Summary: The parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10:7–21 will reveal to us who the key players are in God’s plan of salvation.
Knowing the characters involved in the parable of the Good Shepherd enables us to recognize where we fit into the plan of salvation a
How many people know what Sunday June 1st is?
Sunday June 1st is Ascension Sunday. It’s a day by which we can remember and celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ.
We have a time to celebrate His birth at Christmas. We recognize the coming of the Savior.
We have a time to celebrate His resurrection at Easter. We recognize His sacrifice for our sins and His victory over the grave that is transferred to us.
But, I know in my past experience, sometimes we miss His glorious ascension. I don’t recall ever celebrating His ascension. This is the point in history at which Christ was put in the position of great authority, sending us the Holy Spirit… making our victorious Christian experience a reality.
This year we are taking time between Easter and Ascension Sunday to focus on Christ and His work.
Today we are going to take a look at the person of Christ and God’s plan of salvation through Him as it is given to us in the story of the Good Shepherd.
Proposition: The parable of the Good Shepherd in John 10:7–21 will reveal to us who the key players are in God’s plan of salvation.
Transitional sentence: Knowing the key players involved in the parable of the Good Shepherd enables us to recognize where we fit into the plan of salvation and what our responsibility is—based on that understanding.
Turn with me to John chapter 10 and follow along as I read verses 7 through 21.
Pray
The parable of the Good Shepherd here in John reveals who the key characters are in God’s plan of salvation.
As we recognize these characters we will have a better sense as to where we fit in the salvation story and how we should act in the role that we have.
You see, before we get into our text you should know something that I believe in my heart of hearts. God loves each person here. He values every person here this morning. If you are His child this morning He communicates the value He has for you by giving you a role to play in the salvation story of humanity. God places a great responsibility upon us as we are supposed to communicate the good news of Salvation to the rest of the world. He doesn’t do this because he is out to get us earn our keep. He gives us this responsibility because He loves us and desires us to live life fulfilling the greatest purpose ever to be fulfilled.
As we recognize the characters here in the story of the Good Shepherd we will have a better understanding as to how we fit into the purpose of God. We will become more purposeful in living.
Let’s begin by taking a look at the main character of this parable, which is the Good Shepherd
i. Main character: Good Shepherd
a. Clarification.
Who is the Good Shepherd? Let’s make clear we know who the Shepherd of this passage is.
We easily do this by looking at the three “I Am” statements that we find here in verses 7 through 14. Jesus is speaking of Himself as the Good Shepherd, starting with:
10:7 “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.”
The Good Shepherd is the only way in and out of the pen.
The sheep pen during this time period was a walled in area, either circular or rectangular. The only way for the sheep to enter or exit the sheep pen was through the one door. There wasn’t a gate per se… that is there was not a gate constructed of physical materials. The gate was the shepherd. HE would gather all his sheep into the pen and the only way the sheep could come out or any other outsider could legally enter was through him. The shepherd would actually lay down in front of the door and serve as the gate.
So Jesus is saying, “I am the only way in and out of the pen.”
Look at the next “I am” statement:
10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
The main objective of a shepherd was provision and protection of the flock. This shepherd is the good shepherd in that he expends His life providing and protecting the flock.
The Good Shepherd takes care of business… He does what only the true Shepherd, the owner of the flock would do. The owner of the flock is willing to lose life and limb because of the life investment that he has in the flock. Only he would do that… not the hired hand like the scripture goes onto say.
Before I go further into that let’s look at the final “I am” statement.
10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father”
i. The Good Shepherd relates to His Sheep. This shepherd is intimately aware of His sheep.
Give understandable examples
Now let’s back up and look at what we just determined.
i. 10:7 “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.”
The Good Shepherd is the only way in and out of the pen.
Jesus Christ is the only way. John 14:6, Acts 4:12
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Scripture is very clear about this truth. Christ is the only way for anyone to experience salvation. Not by being good, not by believing in another name for God… Jesus Only.
ii. In 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” I said that Jesus Christ takes care of business… He does what only HE can do; He made a way of access to the Father so that we could be with Him forever. He laid down His life.
I want to look briefly at a comparison that is being made here between the good shepherd and the hired hand.
Look at verse 12–13. “The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
Now mind you, I want to communicate this very carefully here. It’s important that we understand that we should not try too hard to over analyze a parable, or over define a parable to the point of making it say what we would like it to say, rather than what it says.
But I believe that there is a comparison being made here between the Good Shepherd and the hired hand. The Good Shepherd here is the ultimate caretaker, in that, He goes to the point of laying down His life in care for His flock.
Whereas the hired hand, in the end, does not have that kind of commitment.
It says that he cares nothing for the sheep.
As I read this I thought of myself as the hired hand. Follow me now. It’s not that I don’t care for you all, because I care deeply for each person here this morning. It’s just that my care for you, in the end, at your appointed time of death will fall short of accomplishing anything for you. I could expend my life, pouring it out for you individually. But without the magnificent sacrifice of the Good Shepherd it will have meant nothing. Because I cannot care for your greatest need—but He can. You can experience salvation through Him—and only Him.
Someday my work here in Gainesville will be done. And if the people that make up this church have not done business with the Good Shepherd, well after I’m done here there is a good chance that the people that are left will scatter because in and of myself I accomplish nothing. In and of myself I cannot care for you like the Good Shepherd can.
Don’t follow me, follow the true shepherd. That’s my objective as a minister… to point you to Him.
iii. 10:14 “I am the Good Shepherd; I now my sheep and my sheep know me.”
The Good Shepherd relates to His sheep. The Shepherd is intimately aware of His sheep.
Paul understood what it meant to be known by the master.
Philippians 3:8–11: “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Whatever you do… don’t follow me for following me’s sake. Follow Him. Follow the one that Paul is talking about here in Scripture.
Emphasize the truth
Folks, Jesus Christ is the only way for anyone to experience salvation. Without Christ as a part of the equation in the end an individual will spend eternity separated from the grace of God. Which is eternal damnation.
But with Christ as a part of the equation we have eternal life.
If we are not emphasizing this truth to people, when we are gone from people’s situation, we will not have cared one iota about them. Our existence in their lives will have been worth nothing… nada… zilch.
We will have been like the hired hand who doesn’t care about the sheep.
However, if we can share this truth about Jesus Christ with people, we will have given them the opportunity to experience the Good Shepherd who cares for them and who has met their greatest need in Salvation.
We must individually do business with God through Jesus and we must be instruments of His business getting done in the lives of people we come in contact with.
Let’s look at another character in this parable, the character of the sheep.
1. Secondary character: The Sheep
Let’s make clear who the sheep are in this passage.
a. Clarify
i. Look at verse 8 with me: “All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them” … Jump down to verse 12: “The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep”… Now look at verse 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
It’s clear to me from these Scriptures that the sheep know their true owner.
The sheep are able to recognize the genuine shepherd.
They recognize their owner
They intimately know the Shepherd.
ii. Now look at verse 9 with me: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
The sheep experience salvation
The sheep experience freedom
iii. Now one last thing about the sheep, look at verse 16 “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd.
The sheep as a whole are diverse.
The sheep flock is made up of more sheep other than the one’s that this passage is being addressed to.
b. Give understandable examples
Let’s back it up again and go over these qualities of the sheep so that we have greater understanding.
i. First, we said “The sheep know their true owner.”
Look at verse 25 of John 10 here, “The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”
I got something to tell you this morning, “Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of the world. God loves you so much that He desires to be with you for eternity. And you can only relate to Him through His son Jesus Christ.
You either believe that or you don’t. Search your heart now… is that truth to you?” If you answer yes then you are a fellow sheep. If you answer no, then you are not a fellow sheep.
Back up to John 8:47 and listen to what Jesus said, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
Do you hear what God is saying this morning. He is saying if you are my child then you will hear these words. You will know that my Son is your salvation.
“You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” John 18:37
Are you on the side of truth this morning? What I am saying, does this resonate with your heart? Do you want to believe it?
I’m not asking you to commit to living a perfect life. I’m just asking you to commit to admitting that what I am saying is the truth. If you hear what I am saying this morning and you accept it as truth. You are a child of God. You know your true master. You know Jesus Christ.
ii. Second, we said, “The sheep experience salvation”
Because of these things that you know and believe—Jesus is Savior—you will experience salvation and freedom.
When you believe that Jesus Christ is the only gate by which you can experience salvation then you will be saved. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
I’ve done that pastor… but I don’t “feel” saved.
Thank you for your honesty, I can empathize with that. There are times when I don’t “feel” saved either.
It used to be most of the time when I did things that were blatantly wrong… I mean blatant sins against God and against those around me. I still do things (maybe not as blatant) that make me “feel” unworthy. But you know what, Jesus says in this passage “I tell you the truth!” “Whoever enters through me will be saved.”
Later in verse 27 He says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
This is where our feelings need to be reigned in. Who am I to argue with God? Who are you to argue with God? Do you believe Jesus Christ is your personal Savior? Do you confess Him as such? If so, then you are… case closed, finito, the end.
Now let’s talk about your salvation and the freedom you should be experiencing along with it. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
Coming and going sounds like freedom. Sometimes I don’t experience the freedom. Back in 27 it says “my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
Are you actively listening to the voice of the shepherd?
Let me share this story with you of my long distance friend who is going through some tough times right now. I’ve been talking with him on the phone. About a month before my buddy’s tough times began I was talking to him and I asked him how his devotional and prayer life were going and he told me that they were non-existent (his words, not mine). I said to him, bro you better take care of that, its not healthy. He replied something to the effect of yeah, yeah. Now my friend’s world is crashing around him. His marriage is being shaken to its core and he has been really hurt because his wife is acting very unloving to him. So I say to him, brother you need to depend upon God now more than ever… go to him and give him this situation and ask Him to rectify and reconcile the two of you. His reply was, in effect, what does God care about my situation… if He cared He would have done something before now. My reply to him was, “Do you hear what you are saying to me?” I reminded him of what he had told me a month prior about His time with the Lord. “Brother, I said, where do you get off complaining about the way your lover is treating you when you have been treating God the same way?”
What I’m saying is how do any of us expect to experience freedom if we are not actively listening, following, and responding to God?
I’m not talking salvation now… I’m talking Joy of the Lord Freedom.
iii. Third we said that The sheep are diverse
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.
Certain theologians would say Christ was talking about the Jews that were living in that time outside of the boundaries of Israel—what is known as the diaspora. Others say it refers to the gentiles. There is a somewhat of a debate.
I say the Lord is speaking of gathering all the sheep together. Sheep from other flocks who will all be united because of the same shepherd. The flock will be diverse.
Listen to Ephesians 2:8–20:“For through him we both have access (speaking of both Jew and gentile) to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens, with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”
Now listen to Ephesians 4:3–5:“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:3–5
Folks, the Lord has other sheep he is going to bring in. Other sheep who listen to Him and submit to Him. They too will be part of the flock. And they will be united with the flock because they too have the same shepherd.
Now, whether you realize it or not, I think it is fair to say everyone here this morning is representative of the other sheep that Christ could have been referring to.
We weren’t part of the originally celebrated.
People would have looked at us and said “You don’t belong.” But Christ looked at us and spoke to us and we heard Him. Christ looks and speaks to people who are different from us. He looks at the white, the black, the brown, the asian, the latino, the charasmatic, the evengelistic, the reformed, the liberation theologian, the pentecostal, the list goes on… He speaks and people everywhere listen… We listen in as much as we are confessing Him as Lord.
But I would like us to listen even closer. And unite the body of Christ together. I want to worship God beside my black brothers and sisters, my asian and latino family, my charasmatic, arminean brothers and sisters.
I want to fellowship with my fellow sheep.
And I want it to happen within and without these four walls. I want to do that because Christ tells me “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
c. Emphasize the truth
i. Do you know your true owner this morning?
ii. If so you are experiencing salvation.
iii. Are you experiencing the freedom that comes along with that as you listen and follow the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ? Are you being obedient to Him?
iv. One way that you can begin listening and following the Shepherd is by encouraging the great gathering of a diverse flock of sheep coming together. Love your brothers and sisters who make up the kingdom.
v. That’s not the only way you can experience the freedom. There’s a whole book here that you can use to listen to the master from. Surrender entirely to Him this morning.
vi. That doesn’t mean you are going to walk out of here perfect this morning… it only means that you are going to walk out of here with a confidence of your salvation through Jesus Christ and a desire to follow Him.
Are you beginning to see the bigger picture this morning? Are you beginning to grasp a better understanding of the salvation story this morning? Do you see that you have a role to play?
Maybe you need to surrender to Christ, who you know to be your master.
Maybe you need to be more proactive in verbalizing the truth to people in your lives.
Maybe you need to practice effective listening? Learning to respond to the leadership of the Lord in all areas of your life?
We opened up our service by singing “I’m trading my sorrows, I’m trading my shame, I’m trading my sickness, I’m trading my pain, I’m laying it all down for the joy of the Lord. Yes Lord, Yes Lord, Yes, Yes Lord!”
Don’t go out of here this morning with nothing. Don’t leave here this morning with the frame of mind that says, “I didn’t receive anything new this morning.”
Preferably leave today being honest before the Lord, saying Yes Lord I’m trading in my agenda for yours. Lord I’m done living that area of my life for me and I’m going to live it for you.
I believe that once we get to the place where we say “I’ve got nothing more to learn, I’ve got no more areas to change,” I believe we have outlived our usefulness.
I don’t care what stage of spiritual growth you find yourself at this morning… there is an area which you can change, that you can surrender to the Lord.
Maybe it’s in salvation… maybe it’s in obedience… maybe it’s and issue of surrender… maybe it’s an issue of forgiveness… maybe it’s an issue of loving… maybe it’s an issue of witnessing… maybe its and issue of anger… maybe its an issue of patience… maybe it’s an issue of total dependence… I don’t know what the issue is, but I know the Good Shepherd knows and He speaks personally to the issue in your life, and if you are His sheep you hear Him… effectively listen and be responsive to it.
Folks I got issues… and I lay them before the Lord this morning. The Lord is telling me to be more patient, more loving, and more kind. I confess to you that I am not right where the Lord wants me to be and I ask you to pray for me. Who else has issues this morning.
You can share them here. This is a safe place. A place where our total reason for existence is so that we can glorify God and prepare others to do the same.
Who can I pray for this morning? Let me know… tell me. I’ll pray for you and you will pray for me.
