The Good Shepherd
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Over the last several months we have been studying the “Names of Jesus” or “Titles of Jesus.”
Specifically, we have been in the book of John examining what are typically called the “I Am’s Of Jesus.”
Last week we looked at Jesus as “The Door” from John 10:1-10.
That Jesus, and he alone, is the one that allows access to the Father or not.
Today we are going to be looking at the rest of that text in John 10 by reading John 10:11-18.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for 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; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may 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 I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
As we just read, the Good Shepherd is willing to…
Lay Down His Life For The Sheep
Lay Down His Life For The Sheep
The Difference Between An Owner & A Hired Hand.
The Difference Between An Owner & A Hired Hand.
Sheep, due to their lack of intelligence, are easy pickings without protection.
David, a shepherd himself, tells of some of the dangers his sheep went through.
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
A hired hand is not likely to sacrifice his life for that of the sheep he only gets paid to watch.
In other words, a hired hand isn’t likely to “pull the beard” of the bear of lion to a sheep out of their mouth and his sheep back.
Why, simply put the sheep do not belong to him.
Another way to look at it is there is a difference between how far a baby sitter will go for a child and the child’s parents.
A parent is far more likely to enter into a burning house to retrieve their child than the baby sitter.
Remember the parable of the Lost or Prodigal Son.
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
The son here could not come back as a hired servant because the Father knew he was his son.
This reality is why I always say a preacher can never be considered hired by a congregation because he doesn’t work for the congregation but God.
It’s too easy for a “hired preacher” to preach what the church “wants to hear” instead of preaching what they “need to hear.”
On the flip side, the owner will “pull the beard” of the bear or lion to get his sheep back.
Why, because he loves them and cannot bear the thought of loosing even one.
The through of loosing one of his sheep to a predator is “unthinkable.”
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
Why is all this important to understand?
Because Jesus died for each and everyone of us.
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he wasn’t hired to watch us but bought us with his own blood, to make us his.
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Summary
Summary
Jesus the Good Shepherd laid down his own life for our life, his sheep, so as to purchase us with his own blood.
Again, a hired hand won’t do this but an owner will because of his love.
Not only is Jesus the Good Shepherd because he laid down his life for us because Jesus…
Knows His Own & They Know Him
Knows His Own & They Know Him
Sheep Know Their Shepherds.
Sheep Know Their Shepherds.
Sheep once again are not the most intelligent but they do know their shepherd.
Sheep will not follow just anyone but the one they have come to trust.
5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Thus, the good sheep owners are those that have gained the trust of their sheep.
To do this it requires the flip-side to be true as well.
Shepherds Know Their Sheep.
Shepherds Know Their Sheep.
When it comes to Christ, there is no other shepherd that knows his sheep better.
He is our creator.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
The reality of this truth is should be for us, the sheep to realize…
We Can Trust Our Shepherd.
We Can Trust Our Shepherd.
Because our Good Shepherd knows us best we can trust what he says and follow his voice.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Jesus’ voice is found in the pages of God’s word, the bible.
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
God’s word, Jesus’ voice, can be trusted to light our path.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Summary
Summary
Our Good Shepherd knows us and we must know him.
Our knowing and trusting our Savior’s voice through his word is what keeps us on the strait and narrow path.
All of this about our Good Shepherd reminds us…
How Good It Is To Have This Shepherd
How Good It Is To Have This Shepherd
It’s Easy To Follow Such A Great Leader.
It’s Easy To Follow Such A Great Leader.
Jesus makes following him easy because his commandments or word is not burdensome.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
He leads us, his sheep, by the “still waters” (Psalm 23:1) not by the crooked and rumbling creek.
God’s word is much easier to live by than by striving to “make it up as you go.”
Again when Jesus is your Good Shepherd…
It’s Easy To Be Comforted By Such A Great Leader.
It’s Easy To Be Comforted By Such A Great Leader.
Good leaders comfort those following them because they know their leader will not lead them astray.
There is great comfort in knowing you won’t be lead off a cliff.
Our Good Shepherd has always promised to lead us in such a way as to bring that peace of mind to us.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Lastly, when Jesus is your Good Shepherd…
It’s Easy To Feel Secure Following Such A Great Leader.
It’s Easy To Feel Secure Following Such A Great Leader.
When one reaches the logical conclusion to put their full trust and confidence in Jesus as their Good Shepherd it’s easy to not just find comfort in such but part of that comfort is feeling secure.
Anyone that has helped high risk children and those that have a struggling home know that their is nothing more insecure than being separated from one’s parent or parents on a regular bases.
The great security that comes with having Jesus as our Good Shepherd is that, this will only happen if we want it to happen because Paul reminds us in Romans 8:38-39 that God will never leave us nor forsake us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Summary
Summary
When we realize how blessed we are to have Jesus as our Good Shepherd it reminds us of how easy we really have in Christ.
Thanks be to God that we have such a leader who makes it easy to follow him and that leads us in such a way as to bring us comfort and security in his presence.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There has been many a person that has led many of mankind throughout the earths history.
But none of them can lead like the Good Shepherd, Jesus the Christ.
As you journey through this make certain you are being led by Christ through his word so that, as Peter put it in 1 Peter 5:4…
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.