The Good Shepherd

John 10

We are moving from the healing of the blind man physically and spiritually and the last of chapter 9, verse 34, the Pharisees had cast the blind man out of the temple.

After Jesus found the former blind man and he believed in Jesus as the Messiah, the Pharisees came and basically was listening and then mockingly asked Jesus a question. “We are not blind too, are we?”

Moving into chapter 10, Jesus gives the people around and us a view of a Good Shepherd, these men were supposed to be shepherds but they were really hirelings.

Jesus was awesome at using imagery and at that time there would of been shepherds with their sheep fold in fences near the temple. (To sell for sacrifice)

Jesus uses this imagery to explain that a thief or a robber would not use the main entrance into the pen, he would use some other way. In other words, the enemy will try to sneak in to steal the sheep.

He who enters by the door (main entrance), he is the true shepherd. He has no ill intent, if you enter the right way.

The porter is the “doorkeeper”, more like a hired under-shepherd. He stands guard and opens when the good shepherd comes.

The Good Shepherd calls for His sheep and they hear His voice.

Evidently, back in that day they named their sheep, well Jesus is using this imagery as well. The Good Shepherd call His sheep by their name.

J Vernon McGee said that he likes to imagine the rapture call from Jesus as He calls him by name “Vernon”.

Jesus also says that the Shepherd leads them and His sheep follow Him......

Near Eastern shepherd would call for their sheep and they would recognize his call and gather around the shepherd.

The Near Eastern shepherd would lead their sheep and they know his voice and would follow him.

The Western shepherds would drive their sheep with dogs.

Jesus is speaking of Spiritual leadership and He is using the way of the Near Eastern shepherds, that call for the sheep and they follow as an example for the leadership of the saints.

Paul told Timothy about his spiritual leadership......1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

These sheep trusted that voice and if was a different voice they would not follow, they would actually flee from him, sensing danger!

Those that know Jesus, by His Word alone, will (or should) recognize His example, anything contrary to Christ they will run as far as they can to get away that false shepherd!

This word parable here is different in the Greek, than what Jesus used in the other Gospels.

Matthew 13:34 “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:”

The word “parable” here in the Greek is parabolē..........

Now, in our text the same word “parable” is in the Greek paroimia........which means “a figure of speech”

Most parables are stories, could of actually happened or not, but stories to convey a Spiritual meaning.

This here is an example of Christ and those that truly follow Him.

Matter of fact, Jesus is about to use the “I AM” declarations again and it is like Him telling folks He is the light, the water, the bread, etc.

Jesus tells them that He is the only way to enter. That is how those pens was fixed, one door, one passage way and there is no other means to approach the Father! No other way to live!

Robbers and thieves came before Him..............This seems to be speaking of false deliverers......anti-christs...........

Thieves has a meaning of cunning and stealth

Robbers has a meaning of openly and by violence.

These 2 are the devil and his demons.

He is roaming about seeking whom he may devour and they will come in another way.

Jesus again declares Himself as the door, He is the only Way to be safe and to be fed spiritually!

Jesus is the true source of the knowledge of God and His through His shed blood is the only way to the Father!

Jesus tells them that sheep will not hear those who speak differently than the True Shepherd.

This is very important, in the world there is a lot of teaching that attempts to draw people and it is not the truth, but unfortunately some will listen and follow, those are not of Christ’s sheepfold because they listened to one that is not the True Shepherd.

Sheep are dumb, but they can recognize their Shepherd, they know Him! How? Through His Word!

If anything, any little thing opposes God’s Word, it is not the TRUE door!

Jesus continues to speak of the false, the thief is come to......

This could be used of false teachers, alot of commentators say this about this. I will say that false teachers are fueled by the devil. The devil pulls at man to live in humanism. This life/lifestyle leads to destruction.......

The world still seeks its humanistic, political saviours—its Hitlers, its Stalins, its Maos, its Pol Pots—and only too late does it learn that they blatantly confiscate personal property (they come ‘only to steal’), ruthlessly trample human life under foot (they come ‘only … to kill’), and contemptuously savage all that is valuable (they come ‘only … to destroy’). ‘Jesus is right. It is not the Christian doctrine of heaven that is the myth, but the humanist dream of utopia.

Jesus came that we might have life.......This entire verse is a proverbial way of insisting/declaring that there is only One Means of receiving eternal life, Jesus is the Only Way!

Jesus is come that men may have abundance; abundance of grace, peace, love, life, and salvation. Blessed be Jesus!

Jesus is speaking of how important the sheep was for the true shepherd.

This can also speak of the under-shepherds, you will know the true ones because they would fight until death to protect the sheep.

Jesus gave His life for His sheep. That they might be saved and go in and out and find pasture!

Now Jesus speaks of the hireling, these are those that have no care for the sheep and because of their lack of love for the sheep, they will allow the wolf to come in and do nothing about it.

One example I thought of.....when I was boy, I hated to go to 2 different food places, especially drive-thrus, because if I had a cup or bag from another, I thought that they would be upset. Quite the contrary, it wasn’t till later on in life that I realized that those people working there could care less they just wanted to get through their shift and go home.

This a hireling but in a more extensive way.......the hirelings in the church normally seek out their own benefit and do not care if the enemy comes in.

Ezekiel 34:1-3 speaks of this....... that is very plain to understand........I know I make a big deal about this, but I have seen it and have been approached by these hirelings and Jesus was serious about this, as was the apostles.......ALL of them spoke on this, taught that there will be hirelings come in the church.....

Jesus is telling them here that the “Jews” (religious leaders) are the hirelings....

They care nothing of the flock, it is all about them!

Jesus again refers to Himself, in the mode of “I AM”, meaning that He is the only One that is right for the sheep and any under-shepherd must operate in that way!

Jesus knows those that are His and those that are His know the True Christ!

The intimacy of the relationship between the sheep and the Good Shepherd is mirrored on the intimacy between the Father and the Son; indeed, the intimacy of the sheep/shepherd relationship is grounded upon the intimacy between the Father and the Son

Now, Jesus speaks of the different folds.......

The beginning fold is Israel

These other folds are Gentiles who respond to His voice (The Word)

Jesus will make these multiple folds into one new body, the church!

17-18 Jesus speaks of His death, in which is the will of the Father......Jesus as the Good Shepherd goes all out for those that are His!

He dies for them in order that they might have life and it more abundantly!

This next truth is important, this is a necessary death! Some call it substitutionary atonement!

Somebody was going to die because of sin, all of humanity was sentenced to die in their sins, but Jesus gave His life, no wolf, thief, or robber takes His life! Jesus gives it freely and He will take it back again!

This is the Father’s will!