

Philip (John 1:43)

John 1:43 ESV

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus sought out yet another sheep.... and called Philip to faith.

Lazarus (John 11)

The most dramatic example is one that we will look in a few weeks when get to John 11. The example of Lazarus. Jesus went to the tomb where Lazarus was laid..... and when Jesus called to Him.... He responded....

Even death… could not resist the power of the Shepherds glorious call.

Mary Magdalene (John 20)

Consider Mary Magdalene (John 20). She went to the tomb… found it empty.... then speaks with someone who she assumed was a gardener.

But, it was actually the resurrected Jesus. When he called her by name… “Mary”… John 20:16 says that “she turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

When Jesus called Mary by name.... she heard his voice and immediately recognized Him as her shepherd!

Jesus knows those who belong to Him.... and when Jesus calls, those that belong to Him, hear His voice and follow.

When we look back at verse 3 we are told that “… he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

What was Christ leading His sheep out of?

Specifically in the context of this passage, Jesus was calling the people of Israel out of the religion of Judaism… and into a relationship with Christ.

What about our context? Out of what is Jesus calling us?, and out of what is He leading us?

Jesus led the man born blind out of Judaism.

He has led others out of paganism. He has led some out of western materialism. He has led some out of communism, the worship of knowledge, racism.... the list could go on.

What has Jesus called you out of?

Maybe you are listening today and Jesus is in the middle of calling you out of something...

Perhaps you are in the middle of a faith struggle.... having a difficult time believing....

A question you need to ask yourself is, “what are the issues or things keeping me from believing?”

What is keeping me from hearing Jesus? What is keeping me from responding to Jesus in faith?

If you have an answer to that question… I would love to talk with you individually. I would love to be able to hear what is keeping you from Christ… and show you from the Bible how those questions can be answered.

1 Peter 1:3 says that God has given us all we need through the knowledge of Him who calls us… Christ has provided us with all that we need to receive eternal life… and for that eternal life to be sustained!

Jesus calls us to follow him out of whatever is keeping us from him. Whatever keeps us from his pasture… where He wants us to be.

It is a wonderful thing to be known personally… and called individually by the God of the universe… the Lord Jesus Christ!

Verse 6 tells us that the people listening to Jesus did not understanding the parable…So, Jesus then moves onto give the same parable but in a different way in verses 7-18.

First we were shown the Shepherds relationship with His sheep,… Jesus knows those who are His… and He calls to them.... and they respond to Him... they answer Him.

Next let’s look at the Shepherds Care for His Sheep in verses 7-10.

II. Care for the Sheep (7-10)

John 10:7–10 ESV

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

As Jesus begins this portion of His parable, he takes a different perspective and points out some specific truths.

Here we have another one of the “I AM” statements recorded for us in the Gospel of John.

In John 9, Jesus revealed that He is the Light of the World.... the only One that will lead us to the promise of God’s salvation… the only One who is able to provide the promises of grace to mankind.

Here Jesus, now says… “I am the Door”.

To understand this statement we need to talk about Sheep pens again.

Back in verse 1, Jesus used the illustration of a community sheepfold. Here in verse 7, Jesus uses the illustration of a sheepfold that would have been made by the Shepherds out in the fields, so that their sheep would be kept safe at night.

This sheepfold was nothing more than a rough circle made out of piled up rocks with a small open space for the door/ gate. The shepherd would lead the sheep into the pen at night. But, there was no gate to close the opening.

So, at night, in order to keep the sheep safe from wild animals the shepherd would lay down across the opening and sleep there. The Shepherd would literally become the gate… the door.

What a cool picture.

In verses 1-6, Jesus’ parable was describing how Jesus was calling people out of Judaism… or whatever else that kept them from true belief… and into His fold.... into His pasture.

Jesus calls those that are His to follow Him.

Now here in verses 7-10, Jesus describes something different.

Look at verse 9 & 10

John 10:9–10 ESV

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

In this second parable, Jesus’ focus is more about leading people into something....

In the first parable the sheepfold had many sheep who followed many shepherds in it… and Jesus, the Shepherd called out those who were His.

Jesus was calling people out of whatever counter God system of beliefs that they were following.

Here in the second parable, Jesus is calling those who are His… to follow Him into the safety that only He provides.

This second parable is talking about the church… the body of Christ.

In this section, Jesus is dealing with a particular body of people… who are committed to his care and He is revealing some of the results of what a relationship with Him looks like...

The results of following Jesus are Salvation, Security, and Satisfaction.

A. Saves, Secures, Satisfies

There is only one way to legitimately enter/ exit the sheepfold… through the door.

Christ is the Door..... This “I Am” Statement.... profoundly declares that Salvation.... reconciliation with God… eternal security and sanctified satisfaction are only found....enabled… and accessed through Christ.

Picture the parable in your mind. The Shepherd laying down across the entrance. Which sheep are able to pass? Only those that the Shepherd recognizes..... only those sheep that belong to Him.

The Shepherds act of being the door provides protection.... and literally saves the sheep from destruction.

Sheep are absolutely defenseless animals. There is no way that a sheep can defend itself.

What if a wolf or a thief comes? Then they have to go through the Shepherd.

No sheep passes except over the shepherds body..... no wolf can come in unless he crosses the shepherds body....

The sheep are secured as part of the flock… by the Shepherd.... as this takes place they are literally saved.

Such a neat illustration… such a wonderful picture.

Next week we are going to pick up here and continue looking at the relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd.... as Jesus builds on this parable and makes another profound “I AM” statement.

Conclusion/ Application:

For now, let’s think about the overall truth that Jesus is expressing to those listening to Him…

Jesus knows those who belong to Him.... and when Jesus calls, those that belong to Him, hear His voice and follow.

Is Jesus the Door or the Shepherd? Yes. He is both....

He is the loving Shepherd who knows us and intimately calls us by name!

He is the gracious shepherd that leads us out of our sin… and into His pasture.....

He is the Divine Door through whom we are given entrance into His family… His flock.... His body...... and there.... all those who belong to Him are provided with salvation.... and security!

There are a lot of people in the world that are making every effort to try and tell you what you need.

There are many consultants that you are trying to convince you to follow them in order to find peace.... to find fulfillment… to maintain unity.... to have a sense of purpose...... or worth....

Think about what Jesus is saying… “I am the living door!… In order to go into the fold, you must go through me. In order for you to go out to pasture for spiritual food and sustenance… you must go through me. As the door, I am the protector and I am the provider. When you come in the door, you are not only saved, but you are safe. When you go out through me, you go out to pasture. I am the provider. No one is coming through the door, except the one who comes through me.” (Hughes)

What are some truths we can take home with us and meditate on this week?

Friends, if you are here today and you have heard Christ’s call… and you have responded in faith.... Praise the Lord!

Continue trusting in Him! Continue to have faith in His sovereign plan for your life.... Continue to follow Him into the pasture.... constantly growing holiness as part of His Body.... and in effectiveness as His ambassador in the world.

Beloved, if you are here today and you are questioning whether you are one of Christ’s sheep.... please talk with me or one of the other church members here today. We would love to talk with you about your questions and show you answers from the Bible.

Think about this…

What qualification is needed to gain the life and gift of salvation that Christ offers… to be part of His flock?

Do we need to be outstandingly brilliant sheep? Do we need to be gifted sheep? Do we need to be beautiful and talented sheep?

No, We just need to be sheep..... sheep that hear His voice and follow Him where ever He leads, knowing that the Shepherd… Jesus Christ... knows what is best for the Sheep.

Let’s pray: