Sermon Central
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I Am The Good Shepherd Series
Contributed by James Jackson on Mar 11, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: #5 in "What's in a Name: The I AM Statements of Jesus"
Last week we talked a little about what a sheepfold would have looked like during the time of Jesus. At the end of the day, the shepherd would stand at the gate of the sheepfold and call to his sheep to come in. The sheep would pass under the rod of the shepherd one by one. He would count them to make sure they were all accounted for. He would inspect them to see if any of them were coming back with an injury or disease that the shepherd needed to attend to. Then, when all the sheep were present and accounted for, the shepherd would lay down in front of the gate and guard the sheep through the night. Basically saying to any predator or thief, you will get these sheep over my dead body.
But I want you to look closely at verses 17-18, because I think sometimes we miss the second half of the sentence. Jesus didn’t just lay down His life for His sheep. Think about that. You’ve got this picture of the shepherd, guarding the opening to the sheepfold, and Jesus saying He lays down His life for the sheep. But you know, if the pack of wolves kill the shepherd, then the sheep are unprotected and the wolves just come straight in. So it wasn’t just that Jesus laid His life down. The gospel comes in the second hag of the verse:
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.
Jesus laid down his life—but three days later he took it up again. He defeated death! That’s the reason the last part of Psalm 23 says, “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
The death of Jesus was a strategy, not a tragedy!
That’s the gospel message. But as we close, I want you to think about this: The gospel message isn’t just for the sheep that are already in the sheepfold. This is maybe the greatest difference between the Jewish religious leaders and Jesus.
Look at verse 16:
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
