The Good Shepherd

Scripture Reading

Opening Hymn—More About Jesus 245

Closing Hymn—He Leadeth Me 537

John 10:9–11 (NKJV)

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

Introduction

Read in isolation this passage sounds nice and comforting.

Read in the context of John ch. 8 and 9 we see the rising antagnoism against Jesus:

John 8:39 (NKJV)

39 They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

John 8:58–59 (NKJV)

58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” 59 Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 9:24 (NKJV)

24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

The pharisees by this stage have attempted to kill Jesus and consider him a sinner.

Jesus pronounces the third and fourth of his seven “I am” statements:

Note: include 7 in powerpoint

I Am The Door

A shepherd understood what Jesus meant when he said I am the door:

Often when travelling far distances and looking for pasture the shepherd would find an enclosure for the sheep to rest and he would lie across the entrance.

The other time the door was used is when the shepherd would return the sheep to the fold and as they enter through the door he would count the sheep to see if any was missing.

The door signified his role to protect and his accountability to those he cared for.

I Am The Good Shepherd

Jesus doesn’t just say I am a shepherd. Jacob when when blessing Joseph says in

Genesis 48:15 (ESV)

15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,

Psalm 23:1 (ESV)

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Jesus inserts the adjective “good” to make a distinction between him and the pharisees who accused him of being “a sinner.”

And there’s possibly a throwback to Eze 34 which is a prophesy against the shepherds of Israel:

Ezekiel 34:4 (NKJV)

4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.

Jesus gives three reasons why he’s the good shepherd John 10:

I lay down my life— Verse 11

He is personally invested in the sheep (they mean more to Him than a pay-check)— Verse 12

“I know my own.” (in the Greek is also used to denote the sexual relationship between a husband and wife)— Verse 14

Why Do We Need A “Good” Shepherd?

We Need Leadership

Ezekiel 34:5 (ESV)

5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd...

We Are Vulnerable

Ezekiel 34:5 (ESV)

5 ...and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered;

We Are Far From Home

Ezekiel 34:6 (ESV)

6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

Conclusion

“We are living in a fear epidemic, stoked in part by a 24/7 media that makes tragedies from around the world seem part of our everyday experience... In such a time as this, if you want to live your life free from fear then remind yourself, every day, that your shepherd is with you, every step of the way. Trust in him, your shepherd is with you always, and he is mighty to save.” ― David Knott, The Psalm 23 Life: Experiencing the Love of God Every Day