I Am The Good Shepherd Series

I AM the Good Shepherd

John 10:11-18

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

10-11-2020

The DOOR

Last week, we started our journey through John 10 and encountered another one of the “I AM” statements. So far, we’ve heard Jesus say that He is the “bread of life” (John 6), the “light of the world,” and last week the “door/gate for the sheep” (John 10:7)

Jesus came to the sheepfold of Israel and called His sheep by name, one by one.

The only way into the sheepfold is through Jesus.

In another of the I AM statements that we will explore in a couple of weeks, Jesus said,

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

There aren’t multiple doors. There isn’t a door that works for me and one that works for you. There is only one way back to the Father and that is through a saving faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Jesus offers the sheep provision, protection, security, and salvation and, most importantly of all, abundant life:

“The thief comes to steal kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

This abundant life is eternal, resurrection life. It starts now and last forever. You are no long held in slavery to fear, shame, guilt, or your past.

Jesus provides light in the midst of the darkness, peace in the in the midst of the chaos, and hope in the midst of despair.

This morning, Jesus continues His conversation with the Pharisees and we come to another I AM statement - “I am the good shepherd.”

Turn to John 10:11.

Prayer

Text in its Context

Remember that it’s always important to consider the text within the context of Scripture.

Jesus had healed the man born blind in John 9 and the Pharisees reacted by interrogating, insulting, and finally, ex-communicating him.

John 9 ends with these haunting words:

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.” (John 9:38-41)

In John 10, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees and the religious leaders of Israel. They were supposed to the shepherds of the flock of Israel but had utter failed in their duties to care for, defend, protect, and provide for the sheep.

But there is something else going on behind the scenes here.

The feeding of the 5,000 in John 5 took place during the Passover when Jesus declared,

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty…” (John 6:35)

It was at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles, when the water was being poured out on the altar, As the priests are pouring the water on the altar, Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice:

 “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ( John 7:37-38)

It was at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, during the illumination of the Temple in which four 75 foot Menorah would be lit lighting up all of Jerusalem that Jesus said:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Now in John 10, the Feast of Dedication in upon them.

In 167 BC the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, who claimed to be god, attacked Jerusalem and sacrificed a pig on the altar to the pagan god Zeus, forced pork down the priest throat, turned the chambers of the Temple into a brothel.

He outlawed even the possession of the Hebrew Scriptures.

In 165 BC, Judas Maccabaeus, “Judas the Hammer,” overthrew the Syrian army and rededicated the Temple on the 25th of Kislev (December).

The Jewish people celebrated the victory for eight days and it was decreed that the Feast of Hanukkah, (lights), should be celebrated each year around this time.

Growing up, my best friend was named Randy and he was Jewish. I remember being at his house during Hanukkah and being jealous that he got presents for eight days in a row!

We were about eight year old and I went home and ask my mother if I could be Jewish. When she said no, Randy and cooked a scheme. I would be “shoeish.” I would carry a show box around and worship the great shoe in the sky. It was close enough. Maybe I could get presents too? That really didn’t work out the way Randy and I thought it would.