A Study of the Book of John
“That You May Believe”
Sermon # 29
“Jesus Is The Good Shepherd”
John 10:11-18
Last week we discovered that in John chapter ten Jesus made two “I AM” state-ments in which He clearly stated for the people in general and the Pharisees in parti-cular that what the “true” Good Shepherd should look like. He stated that he was the both the “The Door of the Sheep” (v. 10) and “The Good Shepherd” (v.11). Last week we looked at that he was the one and only door of the sheep and this morning we are going to look at the fact that he is the Good Shepherd in verse 11 through 18.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (12) But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. (13) The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. (14) I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. (15) As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (16) And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. (17) “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. (18) No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
In these verses Jesus Declares That He Is the “Good” Shepherd. The Greek language has a number of words that conveys the idea of goodness and very often there do not differ a great deal. Here he uses the word kalos for “good” which refers to that which is morally good but also to that which is beautiful as well as what is what is good. We have taken this over into our language when we speak of beautiful handwriting as “calligraphy.” We gain the sense of this when we compare Christ claim to be the “good shepherd” with His parallel claim to be the “true vine” (John 15)and the “true bread” (John 6) the word means genuine or true as opposed to that which is false or artificial. But we also must understand that he is claiming beyond that He is not just one “a” good shepherd as though there where others, He is saying, He is “the” one and “the only Good Shepherd!
Even though as the Prince of Preachers Charles Spurgeon wrote, “ … there is more in Jesus, the good Shepherd, than can be packed away in a shepherd,… ” still Jesus did describe himself as a shepherd. So there must be lessons for that he want us to gain from the study of them.
This morning I want us to note three things about the relationship of the shepherd to his sheep.
Jesus might have told us a lot of things that a good shepherd does for his sheep. Sheep are so utterly helpless that He must look to meet all of their needs. But Jesus does touch on any of those things, but goes straight to one unexpected one, when…
First, He Declares As The Good Shepherd He Is Willing To Die For The Sheep. (vv 11-18)
“The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
This fact is obviously of crucial import-ance because it is repeated four times
(vv. 11, 15, 17 and 18). But it is also important because of the contrast that is drawn with the hireling who runs away when danger threatens (vv. 12-13) “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. (13) The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.” Jesus contrasts the true shepherd who will risk his life for the sheep with a hireling who runs from the wolf and leaves the sheep behind to be attacked and scattered.
Three things stand out about His death.
•This death was Voluntary.
Jesus death was neither an accident nor a tragedy. Jesus says in verse eighteen, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” He says he lays down his life of his own accord which makes it clear that his life is not simply taken from him by his opponents. “He did not die as a martyr, killed by men; He died as a substitute, willingly laying down His life for us” Warren Wiersbe. He chose to lay down his life for his sheep. He offered His life as a sacrifice for the sheep. The sheep were in mortal danger not from beasts such as wolf and lions but from sin.
•This death was Vicarious.
Jesus dies according to verse eleven, “for the sheep” - that is Jesus did not die for His own sins – he had none – but for ours in our place. As the Apostle Paul states in Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Christ died not only in behalf but in an even great sense in our place!
•This death was Victorious. (vv. 17-18)
Jesus further makes the statement that he has the authority to lay down his life and the authority to take it back again. “….I lay down My life that I may take it again. (18) No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
Not only is the Good Shepherd willing to Die for His Sheep but …
Secondly, He Declares As The Good Shepherd He Knows (Loves) His Sheep And They Know Him. (v. 14)
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
Now the second thing the Good Shepherd does, He loves the sheep. You say, "I don’t see the word love in there." No you don’t. But it still tells us He loves the sheep. How? Because He uses the word "know," and this word "know," is ginosko and it means to know experientially. It’s not to know by reading it in a book, it’s to know it because you have experienced it. And the word "know" very often in the Bible is used in terms of a love relationship. In the Old Testament it says, "Cain knew his wife and she bore a child." (Gen 4:17) It doesn’t mean he knew her name. It implies the most intimate kind of love relationship. So when Jesus says he “knows” his sheep he is saying that our relationship with God is not theological only, it is personal. He loves me.
Now isn’t that a wonderful truth? The Lord has millions of sheep but He knows everyone of them of them intimately. According to John 10:3 He knows His sheep by name. To the government of the United States of America you may just be a number but the God of the Universe knows you by name. He not only know our name, he knows our natures. He knows our trials and temptations. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. He knows everything about us –even our darkest thoughts! The wonderful news is that he loves us anyway – enough to die for you. There is not a sorrow that you have today that He is not aware of.
He knows our needs. Psalm 23 is a poetic description of how the Good shepherd cares for his sheep.
As the shepherd cares for the sheep, the sheep get to know the shepherd better. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep know Him. They get to know Him better by by listening to hs voice (the word) and experieciencing his daily care. As the sheep follow the Shepherd, they learn to love and to trust him.
Not only does the Good Shepherd know His sheep and is known by his sheep but..
Third, The Good Shepherd Keeps His Sheep Eternally. (vv. 27-28)
Here is one of the greatest truths in the Bible. Some people think you can be saved today and lost tomorrow. They suffer unnecessarily all of they lives under the mistakes belief that you can be saved today and lost tomorrow. They sincerely believe you can be saved today and Satan can take it away from you tomorrow. But I want you to listen to John 10:28-29, “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”
Do you see the symbolism here? Jesus is saying that He puts his hand around he over the life of the believer and He is safe fovever. But if that is not good enough. God the Father, then puts his almighty hand over both Christ and the believer. Surely hen no force in all the universe can take a poor believer out of the grasp of our Lord and Savior. We can be thankful that we are not saved and kept by our won works. The reason that I can believe so firmly in eternal security it has nothing to do with me, our eternal security is not dependent upon ourselves but upon Jesus.
Conclusion
There is no question that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The only question that remains at this point in the service is this: Do you know the Shepherd? How you answer that question determines where you can expect to spend eternity. Your answer to that question will make all the difference between Heaven and Hell. If you know the Shepherd, then you can rejoice in the fact that He will ever be with you and that He will ever watch over you. If you do not know Him, then I invite you to come to Him right now. You do not have to, nor should you want to wait. Delay is dangerous! Come to Jesus today and He will save your soul. He will place you in the flock of God. He will give you a new life and a new birth. Will you come to Him?
“Jesus Is The Good Shepherd”
John 10:11-18
First, He Declares As the Good Shepherd He Is Willing to Die for the Sheep. (vv 11-18)
Three things stand out about His death.
•This death was Voluntary
•This death was Vicarious.
•This death was Victorious. (vv. 17-18)
Secondly, He Declares As the Good Shepherd He Knows (Loves) His Sheep and They Know Him. (v. 14)
Third, The Good Shepherd Keeps His Sheep Eternally. (vv. 27-28)
