The Good Shepherd

Intro

Shepherding was a way of life for many in the ancient world.

It was how they made sure they had enough food, clothing, and resources to live.

So it should be no surprise to us that Jesus chose to reveal himself as the good shepherd to those who would follow him.

Unfortunately for most of us we are disconnected from the reality of shepherding life.

So we can be a little lost when it comes to this picture Jesus paints for us.

For instance, when you think about a shepherd what do you think about?

Usually the image of shepherds look something like the paintings we see in museums.

We think of somewhat soft and cushy job where the cuddles are abundant.

Nice tranquil mountainsides staring up at the stars and being at peace with the world.

But the picture that the Scriptures paint of Ancient Shepherds is quite different.

These shepherds were warriors.

David talks about having to fight off and even kill lions and bears to protect his sheep.

Not only that, but even when we see shepherds today most of the time they are driven by the shepherds and being herded by dogs.

But the biblical picture is that the Shepherds would actually lead the sheep.

The sheep would follow behind the shepherd.

The shepherds were always on the look out for dangers ahead. Keeping an eye out on how to protect their sheep.

So that’s shepherds, but over and over again God’s people are called sheep.

That could be offensive to our modern ears.

Being called a sheep is derogatory. I have heard it used to belittle and shame people.

And yet, that’s what God calls us, sheep.

Why does he call his people sheep?

It helps us to remember that we are always dependent on him.

We have to trust, we have to follow, we have to listen to the shepherd if we are going to live.

If we are going to thrive.

Being called sheep by the creator of the universe should also humble us.

We aren’t as smart, able, and independent as we think we are.

In fact, we are fragile. We are stubborn. We are stupid.

Even the smartest, strongest, and most resourceful of us is weak, feeble, and dumb before the creator of the universe.

We are sheep that need a shepherd.

We need to be lead.

We need to be protected.

We need to be loved.

We need to be provided for.

And the good Shepherd does all this for his sheep.

Jesus is the good and true shepherd who protects, provides, and cares for his sheep.

And we are going to look at that his morning.

One of the things I want us to think about as we walk through this passage is what we talked about last week.

Not many make this connection.

Last week we talked about the blind man being healed and then after his witness to the religious leaders he was thrown out of the synagogue.

Now Jesus is going to point us to the reality that these religious leaders are false shepherds.

But he is the good and true shepherd.

This is the connection between the healing of the blind man in chapter 9 and the discourse or discussion in chapter 10.

So what does Jesus have to say?

John 10:1–6 CSB

1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

True and Good Shepherd

Like I said earlier, sheep are fragile, they are weak, they need protection.

And here Jesus begins his illustration by talking about sheep being in a sheep pen.

And in this sheep pen the Shepherd has access to the sheep through the gate, however, there are those who try to sneak in and either rob or steal the sheep.

Now the sheep pen that Jesus has in mind is a communal sheep pen.

Meaning that multiple families would use the same sheep pen to house their sheep together.

They would then hire an watcher or gatekeeper to make sure that no one enters into the sheep pen through the gate.

The most logical next question would be, how do these shepherds gather their sheep. If there are multiple sheep from different families in this pen.

Jesus tells us, “he calls them and they respond to his voice.”

Have you ever thought about how amazing that is?

A few summers ago I got to go to a ranch that raised sheep.

And as I was looking at the sheep, they all looked the same to me.

And there were only a couple of dozen there gathered together and I couldn’t tell one from the other.

They were a mass of sheep to the untrained eye indistinguishable from one another.

But for a shepherd they were all precious and beautiful.

He knows his sheep.

And they know him.

They hear his voice and they respond.

Why b/c they know that he is their protector and provider.

To the shepherd each sheep is of value and he knows each one by name.

He calls each one by name.

Even today in the middle east, shepherds typically give each of their sheep names to identify them.

These names are usually given to the sheep based on how they look.

Affectionate nicknames like, big nose, long ears, or limpy.

Likewise, Jesus knows you by name.

He is the good shepherd that calls you by name, if you are one of his sheep.

And you know that you are his sheep if you answer his voice when called.

If you are his, it is b/c he has called you by name.

Think about it in all the universe, with all the nearly 8 billion people on Earth, Jesus knows your name.

And not only that, Jesus knew your name before you knew his voice.

He named you.

He claimed you.

He called you his own.

In biblical theology, naming something gives you authority and dominion over that thing.

Think about the creation narrative, when Adam named all the animals of the Earth.

Demonstrating his authority and dominion.

And here Jesus names you.

He has authority and dominion over your life.

He will protect, lead, and provide for those under his authority.

It’s easy for us to get bogged down with life.

It’s easy for us to be overwhelmed. To think that our life is insignificant.

That we don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

But Jesus fights back against these thoughts here.

He knows our name.

He knows your name.

Listen to his voice.

He is telling you that you are valuable.

You are loved.

You are protected.

You are provided for.

You aren’t insignificant.

You aren’t a burden.

You aren’t less than.

You matter to God.

Notice that all this is relational language.

You have a relationship with the king of the universe.

He knows you and you know him.

He loves you and you love him.

He leads and you follow.

And if you know his voice you will not listen to a voice of another.

Don’t listen to the voices of strangers.

Don’t listen into the lies of the enemy.

Listen to the voice of the Good and True Shepherd.

There are going to be those that will try and tempt you away from the path of the True Shepherd, don’t listen to them.

Don’t follow the strangers.

Instead, run away from them.

Steer clear of them.

We have to be discerning.

We have to know the voice of the True Shepherd so that we don’t listen to the call of the stranger.

We need to be alert.

We need to be sober minded.

They are out there. Stand Firm. Listen to Jesus.

That’s what John is commenting on in verse 6.

John 10:6 “6 Jesus gave them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.”

Those listening weren’t of Jesus’ flock.

They didn’t know his voice.

They didn’t know his calling.

They didn’t trust him to lead, protect, and provide.

They belonged to another flock.

Jesus follows this up with another truth, and the next “I am” Statement in John’s Gospel.

In fact, in this short discourse he is going to provide us with two I am Statements.

The first one is found in verse 7.

John 10:7–10 CSB

7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

The Gate

Jesus here says I am the Gate for the Sheep. Or some translations say door or entrance.

Scholars can be a little frustrated with the flow of Jesus’ teaching here.

Some have even suggested that this is incoherent and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the illustration.

Citing that Jesus is mixing metaphors.

He’s the good shepherd, then he’s a door, then he’s the good shepherd again.

But Jesus is simply giving a further explanation to what he said in verses 1-5.

Jesus here is pointing out that he is where safety and security is found.

The gate secures the pen.

But that doesn’t stop thieves and robbers from trying to enter in.

In fact, Jesus says all that came before him were thieves and robbers.

Is he saying this about Moses, David, the prophets?

Where they all thieves and robbers?

No, he is making reference to all those that pretended to be the saviors.

Those who pointed the people away from God’s true message of grace and led them into slavery, suffering, and war.

Anyone that claims to be from God and steers people away from God and to themselves is a thief and a robber.

Anyone who brings glory to himself is a thief and robber.

Anyone who takes people out of the safety and security of Jesus is a thief and robber.

They have no part of God even though they claim to.

These religious Jewish leaders who are rejecting the voice of Jesus are the thieves and robbers.

Here’s what we can gather from what Jesus is telling us.

The only true safety and is found in Jesus.

He is the exclusive way to being safe and secure.

He is the only route to salvation.

This should give us John 14.6 vibes.

John 14.6 “6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

There is no safety and security outside of Jesus.

Jesus tells us in v. 10 what a thief’s goal and aim is.

John 10.10 “10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”

Most of the time this verse is attributed to Satan.

But in the context of this passage and in light of John’s Gospel all together, we see that the real thieves and robbers are the religious leaders that are leading people away from Jesus.

And Jesus contrasts their goal’s with his.

They are bringing deal.

They are stealing joy.

They are causing people to go to hell.

These thieves and robbers that seek to steal, kill, and destroy.

look only after themselves.

They are the point.

These are the same type of false shepherds that God chastises in Ezekiel 34.

Ezekiel 34:11–16 CSB

11 “ ‘For this is what the Lord God says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them. 12 As a shepherd looks for his sheep on the day he is among his scattered flock, so I will look for my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them to their own soil. I will shepherd them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the land. 14 I will tend them in good pasture, and their grazing place will be on Israel’s lofty mountains. There they will lie down in a good grazing place; they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will tend my flock and let them lie down. This is the declaration of the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.

God tells them that he is going to destroy these self seeking, self centered, self aggrandizing shepherds, and he is going to raise up a true and good Shepherd .

These false shepherds are all around us.

Giving us false hope.

Leading us astray.

Building their own platforms and people to puff themselves up.

They don’t care about the sheep.

They don’t care about people

They care about their image, their pocketbooks, their own prestige.

They don’t care if they have to steal, kill, or destroy your lives to get them, as long as they are fat and happy.

But God will rain justice down on these.

He will not be mocked.

Notice the contrast between these false shepherds and Jesus.

Jesus offers life.

Abundant life.

A life of plenty.

Not in the sense of material possessions, but in the since of a life with purpose, joy, and communion with God.

Going back to the sheep metaphor he wants us to be fat, contented, flourishing sheep.

He wants us to know and see that he is the good shepherd that takes great care of his sheep.

We aren’t passively getting by, we are thriving under his leadership.

B/C he cares for us.

He loves us and as he reveals he will lay himself down for us.

John 10:11–13 CSB

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep.

Sacrifice

Jesus reveals to us that a good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

He wants to show us the difference between a hired hand and a good shepherd.

The hired hand has no skin in the game.

He is simply there for a paycheck.

He doesn’t really care what happens to the sheep as long as he gets paid and goes home.

He sees danger up ahead and is quick to abandon the sheep.

And when he abandons the sheep they are snatched away and scattered.

But the good shepherd leads the sheep.

He doesn’t just lead the sheep he is willing to lay his life down for the sheep.

He is willing to serve and protect the sheep no matter the cost b/c he knows the value of the sheep.

This is the first of 3 times in this conversation that Jesus talks about laying his life down.

v. 11, 15, and 18

In John’s Gospel, Jesus is keenly aware of his calling.

He knows that he was sent to die.

That he came to bring life through his death.

The hired hands won’t get uncomfortable for the sheep, but the good shepherd will die for them.

Jesus is the good shepherd precisely b/c he will lay his life down to provide safety, security, and protection for his sheep.

That’s not all though, Jesus circles back to the idea of relationship between the sheep and himself.

John 10:14–18 CSB

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. I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Relationship

Jesus again reiterates that he is the good Shepherd.

And that he knows the sheep and they know him.

And this knowing isn’t simply a recognition, but an intimate knowledge of his sheep and they of him.

We can know the one who created all things.

We can have a deep and intimate relationship with the one who knows our name.

Jesus isn’t far off, he is right here next to us.

He isn’t a mystery, he makes himself known.

And He equates our relationship with him to his relationship with the Father.

As well as Jesus, the son, and God, the Father know one another so can we know Jesus.

The love of Jesus for us is based on his love for the Father and the Father’s love for us.

And Jesus tells us John 10:16 “16 But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

This is good news.

B/C these other sheep he has are the gentiles.

And guess what, we are the gentiles.

We have been brought into the flock b/c of Jesus’ laying his life down for us.

The love of God the Father for Jesus the son is b/c of Jesus’ supreme and unwavering obedience.

That Jesus is going to lay his life down is why the Father loves him and will glorify him.

And because of Jesus’ obedience and the Father’s love for Jesus he will have the authority to also raise his life back again.

We know about Jesus’ love for us b/c he chose to sacrifice himself for us.

We know that he is the good shepherd b/c he laid his life down.

And he has created one flock.

B/c he is the one good shepherd.

Jesus saves all who respond to his name.

All who believe that he is the good shepherd.

And get this this isn’t just some talk, Jesus really did lay his life down.

He really did die so that you could have life.

He talked the talk and walked the walk.

He saw the danger ahead of us. He saw our souls in peril.

We faced something more dangerous than wolves and bears.

We faced an eternity of being separated from God, b/c of our sin.

And Jesus being the good shepherd laid down his life to bring us into his fold.

Laid down his life so that we could be restored.

So that we could be forgiven.

So that we could be made whole.

And I want you to notice that Jesus’ sacrifice was strictly voluntary.

He was compelled by love to die for you. John 10:18 “18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.””

He willingly laid down his life.

He saw the danger, he saw the pain, he saw what lie ahead, and said that your redemption was worth it.

And b/c of his obedience to God he died, but he took his life back.

Demonstrating to us the power he has over life and death.

That he has the authority, power, and willingness to save those lost.

If they respond to his voice.

And he did this all b/c of the Fathers love for us.

John: Verse by Verse The Shepherd Who Knows His Sheep (10:14–18)

The basis for everything—from creation to redemption—is the Father’s love (10:17). Salvation is possible because “God so loved the world” (3:16), but that salvation is anchored in the Father’s love for the Son, and Jesus’ mission was the outgrowth of that love within the Godhead. Here the Father’s love is intertwined with his Son’s submission to his will, Christ’s perfect union with the divine plan, the salvation that flows out of his vicarious sacrifice for sinful humankind

Jesus’ disclosure of the truth divides people once again.

John 10:19–21 CSB

19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These aren’t the words of someone who is demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Division

Whenever Jesus speaks the truth to people some hear, some don’t, and some misunderstand what he is saying.

We will continue to see this theme and motif all throughout John’s Gospel.

Some claim he has a demon, some claim that demons can’t do what only the messiah can do, “open the eyes of the blind.

They don’t know what to do with Jesus.

And this is true in our day and age too.

People don’t know what to do with Jesus.

But the reality is we either reject or accept him.

We are either part of his flock or we are not.

We either hear his voice or ignore it.

Jesus wants you to be one of his sheep.

He wants you to be part of his flock.

He wants to call you by name.

He wants you to know him deeply and intimately.

If you don’t know him, he’s calling out your name.

Respond to him.

Don’t be hard headed.

Don’t be stubborn.

Know that you are a sinner that needed a savior.

And that that savior came and died to save you.

Believe and trust him.

If you are a follower of Jesus, remember who you belong to.

The world is crazy.

Things are chaotic, but Jesus protects you.

He provides for you.

He loves you and he knows you.

He wants you to seek solace and refuge in his loving arms.

He is the good shepherd.

The one who laid his life down for you.

But he didn’t stay dead.

He rose again so that you could have life and life abundantly.

Let’s pray.