I Am the Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

Why does Jesus call Himself the Shepherd?

Cultural Context

Jesus’ listeners would have been familiar with the concept of shepherding.

Thus His illustration required one less layer of explanation from them.

Biblical Context

Scripture is filled with shepherding metaphors and illustrations

Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of many of those passages.

Because the Illustration works

The relationship of a shepherd to his sheep gives us some understanding what our relationship to Christ should be like.

The illustration of Jesus as the Shepherd gives us some understanding of what Jesus is like.

Gentle - Isaiah 40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

Ruler - 2 Samuel 5:2 “...And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel.’”

Ownership Psalm 95:7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice,

Protector - Micah 5:4-5 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth. And this One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men.

Psalm 23 THE LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Jesus is saying “I Am that Shepherd”

Why does He describe Himself as the “good” Shepherd?

The Greek text literally reads, “the shepherd, the good one,” setting Christ the Good Shepherd apart from all other shepherds.

The Greek word used for “good” suggests nobility or worth.

This simple adjective sets Him apart from all other shepherds. He is in a class by Himself being preeminent above all others.

Hebrews 13:20-21 refers to Jesus as the Great Shepherd.

The Shepherd and the Sheep

He knows His Sheep

He knows them by name (v. 3)

They know His voice (v. 4)

I know them and they know me (v. 15)

This is not meat to show a casual acquaintance but rather a deep, abiding and intimate relationship between the Shepherd and the sheep.

The reason that this relationship can be not only a mile wide but also a mile deep is because it is built upon the foundation of the relationship between the Father and the Son. (v. 15)

The connection between v. 15 and 16 is not as clear in the KJV

“I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

Application

God knows you - deeply and with intimacy

He knows all of you flaws

Every lost temper

Every gossip spread

Every evil thought

Every jealous desire

Every misplaced priority

He knew about all your flaws long before you were born and yet He still died for you.

Jesus’ love for you is both particular and personal.

He Unites His Sheep (v. 16)

At the time Jesus was saying this He had two different sheep flocks in mind for His illustration.

The first as we have already established is Israel

The other sheep in view here are the Gentiles.

What is Jesus’ point about the other sheep of the other fold?

Jesus told the woman at the well that “salvation is of the Jews”

That is undeniably true, salvation is of the Jews because Jesus is Jewish.

However, saying that salvation is of the Jews is different than saying that salvation is for the Jews.

Redeemed Jews and Gentiles will become on flock with one Shepherd.

This is yet another saying of Jesus that would have been deeply offensive to the Jews

Ephesians 2:11-16 Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

What is this new unified flock that Jesus is bringing both groups into?

The word “fold” at the end of v. 16 should be translated “flock”. John Phillips explains why this matters : There is all the difference in the world between a fold and a flock. The fold was the nation of Israel. A fold is characterized by a circumference, a wall. A flock is characterized by a center, the shepherd. The great truth announced by Jesus was that he was leading his sheep out of the fold represented by the nation of Israel. He was now gathering a flock. The “lost sheep of the house of Israel” to whom he had come had heard his call. Those who had heard and heeded were to become a new flock, the nucleus of a much larger flock, a flock in which Jews and gentiles would become one, one new flock. The “other sheep” who are “not of this fold” are the gentiles who through ensuing centuries would believe in him.

This is the mystery of the universal body of Christ, the church, which Paul refers to in Ephesians 3:6, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

A mystery in Scripture is usually something not revealed previously, and this mystery—one universal church with both Jews and Gentiles brought together in one body in the Messiah

This was so shocking to the Pharisees that they accused Jesus of being a demon-possessed lunatic

This does not mean that the church has replaced Israel, but it does mean that since the day of Pentecost believing Jews are a part of the Body of Christ

He Dies for the Sheep (v. 11-14, 17-18)

A Contrast of the True, Good Shepherd and a hired hand (v. 11-14)

To be a shepherd was at times a risky job. One was expected to defend the sheep from thieves and wild animals as well as traversing at times difficult terrain.

Why risk it?

You and your family depended upon the sheep for food on the table and clothes on your backs.

There were undoubtedly times when a shepherd would have to make the choice and begrudgingly decide that the risk was too great. Their life wasn’t worth the life of a single sheep.

This would be even more true for a hired hand. These are not my sheep why should I risk my life to save them?

Jesus as the True, Good Shepherd didn’t risk His life for the sheep. He gave His life for the sheep.

An important theological note concerning this passage is that Jesus voluntarily laid down His life for the sheep.

The phrase “I lay down my life” is unique to John

It always refers to His voluntary, sacrificial death. (v. 17, 18)

It was no accident nor was it forced upon Him by the Father.

James Montogmery Boice made this comment: This was and is the great turning point of history. It was planned before the foundation of the world, for Peter spoke of Christ, saying, “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” (Acts 2:23). It was this for which Christ was born, for the angel told Joseph, “You are to give him the name JESUS, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). It was this toward which Jesus’ life consciously and deliberately moved, as these and many other sayings of the Lord indicate. Jesus did not have to come to this earth, any more than a man has to be a shepherd. He did not have to die. Nevertheless, he both came and died voluntarily for our salvation.

On a side note, there are many who use this passage to teach a doctrine called limited atonement.

Limited atonement in its most common form teaches that Jesus died not for everyone, but only for those who accept Christ.

They point out that this text clearly states that Jesus died for His sheep not for those outside the flock.

I do not want to spend too much time here, because while I do have an opinion on the doctrine I also believe there is room to agree to disagree.

My thought: Yes, this passage and many others do in fact teach that Jesus died for the sheep, meaning for those who are saved. However, none of these passages teach that Jesus died only for the sheep, and there are many passages that clearly teach that Jesus died for all mankind.

Atonement is limited not in its sufficiency or in its offer, but only in it efficacy. In other words atonement is effective only in those who accept Christ thus creating atonements only limitation.

Did Christ’s death make us savable or did Christ’s death save us? I believe the answer must be both. All men are savable through Christ’s death and all who accept Christ are saved by the death of Christ.

Jesus the True and Good Shepherd gave His life vicariously for His sheep.

Jesus gave His life not for His own sin for He had none, but for our sin and in our place.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Not only was the death of Christ voluntary it was also vicarious (or substitutionary).

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.