John 10:11-18

Text: John 10:11-18

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Title:

Introduction

The Central Idea of the Text is about a relationship with Christ and redemption offered from Christ.

The Main Objective of the Sermon: The purpose of the sermon is to celebrate the declaration of Jesus and the redemption of Jesus.

I. The Shepherd’s Declaration (11, 14a)

(11) tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation

(11) tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”

(11) sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them

(Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).

Zechariah 11:17, “Woe (Doom/How terrible it will be) to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!”

II. The Shepherd’s Protection (11b-13)

(12) sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away. (leaves and flees)

(12-13) “The imagery of a shepherd protecting the flock from wolves is used elsewhere in the New Testament. The effect of such language is to warn of dangers and draw boundaries. Imagery of attach from outsiders is common among socially estranged groups grappling with maintaining their boundaries intact over against incusions by the surroundnig society. Such imagery is common when a group is seeking to keep perifpheral members more closely attached and to guard them from the enticements of other groups.

Luke 22:31-32, “31 Simon, Simon, Satan has to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

III. The Shepherd’s Relationship (a LOVE RELATIONSHIP) (14b-18)

(14) EXCLUSIVE - to understand - The Shepherd knows the sheep; the Shepherd UNDERSTANDS the sheep.

(15) the Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father…

God knows me, and I know HIM; therefore I know myself IN HIM!

(16) INCLUSIVE sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16–17, which was to save the world—not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.

(11,15,17-18) CONCLUSIVE - decisive, without argument, final

John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one friends.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Romans 5:8, “But demonstrate/commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”