Christ: the Door of the Sheepfold
Notes
Transcript
He is the only way of Access (vv. 1-3a)
He is the only way of Access (vv. 1-3a)
The picture is a contrast between the false shepherds of the people and the True Shepherd of the sheep.
They had just cast out the healed blind man, and now Christ had received him into His flock!
The true Shepherd is Authorized to access the sheep and comes to the door.
The picture of a sheepfold: a place where the sheep would be cared for in the middle of the night. The doorway was often open and a gatekeeper would lie down in the doorway in the middle of the night. In the morning the shepherd would come and call out his own sheep.
16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”
The Lord appointed His Shepherd to care for the lost sheep of Israel. Just as he had Joshua - Yeshua was appointed to lead his people and deliver them. The Lord said that the Holy Spirit was upon Joshua. John proclaimed that the Holy Spirit remained upon the Jesus!
32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
He calls his own sheep by name! He knows them personally! There is a personal relationship with them.
His Sheep pay Attention to His Voice (vv. 3b-6)
His Sheep pay Attention to His Voice (vv. 3b-6)
The sheep know his voice.
They hear and respond only to the voice of their shepherd.
They don’t listen to the voice of others who come to steal them away. Instead they flee from a false voice.
Who are you listening to?!
If you are getting your guidance for how to live life from the world you will be a confused sheep.
The sheep follow his voice.
The Shepherd leads his sheep. He does not
The sheep feed by his direction.
He Gives Abundant Life to His Sheep (vv. 7-10)
He Gives Abundant Life to His Sheep (vv. 7-10)
The thief’s purpose: steal, kill, and destroy.
Satan wants to steal your focus - get your eyes off of Christ.
Satan wants to kill joy, kill life.
Satan wants to destroy whatever is good.
The religious leaders were squelching all the joy of a relationship with God through their endless lists of regulations. (like a government telling people not to gather, or share life with one another).
Christ has come to bring life - not mere existence, but life in relationship with God.
Not only has he given life, but he has given life in a far greater quantity that expected!
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,