Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“The Only Door and Good Shepherd”
I. FALSE SHEPHERDS
Jesus describes the false shepherds by their character, actions, and motivations.
Character
• They are thieves and robbers 1,8
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
"All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
In the context of this passage Jesus most likely has the Pharisees in mind here as the false shepherds. He often exposed the evil character and wicked motives of the Pharisees of the day. Here he calls them thieves and robbers because they continually took from the people.
Jesus uses the present tense “are” in verse 8 and indicates that they were there before Him.
• They are strangers to the sheep
He also calls them strangers to the sheep in verse 5 because they had no real personal relationship with the sheep.
"And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
• They have no concern for the sheep
In fact in verse 13 they had no real concern about sheep at all.
"He flees because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.
The Pharisees demonstrate the callous regard for the flock over and over again.
Woman caught in adultery -- Man lame for 38 years -- Just recently the blind man who they cast out of the synagogue
• They were only hired hands
The reason they had no concern is because they had no ownership or sense of personal responsibility but only saw their relationship to the sheep as a job and opportunity for personal gain. When their personal profit and comfort became threatened they took a hike.
Action
• Didn’t enter by the door but tried to come by other means
On the one hand, these false shepherds had no intention of entering through the God-ordained door. On the other hand they advocated entrance to the fold by other ways other than Jesus.
Even though the Pharisees knew the prophecies about the coming Shepherd, they refused to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of that prophecy and thus steered people away from the only entrance. Enter the fold by some religious rite or act. Today, false shepherds are no different advocating eternal life comes through any other means but genuine trust and obedience to the true shepherd.
Motivation vs 10
• They had self-centered motives
As opposed the admirable motives of the good shepherd, the ultimate motive of these false shepherds is destruction.
"The thief comes only to steal, and kill (sacrifice), and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
Paul warned Timothy of such false shepherds. 2 Tim. 3:1-9
God condemns the false shepherds of Israel. Jeremiah 23:1-2 Ezekiel 34:7-10
False shepherds today are no different in their motives. There is no shortage of people out to fleece the flock for their own ends. In contrast to the false shepherds who do not lead through the authorized door to the fold and have no personal relationship to the sheep or even care about them, Jesus reveals Himself as the good shepherd and only door to the sheep.
II. THE ONLY DOOR AND GOOD SHEPHERD
Jesus came as the fulfillment of all the Good Shepherd promises in the Old Testament.
• Jesus is the only door to the heavenly fold
Jesus first claims to be not just the shepherd but also the very door to the fold.
Jesus therefore said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. John 10:7-9
As I mentioned before, one single analogy cannot fully express the full dimensions of Christ’s relationship with his people. Here, he clearly explains that he alone is the one and only door to the safety and magnificence of the heavenly fold. Later (John 14)Jesus will claim to be the way, the truth and the life.
• Jesus lovingly names all his sheep vs 3
"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name,
Names are important to us. When someone remembers our name we get the feeling they are truly interested in us. God often renames people at significant life changes. One day we will all get a new name given especially by Jesus.
• Jesus gently leads his sheep vs 3
and leads them out.
Present tense “continually leads them out”. Sheep don’t drive very well but will follow if lovingly lead. Jesus leads, it is up to us to follow.
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs,
And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. Isaiah 40:11
• Jesus travels in front of the sheep vs 4
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
Another continuous tense verb When Jesus takes the sheep out, he always goes before them. He doesn’t ask us to go anywhere he Himself would not go.
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:18
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
• Jesus provides salvation and sufficient pasture for his sheep vs 9
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Jesus, as the only door to the fold, provides salvation to those who enter.
Not only salvation that restores life but sufficient pasture to sustain life.
• Jesus provides life and super abundance to His sheep v 10
"The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.
Literal reading -- “they might continually have life and they might continually have surplus.”
In complete contrast to the false shepherd or Pharisees, whose only motive is self-serving, Jesus’ whole purpose for breaking into the human miserable stream of human history and experience was to restore life and offer continuous abundance. The false shepherds take from the sheep. Jesus came to give to the sheep not only life but also more than they need.
Word used here by John indicates an overabundance, to have more than enough, excess. Same word found in Paul’s powerful doxology after His prayer in Ephesians 3.
Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephes. 3:20-21
• Jesus sacrifices his own life for the sheep vs 11,15,17
Jesus repeats this truth three times in this chapter.
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
"For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
I am the shepherd, the good one as opposed to the false one. The word for good here is the idea of beautiful, excellent; it calls attention to the attractiveness of the character and actions of the shepherd.
In contrast to the hireling who runs at any hint or possibility of personal sacrifice, Jesus gladly offers his very own soul on behalf of the sheep as a substitute for their sin. This was a fully voluntary selfless act offered by the shepherd.
"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." John 10:18
Oh the depth of love demonstrated by the shepherd who not only gives up his life for the sheep but offers His resurrected life to the sheep.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:6-8
• Jesus intimately knows the sheep vs 14-15
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
The word used here “to know” indicates a first hand experiential knowledge; knowledge gained by some sort of personal relationship with the subject.
• Jesus unites all the sheep under his capable leadership vs 16
"And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.
Israel considered themselves as the flock of God. Jesus indicates here that there are other sheep outside of the Israeli flock that he will bring into the fold and unite them under one shepherd. Paul talks about this unification in Ephesians 2:13-22
• Jesus guarantees eternal life and security to His sheep vs 28,29
and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Jesus uses the strongest of language here. Never by any means perish. Absolutely no one shall snatch them out of my hand or my Father’s hand. Jesus affirms his earlier teaching from chapter 6 regarding believers as a special gift from the Father to the Son.
God gives believers.
Those who are given, come.
Those who come are welcomed.
Those who are welcomed will not be cast out (like the blind man was by the false shepherds).
Those who are received will be retained.
Those who are received will be raised up in the last day.
• Jesus and the Father are one vs 30
"I and the Father are one."
There is no mistake here regarding the claims of Jesus. This Good shepherd is none other than the eternal God himself. “The LORD (Yahweh) is my shepherd.”
In this one brief statement Jesus upholds the mystery of the trinity. He did not say, “I am the Father.” Implying a blending of identity but He said, “I (Jesus) and the Father are one essence.” The Jews knew exactly what he was claiming and became indignant and even hostile.
III. THE FALSE SHEEP
• Didn’t understand spiritual truth. Vs 6
This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
• Scoffed at what they didn't understand vs 20
And many of them were saying, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?"
• Didn’t believe because they were not true sheep vs 22-26
At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews therefore gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, "How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these bear witness of Me. "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep.
The verse does not say they were not his sheep because they did not believe.
They did not believe because they were not his sheep. Again Jesus affirms his teaching in chapter 6 where he revealed that the reason the Pharisees didn’t believe was because they were not given to Jesus.
• Turned Hostile 31-39
The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?" The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."
Jesus answered their objections by an appeal to the Scriptures. If God called his Old Testament representatives gods who were mere men (Psalm 82:6) then why does it give you heartburn that I, who came as God’s divine representative on earth, claim to be God? You didn’t accuse them of blasphemy. Then Jesus makes an impassioned plea for them to believe.
"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." John 10:37-38
This is a wonderful example of the balance between the offer of a free choice by man and the sovereign call of God. Yes they did not believe because they were not given as sheep, yet Jesus extends an impassioned offer to believe in Him on the basis of irrefutable evidence. They refuse.
Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. John 10:39
IV. THE TRUE SHEEP
Scripture refers to us as sheep quite often. It is interesting to note that generally we see the negative side of this analogy even though most of the references to us as sheep look at the positive traits. The one tendency of sheep is referenced a couple places.
For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:25
All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. Isaiah 53:6
• True sheep hear and follow the shepherd (trust and obey) 3,4,27
"To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
"When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
There are those who hear the truth, see the signs and choose to follow. There are those who hear the same truth, see the same signs and choose not to follow. True sheep recognize the voice of the true shepherd.
• True sheep refuse to hear and follow a stranger but flee from him vs 5
"And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
• True sheep enter through the authorized door vs9
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
• True sheep know the shepherd vs 14
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. John 10:14-15
They have a relationship based on personal knowledge and experience with the shepherd just as Jesus knows the Father.
• True sheep believe in Jesus vs 42
And many believed in Him there.
• True sheep enjoy eternal life and abundant pasture
"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
I came that they might have life, and might have super abundance.
I give eternal life to them,and they shall never perish
• True sheep are secure in the hands of the Father and the Son
and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.
I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish
CONCLUSION
What a beautiful Shepherd we have in Jesus.
• He is the only door to the heavenly fold
• He lovingly names us vs 3
• He gently leads us vs 3
• He travels in front of us vs 4
• He provides us salvation and sufficient pasture vs 9
• He provides us life and super abundance vs 10
• He sacrificed his own life for us vs 11,15,17
• He knows us intimately vs 14-15
• He unites us with the sheep under his capable leadership vs 16
• He guarantees us eternal life and security vs 28,29
• He and the Father are one vs 30
Have you heard his voice?
Have you heard him call you to enter through the door?
Will you follow Him?
Do you really know Him?
Do you trust Him?
If you are his true sheep…
You can enjoy eternal life and abundant pasture. You are secure in His hands.
Return to the shepherd of your souls.
Rejoice!
Rest!
Trust and obey the shepherd.
BENEDICTION
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
Personal Notes and reflections
What did you hear form Jesus today?
What do you need to do as a result of what you heard?
