John 10: 1-21

At Crosspoint, we’re selecting leaders. We’re asking the you to affirm the gifts of 2 people to join the leadership team for a term: 1 as elder; 1 as deacon. Some of you have thought long and hard about what it takes to be leader at Crosspoint: what skills, attitude, and vision a leader should have in this context.

Often church-leaders are called shepherds. “Pastor” is borrowed from Latin, meaning “shepherd.” Transition over 40 yrs: Rev. Winter è Pastor Harold. In the Bible, elders are called shepherds too. Listen to how Peter encourages the elders in I Peter 5:

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

I Peter 5:2–4(NIV)

Reading that description makes me straighten my back, square my shoulders and want to take on the task. What about you?

But speaking of leaders as shepherds is not just a figure of speech for the church. In the OT, God used the same kind of language for the royal family, for priests, and other public leaders. The OT prophet Ezekiel uses the same figure of speech in ch. 34 when he brings God’s word of warning to the leaders in Jerusalem.

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?

Ezekiel 34:1–2 (NIV)

It makes you wonder about community leaders, health officials and government leaders in Ontario, Canada and around the world. How are they doing as shepherds of the people God created?

In the spring provincial election, what should we look for in the candidates to be Members of Provincial Parliament?

Why do they want the position?

And as you follow the news and watch the leaders of Canada, NATO, Ukraine, and Russia, maybe the question rises in your mind:

What’s their reason for being in public service?

To care for their people or to take care of themselves?

Shouldn’t shepherds take care of the flock?

We looked at the miraculous sign Jesus performed in John 9 last Sunday. It’s John’s account of Jesus healing the eyes of a man born blind and the religious leaders’ investigation, trying to figure out who Jesus is.

In the last verses of ch. 9, the Pharisees take offense at something Jesus says. They wonder if Jesus’ comments about blindness are aimed at them. The confrontation continues in the next chapter. And Jesus’ words in ch. 10 are more pointed. Using the same a figure of speech as God’s Word through Ezekiel, Jesus indicates that the Pharisees are not good shepherds, but are thieves, robbers, and uncaring hired hands.

This is Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ treatment of the man-born-blind who Jesus healed in John 9. When the Pharisees investigated this miraculous sign, they weren’t kind or considerate of the man-born-blind. There was no celebration that he could see for the first time in his life. No rejoicing with him that he might earn a living and bless others with generosity instead of begging for handouts.

When the man-born-blind kept telling the Pharisees, “One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see!” they grew exasperated. When the man-born-blind confessed that Jesus was a prophet, a healer, and a messenger from God, the Pharisees lost their tempers. They threw the him out of the synagogue.

The Pharisees had decided “that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.” Maybe it got physical: pushing and shoving him out. They definitely put him out of the synagogue. They cut him out of the faith community.

There’s no doubt that Jesus’ opening parable in John 10 is aimed at the Pharisees. He addresses them directly:

Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

John 10:1 (NIV)

Sounds ominous! Thieves and robbers are dangerous to the flock. Jesus is blunt when he drives his point home with a comparison:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10 (NIV)

Can you see the difference b/t the way the Pharisees treated the man-born-blind and the way Jesus did?

Pharisees argued with the man-born-blind, questioned whether he truly was born blind and was healed, and finally dismissed him with a nasty slur b/c he was born blind, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” They assume that his blindness was God’s judgement on his sin or his parents’.

Jesus healed his eyes so the man-born-blind could see. And when Jesus heard that he was thrown out of the synagogue and ostracized from the faith community, Jesus went looking for him. Jesus searched for this stray lamb to offer him life: full and abundant life. Jesus invited the man-born-blind to believe in the Son of Man and, through faith in Jesus, to be restored in relationship with the Sovereign Lord, his Creator and Healer.

Jesus’ actions match the word of the Lordthrough Ezekiel:

This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

For this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

Ezekiel 34:10–12(NIV)

Isn’t that precisely what the Lord is doing when Jesus entered his own creation and came looking for his scattered flock to bring them to safety? Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life!”

Jesus’ figure of speech is both intimidating and reassuring.

Consider the leadership we give in our homes, in the classroom, in the workplace: sometimes we become overly fond of the perks of being a leader: the BIG chair at the head of the table; receiving the biggest slice of the pie.

Sometimes you hear people say, “I get more out of leading a Bible study than anyone else there.” Usually that’s true. It’s a benefit of leading a discipleship group . . . but not the goal.

The goal of leading a small group is to provide care and learning for the participants; to feed and care for the sheep. When we fall short of that goal – and we do, except on our best days – we fall under the same judgement as the leaders in Ezekiel’s day or the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

God calls such leaders to repent; to humbly admit: shepherds are there for the sheep. Sheep are not there for the shepherds. If they don’t fix their attitude, the Lord will fix it for them. The Lord himself with take their place. One way or the other, God will look after his sheep. He’s the Good Shepherd.

It sounds ominous when God’s warning is directed at us, but it’s reassuring when we recognize predatory leaders. God is not pleased when the fox is guarding the chicken coop.

In Jesus’ day it was the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Teachers of the law so concerned with being right and keeping the law, they forgot God’s instruction to love your neighbour as yourself.

In Jesus’ day, it was King Herod the Great and his children who disregarded God’s law and any loyalties in their sketchy efforts to retain power, brutally putting down anyone who threatened their position. Their beautiful building projects came from cruel slavery.

In Jesus’ day, it was the Roman Emperor, the army, and all the politicians squabbling to keep the tax dollars flowing to Rome and curry favour with those richer and more powerful than they. Entertaining the masses with bread and circuses to buy votes.

Seeing that situation, the Sovereign Lord said, “I myself with search for my sheep and look after them.”

Isn’t it awesome? Jesus came as a good shepherd, healing those with blindness, speaking the truth in love, and searching for the man-born-blind after the Pharisees had kicked him out.

Jesus does the same for us” searching, finding, rescuing

But Jesus uses another figure of speech that sounds a little odd. In vs. 9, he says:

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

John 10:9 (NIV)

Stop and think about that for a minute. Jesus is the gate. What?

The Greek word θύρα refers to both the gate and the gateway. If Jesus is the gate for the sheep, he’s the way to safety. His promise in vs. 9 has echoes from one of the Lord’s OT promises. Ps 121, for example:

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7–8(NIV)

But how?

A little further in the passage, Jesus makes this statement:

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:14–15(NIV)

Most of us take good care of our pets and our livestock: high quality food, medicine and bottling little ones as needed. There are times we lose sleep to care for them. We’ll invest in security cameras, gates, and locks.

But lay down our life? That a big price to pay for a sheep. Not many of us would risk our lives for an animal.

But Jesus isn’t talking about animals. It’s a figure of speech. Jesus is talking about people; people like the man-born-blind. People who are lost and wandering far from God and far from safety; people like sheep without a shepherd.

God loves his people. Jesus came to rescue you from sin and death and bring you into the safety of his sheepfold. He tells the Pharisees that he’s not just interested in rescuing Jewish people but folks from every nation, tribe, people, and language.

Because we are in danger from our own disobedience, in danger from the consequences of sinful choices, in danger of following leaders who bring only death and destruction, God entered his own creation and became human.

As human he could offer himself for your sake.

B/c he is God he could bear the punishment for sin.

When the leaders arrested him, Jesus insisted that they led his followers go. He allowed himself to be convicted and lifted up on a cross to die. He lay down his life for your sake. Through Jesus, you can be safe. It’s the reassurance Jesus offers:

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

John 10:9 (NIV)

B/c Jesus lay down his life to rescue you, you are now able to life with him. You’ve been rescued to live for him.

He also provides the standard for all leaders. I know not all of you think of yourselves as leaders. But in our households and among our friends and the people we care for, most people have some sort of leadership role. With God’s help, we can follow Jesus’ leadership style: kind, speaking the truth in love, and laying down our lives for the life of another.

You’re asked to affirm the gifts and calling of two people: one for elder and one for deacon. You’re also called to pray for those who continue in their role as elders, deacons, and pastor. Please pray for and encourage the leaders of Crosspoint so that we can imitate Jesus and serve as good shepherds of God’s flock; under-shepherds for the chief shepherd, Jesus Christ