The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd

John 10:1-18

Illus. “Type” selection.

 

As we turn to John 10 this morning, we turn to the parable of the Good Shepherd and His sheep. In these verses, Jesus will give insights into the ways of a good shepherd and how a good shepherd engages with his sheep. The definition of a parable is to throw one thing alongside another. When Jesus gives parables, He takes something that would have been known or clearly seen in their culture, and throws it alongside a spiritual reality, something true for kingdom living. As we look at this parable, and the points Jesus makes, some of the ideas may be foreign to us. Most of us have not likely ever shepherded sheep, or seen a shepherd shepherding sheep. There are likely also varying degrees of what we know about sheep, but as Jesus gave this parable in His day, the people would have understood the picture He was presenting, though some would have a difficult time applying the deeper meaning.

A shepherd is the name or title given to a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep. The picture of a shepherd and sheep is something likened to God and His people throughout the Bible. One of the most famous Psalms in all of Scripture opens with these words, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…” (Psalm 23:1), in that Psalm David likened himself to a sheep in the charge of the Lord. This is something that is found in other places as well. In Psalm 100:3 we read, “we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” In Psalm 95:7, He is our God, we are the people of His pasture, the sheep of His hand.”

 

 

Ezekiel 34:11-12(a), the Lord God says this: “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and look after them. As a shepherd cares for his flock on a day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep…

 

Here is John 10. Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd, and gets specific not only about Himself as Shepherd, but the response to Him of those who know Him and are known as His sheep. He is the shepherd, we are the sheep of His pasture. God’s people are often likened to sheep, which is something to note because sheep are often known more for their inability rather than their ability. Isaiah declared that we all, like sheep, have gone astray (Is. 53:6). Sheep go astray; they wander.

 

Illus. Wandering Sheep.

 

Like sheep, we go astray; and like sheep, we need a Shepherd. In Christ, we have one, and not just any one, in Him we have The Good Shepherd and for us, that is a great thing! That said, I want to direct your attention to some great things about our good shepherd in our study this morning…

 

 

1. He Approaches His Sheep Honestly

 

John 10:1-3, Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.  To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

 

• With the picture of shepherds and sheep in mind, Jesus begins chapter by distinguishing true shepherds from the fake, here called robbers and thieves.

 

• The context of this text was John 9, where Jesus healed a man born blind, and then a great conflict took place between the man and the religious leaders.

 

• They questioned that man repeatedly as they refused to believe that Jesus actually healed him. They questioned him, accused him of making the whole thing up, confronted repeatedly, and when he continued to express his belief that Jesus was from God, they kicked him out of the temple.

 

• Jesus then found him, and it was at that point that the man not only believed Jesus was from God, but He believed Jesus was God!

 

• Chapter 9 closes with us seeing the man born blind believing in Jesus for salvation, and the religious leaders rejecting Him.

 

• Some were selecting Jesus as the way to salvation, and others were siding with those who refused to believe.

 

• The question then comes, why? Why are some believing and receiving, and others doing any and everything to keep people from believing?

 

• Jesus begins this chapter…Truly, truly I say to you…There are thieves and robbers and there are true shepherds.

 

• A shepherd is one who leads people, but there are others who try to lead sheep as well, only they are not leading sheep the right way, they are attempting to lead them astray.

 

• In his commentary, David Guzik notes: Political and spiritual leaders were often called shepherds in the ancient world (Isaiah 56:11, Jeremiah 3:15). Jesus explained that not everyone among the sheep is a true shepherd; some are like thieves and robbers. One mark of their being a thief and a robber is how they gain entry among the sheep.

 

• In John 10, there are two different ways that sheep would be housed for an evening. One was more of a communal stay. Where sheep from various flocks would stay together overnight in a sheepfold with a gatekeeper keeping watch over various flocks. This was common in the village.

 

• The other type was out in the country where a shepherd would take his flock to an enclosure built with a rocks for a perimeter and the shepherd himself would guard the door.

 

• The first picture is of the village sheep pen, where the sheep are in there, and in order to “check your sheep out” in the morning, you would need to go the gatekeeper. That gatekeeper would recognize you as a shepherd of the sheep, and allow you in to get your sheep.

 

• The robbers and thieves, however, would not be able to come to the door and get a sheep out, so, they would need to climb in some other way and steel a sheep away dishonestly.

 

•  Jesus came openly, honestly, He came publicly not in secrecy.

 

John 1:14, the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

• Jesus came right through the front door…There know plots and plans that were secret, there was not trying to trip up and trap people, He came through he front door, publicly, to see people free.

 

• Jesus is not the one to do things in the dark…He is the light of the world!

 

John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

 

John 8:31(b)-32, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

• We looked at truth a couple weeks ago, and noted that it is also referred to as enlightenment. Jesus is the truth that comes in the light and leads you out of darkness and into his marvelous light!

 

1 Peter 2:9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…

 

Psalm 145:18, The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

 

• In other words, He does not approach you falsely, He approaches you honestly, He comes to the front door because if He is going to be your Shepherd, you are going to have to welcome Him through the front door of your life!

 

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1. He Leads His Sheep Personally

 

John 10:3-4, To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

 

• Once the shepherd of the sheep enters through the door, the shepherd calls his sheep and they hear his voice.

 

• The picture here is still of the sheep pen or sheepfold in the village. There are sheep in the pen who are in the care of more than one shepherd.

 

• The shepherd would then call his sheep, they would respond to him, and he would lead them out.

 

• He would not know which sheep were his right away since there would be so many in the pend. There were no external markings or brandings in those days. So, the shepherd would call his sheep, they would listen to his voice, and he would lead them out.

 

Illus. The Call.

 

• Jesus said the sheep who belong to the shepherd follow because they know the voice of their shepherd.

 

John 10:5, However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.

 

• Those who are not the shepherd are referred to by Jesus as “strangers.” The sheep who belong to the shepherd were not follow strangers because they know that the voice of strangers is not the voice to follow.

 

•  A stranger, by definition, is a person with whom one has had no personal acquaintance.

 

• The sheep who belong to a particular shepherd will respond to that particular shepherd then, because that shepherd is not a stranger to them, but is known by them.

 

John 10:14, I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me.

 

• All this said, what is the difference between the sheep who know the shepherd, and the sheep who do not, is knowing the shepherd’s voice.

 

• Some shepherds are strangers to the sheep, but the true shepherd is known by the sheep.

 

John 10:27, My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

 

• Jesus leads His sheep personally, He knows them, they know Him, He calls them by name (3), they listen to His voice, and He leads them!

 

• How do you make sure that you know the voice of The Shepherd and He becomes known by you?

 

• You have to become familiar.

 

• You may wonder how? If Jesus is the voice to listen to and follow, how can we know that He is the one saying go?

 

Illus. In 1 Samuel 3:1-10; Samuel heard the voice of God, but did not recognize it until he was instructed by Eli.

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

• From Titus 1:2, we know that God cannot lie, that said, we would never lead us contrary to what He has spoken. That said, we must make a distinction between the voices our lives.

 

Illus. How?

 

Is. 55:8-9, My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your way…as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…

 

Psalm 23:1-3, The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.

 

• He Give His Sheep Life and Life Abundantly

 

John 10:7-8, So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

 

• In verse 7, it is another one of the seven “I am” statements in the book of John.

 

John 10:9-11, I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

 

• In verse 11, Jesus gives another “I am” statement that he had eluded to but now makes clear, He is the “Good Shepherd.”

 

• The illustration of Jesus being the door is certainly tied to His being the good shepherd, it is another illustration that would have been understood by those listening.

 

• The picture being presented here is now out of the village and the sheep fold with various sheep from various shepherds, but after the sheep have been led out of that sheepfold, they have responded to the voice of the shepherd and He is leading them.

 

• This is out in the countryside, where the sheepfold consisted of a shepherd and his sheep, in a pen that is essentially rocks piled up to create a perimeter and the sheep are put in…But there is no door.

 

• After the sheep were in, the shepherd would lay his body across the entrance to keep his sheep in and to keep out predators.

 

• The shepherd was then, the door to the sheepfold. Nothing go in, and nothing go out without going through him.

 

• What He says specifically is, “I am the door, if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved…”

 

• Jesus didn’t say he was “a” door, rather, He said He is THE door.

 

• It was a picture for them. The only way to safety, to be shepherded by the good shepherd, to be saved, safe and find pasture was through Him.

 

• There are other doors in this life, but only one door leads to salvation.

 

Illus. In a life.

 

Acts 4:12, And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.

 

• So many will come and say, “this way, or that way…” But Jesus is the only way. He is the only door to salvation.

 

John 10:10-13, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters the flock. He flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.

 

• Jesus is deciphering the real from the fake, the sincere from the phonies.

 

• Jesus is contrasting Himself with the religious leaders of that day who were leading people astray, here he calls them “thieves and robbers.”

 

• Jesus says the theif comes to steal and kill and destroy, but He came so they would have life and have life abundantly.

 

• Surely the thieves here are those who lead astray. Here Jesus says the thief, and this verse is often associated with satan, the great thief, but certainly in context, a thief is one who leads people astray, misguide and lead them away from what Jesus has to say, away from His will, away from His ways.

 

• The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy the sheep, but He came so they would have life and have it abundantly!

 

• The Greek word for abundantly is “perissos” it means exceeding, over and above, extraordinary, surpassing, or more excellent!

 

• The life of His sheep is more abundant because they are under His care. He is the one taking them in and out leading them to still waters, green pastures, the one who is with them always, even in the valley.

 

Psalm 23:1-6, The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

 

• We need to stay close to our shepherd to be reminded that this is the life He has given to His sheep!

 

John 10:14-21, I am the good shepherd, and I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.  No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.”

 

• In verse 14, Jesus said He knows His own, and His own know Him.

 

• And He refers to those not yet of the sheepfold, who he must bring it also, they will listed to His voice, and they will become one flock, with one Shepherd.

 

1. He is Known by His Own Eternally

 

• Jesus said that He lays down His life for His sheep.

 

Romans 5:7-8, One will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-4, For I handed down to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…

 

John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

 

Illus. Your choice.

 

John 10:1-18