Jesus in His Own Words
The Good Shepherd
John 10:1-21
Everybody has a perception in their mind of who Jesus is. And that perception has probably been influenced by our culture and our own assumptions and maybe some bad teaching we've gotten, so it's easy to wind up with a distorted view of Jesus.
That's why it is important to study what Jesus had to say about Himself. Seven times in the in the Gospel of John, Jesus began a statement by saying, "I Am". He then follows that beginning with some statement to help us understand Who He was and why He came.
He didn't want us to have a distorted view of Him. He wanted us to receive it straight from Him so we could be clear about His life and ministry.
That is especially important when it comes to the passage we're looking at today, because today, we come to the place where Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd." It's found in John 21.
There was a young mom who was experiencing the typical stress of being a young mom. Her kids were demanding; she was sleep-deprived; they had just gotten some bad news about her husband's job and they were worried about money; she was just feeling overwhelmed by life.
She was a volunteer teacher of three-year-olds at her church, so that Sunday morning she got up early to prepare, and she saw that the lesson was about Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
And her honest thought was, "This is ridiculous. This is so disconnected from real life. These kids have no clue what a shepherd is." So she was critical and stressed out and cranky. But she got her stuff together, and she tried to mentally prepare to teach this lesson.
She survived the art portion of the lesson, which was-surprise, surprise-gluing cotton balls onto pictures of sheep. And then it was time for the serious part. She took another sip of coffee and she had the kids sit down on the floor. And she said, "Okay. Who can tell me what a good shepherd does?"
The first little hand went up, and the boy said, "He picks up his sheep when they fall down." And it was as if God himself had just spoken to her through the mouth of a 3-year-old boy. And she just melted as she realized the little lesson she was presenting wasn't for the kids, it was for her.
Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd." It's hard for us to connect with that, because most of us don't actually know any shepherds, and we aren't that familiar with sheep.
So before we read the passage, let me just take a minute to sort of pull us back into first century Middle-Eastern culture. The world at that time was very sheep-dependent. They used sheep for wool; they used them for meat; so there were sheep all over the place.
As you may know, sheep had a reputation for not being very smart; they are stubborn, and the world was a dangerous place for sheep: there were rocky places, where the footing was very perilous. There were wild animals who enjoyed lamb chops. So for all those reasons, sheep needed shepherds-to guide the sheep, to protect them, to feed them, to pick them up when they fell down.
And I think if we're completely honest with ourselves, we would admit that we need the same thing. In fact, the Bible often compares us to sheep. So God must think we are cuddly and adorable like sheep, right? No. It means that we're dumb, stubborn, and we fall down a lot. And in this passage, Jesus is basically saying, "I am the shepherd that you need."
There are a lot of people who have hard lives, and maybe you're one of them. You need to know there is a Shepherd Who loves and cares for you and He wants to be Your Shepherd.
There are others, who would say they are following Jesus, but their life is a mess, because the truth is, you listen to the voice and follow the leadership of other shepherds rather than the Good Shepherd.
So no matter where you find yourself today, this passage is a very important place for sheep that get lost and fall down a lot to stop and listen.
So, let's read the passage, beginning at verse 1 of John 10.
John 1-30
There are a lot of things to see and glean from this passage, but let me just boil it down to three things we find in this text about the Good Shepherd.
First of all, think about
1. The Shepherd's Care
His care is expressed in several ways. First,
- He knows us
verse 1
Notice, Jesus talks about a "sheepfold" where these sheep are kept. Back in the first century, if you walked through a town, you would see these enclosures, very often with a roof, where sheep were kept. And it was common to see the flocks of several different shepherds sharing one pen. So the shepherd would take his flock out to graze during the day, and then they would sort of "rent space" in this pen at night.
The first thing the shepherd would do each morning is call his sheep. They would be all mingled together in the pen, but recognizing the voice of their shepherd, the sheep would come to the shepherd when he called, while all the other sheep that weren't his would ignore him.
There's a seminary professor out in Chicago named Bill Donahue. Back when he was studying for the ministry, he was a part-time youth pastor in a country church. One of the families in the church invited him to their farm. So the guy who owned the farm said, "Hey Bill-could you help me call in the sheep?"
He said he looked over the fence and saw about 25 sheep grazing in the pasture. And Bill said, "What do I say?" The farmer said, "Well, I just say, 'Hey sheep-come on in!"' So Bill turned toward the sheep and he said, "Hey sheep-come on in!" The farmer said, "Those sheep are 75 yards away. You have to say it louder than that." So Bill shouted, "Hey sheep-come on in!" They didn't budge. They didn't even turn their heads.
So the farmer said, "Do they even teach you the Bible in that seminary? Haven't you ever read, My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me? And then the farmer said, very calmly, "Hey sheep-come on in." All 25 sheep turned and walked toward him.
And that young pastor never forgot that lesson. The true Shepherd knows his sheep, and his sheep know him. There's a very personal relationship.
Let me ask you something: how many voices are shouting at you in a typical week? Studies tell us that the average Internet user sees about 2,700 ads per week. Just online. That's not counting TV, billboards and radio. And that's just ads.
Then there's all the other stuff you read online, and the thousands of images and photos you see. The numbers of text and emails that the average user sees during the week is in the thousands.
And then there's the actual voices of teachers and politicians and news casters and friends and bosses and co-workers. It's just crazy how much information is being sent our way day by day. And it can be confusing and stressful.
Wouldn't it be amazing if there were this one clear, true voice that rose above the others? So in the midst of the confusion, you could go, "That's the voice I listen to. He knows me, and I follow him." There is. It is the voice of Jesus through the unchanging Word of God. That's what Jesus, the Good Shepherd, offers us.
And by the way, He knows more about you than anyone else that's trying to get your attention. he not only know you, He knows all about you. He knows where you've been, where you're going and what you're going to encounter when you get there.
- knows us.
Secondly,
- He leads us
verse 4
Notice: the shepherd doesn't drive the sheep. He doesn't go behind them and push them forward. He goes ahead of them and he leads them by example. If you study the life of Jesus, this is what you'll see. He lived a certain kind of life, and he invited people to follow in his steps.
Over the last few months, the #metoo movement has revealed a lot of surprising things about a lot of high-visibility. And they run the gamut from politicians to entertainers and spiritual leaders.
People who are admired and respected and followed. It's a terrible thing to realize that someone you've been following is not who you thought they were.
But they serve as reminders that no one is immune. We all have the capacity to do stupid things. The Bible says, "Pride goes before destruction." Even the great historical leaders that we admire from our history were all humans with a sin nature.
But Jesus has no dark side. He's the light of the world. And so he is the leader who is most worth following.
So he knows us; he leads us; one more way the Good Shepherd cares for his sheep, and that is
- He protects us
verses 7-9
Now at first reading, these verses seem a little confusing. Is Jesus the shepherd, or is He the gate? It seems like he's confusing his metaphors. But then I discovered something. Remember the sheep pens where they kept the sheep at night?
When the weather was warm, sometimes shepherds wouldn't bring their sheep back to town at night; they would keep them out in the fields. And when they did that, they used a different kind of pen, which they still use today. They would made pile rocks in a square or a circle, and leave a little opening for the sheep to get in and out.
Old Testament scholar Sir George Adam Smith told of traveling in the Middle East with a guide, and they came across a shepherd with his sheep, and they started talking with him. And the shepherd showed them the pen where he kept his sheep at night. And the shepherd said, very proudly, "When my sheep are in this pen, they're completely safe."
And this tourist said, "But there's no gate." And the shepherd said, "I'm the gate."
Now keep in mind, this was not a Christian man quoting Jesus; this was an Arab shepherd. And the tourist said, "What do you mean, 'you're the gate?"'
And he said, "When it gets dark, and all the sheep are inside, I lie down across that opening. So if any sheep wants to get out, or if any predator wants to come in, they have to get through me. I am the gate."
Jesus wasn't confusing his metaphors at all. He wasn't randomly switching back and forth between calling himself the shepherd and the gate. The shepherd is the gate. Which means He makes it His business to protect his sheep.
So, preacher, are you saying that if I follow Christ I'll never get hurt? No, everybody knows that's not true.
So what does it mean? It means at least two things...
First of all, it means
- nothing slips by Him
When I'm following Christ, I know that anything that comes into my life is not random; it's not outside his control. Whatever happens to me is allowed by Jesus, and, in fact, brought by Him for His purposes and ultimately for my good. Nothing slips by him.
But it also means
- I'm completely safe
My life, my soul and my eternity are secure in the hands of Christ. No one can take that away. I could lose my money; I could lose my health; I could lose people that I love; but I cannot lose my relationship with Christ.
And the worst thing that could happen in this life, which is death, is just a way for me to get closer to Jesus. So at the deepest level, I am completely protected. And as I learn to believe that more deeply, the more free I am to take risks, to stop worrying, and truly live.
So when Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd, he meant that when we become his sheep, he knows us, he leads us, and he protects us. That's what he was claiming about himself. And as usual, his claims had a very polarizing effect on people.
Verse 20 says some of the people thought he was demon-possessed and raving mad; other people were more open. Does Jesus still polarize people today? Absolutely. That's why it's so important to figure our who you say Jesus is.
Because, to be honest, you listen to what I've said about this shepherd who says He knows us and leads us and protects us, and you'd have to say, that's not what you've experienced. So why should we trust Him?
Let's talk about
2. The Shepherd's Credentials
What gave Jesus the right to make the claims he was making? Two things.
First of all,
- His identity
If you were a Jewish person listening to Jesus say this, you would have immediately made some connections. Because all through the Hebrew Scriptures, God promised that a Messiah was coming. And several times, he described that Messiah as a shepherd.
Isaiah 40, verse 11 is a great example. Speaking of the coming Messiah, Isaiah said,
"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in his arms; He will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."
So when Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd, most Jewish listeners realized, "He's calling himself not just another prophet; he's claiming to be The Promised Messiah." Later in the passage, they ask Jesus straight up, "If you're the Messiah, tell us plainly." And Jesus, in his usual mysterious way, says, "I did tell you, but you don't believe me."
In fact, in verse 30, Jesus goes a step further when he says, I and the Father are one. So he was claiming to be not just the Messiah; He was claiming to be God. Coming out of the lips of anyone else, that would sound crazy. But Jesus is not anyone else.
But his other credential is just as important and that is
- His scars
Now, obviously, when Jesus spoke these words, He didn't yet have the scars of Calvary.
And yet, four times in this passage, He says that He is the shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. And the reason he needed to do that was because we were in trouble.
I believe the Christian faith is the only faith system or philosophy that truly takes sin seriously. Other philosophies say, "Well, sometimes we make mistakes, but people are basically good on the inside."
Jesus says, "Man is a sinner by nature and a sinner by choice and the only answer for sin is a sacrifice. He never minimized or sugar-coated sin. He just called it what it was.
And to be honest, that's why a lot of people don't like going to church. It's depressing to discover that God hates sin and judges sin. If we're honest, we have to admit that we are sinners. Everybody messes up.
But that's just half the story. God doesn't just hate sin and identify us as sinners, He did something about it. In fact, what He did was the costliest thing He could ever do. He laid down his life for the sheep. He took what we deserve for our sin, so we could be forgiven.
That's the message of verse 11, 15, 17 and 18. Listen: there is no other religion or philosophy known to man that identifies man as sinful and at the same time, provides a way for that sin to be forgiven and removed for all eternity other than faith in Jesus Christ alone.
And the scars of Jesus make him truly unique. Only He has the credentials to call Himself the Good Shepherd.
And based on those credentials, Jesus walked this earth and he called people to believe in him and follow him. And in 2018, he's still calling people. So let's talk about
3. The Shepherd's Call
The call of Jesus in your life will vary, depending on where you spiritually.
So first of all, let's talk about his call
- for those already in the flock
What is the Good Shepherd's call to those of us who are Christians?
verse 4
As a Christian, the question I have to answer is do I hear His voice and follow Him? Because the implication is, if I hear Him, I will follow Him.
We've got a dog at home named Sammy. And Sammy understands hearing and following. We take him out to do his business and sometimes, Sammy hears, but he doesn't follow.
Now if he knows what's good for Him, he will. But sometimes, he smells things done the street that he thinks are better than what's inside our house. Understand, he's got everything he needs in the house. He gets rewards for doing his business. He's got a soft bed when he wants to lie down. He gets attention and love and food.
But sometimes, he gets this wanderlust in his eyes, and in spite of the fact that he is being called, he doesn't follow.
- you hearing me? Why in the world we who are saved by the grace of God ever refuse to follow Jesus? After all, when He speaks, we instantly recognize the voice. It's the voice of comfort when we are hurting.
It's the voice that says, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It's the voice that says, "I will never leave your or forsake you."
And yet, I know some Christians who seem to be more attuned to the voice of the world or their friends than they are to the voice of God. They are always sniffing the air to see what's offered down the street. And that's very dangerous.
Jesus says, "My sheep know my voice, and they follow me." And for us Christians, this is the biggest challenge. When is the last time you read through the Gospels? They're not that long! This past week, how much time did you spend reading and meditating on Scripture, compared to the amount of time you spent on social media? Or watching the NBA or Fox News?
If we want to experience this Good Shepherd who knows us and leads us and protects us, then we have to spend time with Him. We have to listen. Get tuned in to the voice of Christ. Learn to recognize it and follow it.
The Shepherd also calls to those
- outside the flock
verse 16
Jesus knew there were a lot more people, who did not yet believe in Him, who He wanted in his flock. He was not satisfied with the number of sheep He had. He wanted more. And notice what He doesn't say. He doesn't say, "I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I will wait right here for them to show up." What does he say? I must bring them also. He makes it his business to go out and find them and bring them in.
So here's my question for you today: when you look at your life, do you hear the voice of Christ calling you and bringing you in? There's another place in the Gospels where Jesus told a parable about this same thing. Listen to what we read in
Luke 15:3-7
You would think the shepherd would be pretty happy with what he had, right? I mean, 99 out of 100 sheep-those are pretty good numbers. But he wasn't happy at all. He couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about the one lost sheep. And his love for that one sheep drove him to go out and find him.
So my question is: are you that lost sheep? You need to know God is looking for you! He loves you and He wants you safely in the pen.
He won't force you to come. He doesn't drag anybody in against their will. But he invites you to come.
Let's pray.
