John 10:11-18
Topic: Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd of Life
A shepherd is one who tends to his sheep.
A shepherd is one who watches his sheep and protect his sheep from the danger of wild animals.
A shepherd is one who guides his sheep into the right pastures to feed upon, and guides his sheep to a water brook to drink to quench their thirst.
It takes great patience to be a shepherd for a flock of sheep, for the sheep are not the smartest animals. Sheep can easily go astray from their flock if they are not tended to carefully by their shepherd.
Sheep can actually die of thirst with a pond right in front of their face, if they are not guided to the water brook by their shepherd.
Sheep are subject to walk right into a lion’s or a wolf’s mouth if they are not guarded and protected carefully by their shepherd.
A shepherd main responsibility s to take care of the sheep that is assigned to him.
Now, back in the old days of the bible times, shepherd were known to be the lowliest people. Their occupation was not highly esteemed by the society that they lived in. But yet, God had used many shepherds during that time to do his will.
God used Moses, who was a shepherd for 40 years, to lead the children of Israel out of the Egyptian slavery
God used David, who was a little shepherd boy , to defeat the giant Goliath, and to led the nation of Israel as the most successful king of Israel.
God used the prophet Amos, a shepherd, to prophecy to the nation of Israel.
Also God used those shepherds that was tending the sheep at night to proclaim in Bethlehem that Jesus had been born a manger.
So God uses lowly people such as the shepherds to do his will. But most of all, the Lord himself is a shepherd, for in Psalm 23, it says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want……”
And Jesus says in John 10:11- “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
And the sheep that Jesus Christ tends is us because in Psalms 100:3 says, “Know ye that the Lord he is God; it is he that made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.”
Yes, there are many shepherds, but only Jesus Christ is known as the Good Shepherd of Life. You see:
1. As the Good Shepherd of Life, Jesus Christ feeds us, and take care of our needs.
Psalms 23:1 says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”
Isaiah 40:11 says, He shall feed the flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”
2. As the Good Shepherd of Life, Jesus Christ guides us.
Psalms 23:1-4 says, “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. He makeh me lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the path of rightousness for his name sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
3.As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ seek and saves the sheep that get lost.
Matthew 18:11-12 says, “For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray?”
4. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, restores us when we go astray and returns us to the sheepfold.
I Peter 2:25 says, “For ye were as sheep gong astray; but are now returned to unto the Shepherd and Bishop of souls.
5. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ will rewards us for our obedience and faithfulness
I Peter 5:4 says, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away,”
6. But the most important thing that Jesus Christ has done for us as the Good Shepherd is that He died for us on the cross and rose again, and gave us eternal life.
Jesus Christ says in John 10:15 says that “I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Also in John 10:17-18, Jesus Christ says: “Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”
In John 10:27-28, Jesus Christ says, “My sheep hears my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall man pluck them out of my hand.”
Yes as the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ gives us eternal life and we will never perish. But to receive eternal life, you must be part of the sheepfold. You must become HIS sheep. And to become one of the Lord’s sheep, you must be a believer of Jesus Christ. You must repent of your sins and believe that Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd, the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins, and in three days, He rose up out of the grave with all power in his hands. And when you trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then He becomes your Good Shepherd, and you become his precious sheep.
