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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?
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.
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