Who Is This Jesus?
10. He is the Good Shepherd
John 10:1-21
November 13/14, 2004
Don Jaques
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- welcome guests
- Coupeville outreach next Saturday.
- Thank God for veterans.
- Prayer for Senegal TREK team.
MAIN IDEA:
• All people can receive the spiritual leadership and protection of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
• Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, offers us leadership (v. 4), an abundant life (v. 10), and protection (v. 7, 11-15,
INTRO:
*Ask the children in the congregation: If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
Why is it that no one ever says they want to be a sheep? It is never a mascot of a sports team. But from the Christian perspective, it is often seen as a romantic or complimentary thought to who we are.
I. Attributes of sheep-nothing romantic or complimentary about sheep
1. Stupid and stubborn-ever seen a trained sheep?At the circus, come see the dancing elephants, funny monkeys and trained sheep? They are simplehearted
2. Dirty and Wayward-NOT THE SERTA SHEEP WE SEE ON TV. They easily wander and never learn from their mistakes
3. Easily frightened and confused-known to plunge off cliffs in their fear and confusion
4. Defenseless and dependant.
5. Need guidance and protection.
6. May not be complimentary to be a sheep (we are sinful, obstinate, rebellious and foolish), but it is comforting to know we have a good shepherd.
And that’s what this week’s message is all about. As we continue our journey through the Gospel of John, we’ve arrived at John Chapter 10. And in this chapter we’ll learn that Jesus calls himself our Good Shepherd. As we study these verses together we’ll learn exactly what that means – that he offers us leadership, an abundant life, and protection from the evil one.
Let’s turn to John 10…
1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice." 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
Let me try and give you a mental picture of what Jesus is describing here, as he talks about a “sheep pen”.
It was usually a rough stone or mud-brick structure, only partially roofed, or a cave in the hills. It had a single opening through which the sheep passed when they came in for the night. The pen served to protect them against thieves, robbers, and wild beasts.
A pen frequently held several flocks; and when the time came to go out in the morning pasture, each shepherd separated his sheep from the others by his peculiar call. Instead of driving them, he led them so that they followed him as a unit. Wherever they went, the shepherd preceded them, guiding them to adequate pasture and guarding against possible danger. The sheep refused to follow a stranger because his voice was unfamiliar. In fact, if a stranger should use the shepherd’s call and imitate his tone, the flock would instantly detect the difference and would scatter in panic. (NIV Commentary)
What do we learn about the Good Shepherd from these verses?
Since He’s the Good Shepherd, I can trust him to provide the leadership I need for my life.
He doesn’t prod me forward or make me go somewhere He’s not willing to go. He goes ahead of me. And you know what that means? It means when I can’t see what’s ahead – I can trust that if the Lord is leading me that way I can trust him – He can see what’s ahead because he’s already there! And he can see what’s coming up and he can help me avoid dangerous places on the path.
It means when he’s going ahead of me he’s leading me to pasture – that place where my soul is going to be fed so I’ll be spiritually healthy.
It means I don’t have to fear that my life is going the wrong direction. I listen for his direction (through prayer and through abiding in His word) and I can follow with confidence that I’m not going to head off a cliff!
Jesus goes ahead of us and calls us forward. As we’ve already learned in John he calls us forward and says come to him for drink. Come to him for the bread of life. As he says in Matthew, come unto him if you’re burdened and he will give you rest.
Follow his voice – and you will enjoy the benefits of the second application of having Jesus as your Good Shepherd – an abundant life!!
As my Good Shepherd, Jesus provides me access to an abundant life.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
The sudden shift of metaphor from shepherd to gate seems rather strange to us, but in reality it is not. When the sheep returned to the fold at night after a day of grazing, the shepherd stood in the doorway of the pen and inspected each one as it entered. He anointed any who were scratched or wounded and gave water to those who were thirsty. After all the sheep had been counted and brought into the pen, the shepherd lay down across the doorway so that no intruder—human being or beast—could enter without his knowledge. The shepherd became the door, the sole determiner of who entered the fold and who was excluded (cf. 14:6).
8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Here it is – my MOST FAVORITE verse in the entire Bible!
As our Good Shepherd, Jesus here promises that when we follow him, we will have “Life to the full”.
Other versions of the Bible put it this way…
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (NASV)
I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (The Message)
I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). (The Amplified Bible)
My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. (NLT)
“to the full” – greek perissos
• exceeding some number or measure or rank or need
• over and above, more than is necessary, superadded
• exceeding abundantly, supremely
• something further, more, much more than all
superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommonThis is SUCH AN ENCOURAGING AND LIFE CHANGING CONCEPT.
God is not interested in taking all the fun out of our lives. He is not interested in making us follow a bunch of rules that put everything good out of bounds! He wants us to experience life abundantly!
ILLUS: A VCR comes with a manual. In it you can learn how to do lots of fancy things like recording when you’re not there. But most people just plug it in and go. They get some of the benefits, but not ALL that it was created for. The same is true in our lives. We’ve been made with all sorts of potential – every one of us.
But it comes from following His voice. When we follow our voice or the voices of imposters we get hurt.
Examples:
God says sex is for marriage. We think – I don’t want to follow that voice! So we follow our own. And we reap sexual addiction, teen pregnancy, abortion, disease, emotional scars, and a cycle of poverty.
On the other hand if I follow God’s word I enjoy sexual relations without fear of disease, abandonment, and unwanted pregnancies. I enjoy to the full the benefits of what God has created without all the side effects.
God says we are to forgive those who hurt us. We think – I don’t wan’t to follow that voice! I’d rather harbor bitterness and seek revenge. And we reap ulcers, hatred, divorce, pain, emotional scars, physical violence.
On the other hand if I follow God’s word I discover that when I forgive others I really set myself free. I discover that I am more at peace. That others lose their power over my emotions. And I set into motion a cycle of grace into their lives.
God says we are to abide in his word. We think – I don’t want to do that. I want to watch TV and get on the internet and talk on my cell phone. And we reap, hectic lives full of more information than we know what to do with. We reap images in our minds that are unholy, which set into motion a whole new cycle of sinfulness in our lives.
On the other hand if I follow God’s word I discover that when I read God’s word every day I find ways to apply it. I find people I can share it with. I find that when I’m tempted I’m able to recall Bible verses and defeat the devil.
This is what Jesus is talking about when he says he’s come to give us abundant life if we follow his leadership as our Good Shepherd.
But he goes on from here, to tell us more…
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The 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. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I 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. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
19At these words the Jews were again divided. 20Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"
21But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
Here we learn the 3rd application of the truth that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Since he is our Good Shepherd, we can count on him to provide protection against our enemies.
You heard the contrast Jesus created between the hired hand and the shepherd of the sheep.
The hired hand does an OK job caring for the sheep as long as everything is going according to plan. But when tough times come – as suggested by the approach of a wolf – the hired hand says “I’m outta here!” Why? Because he cares more for himself than for the sheep.
Jesus says – “I’m not like that.” He says that instead of being like a hired hand – we can trust him to be like a shepherd who is willing to stand up to predators and defend his sheep.
This is such good news. It means as long as we stay close by Jesus, by walking with him and following His voice, we don’t have to worry about Satan being able to pick us off. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will see the evil one’s approach and will be there to protect us as long as we’re staying close to Him and not wandering off.
What are the wolves that people face?
• Abusive spouses
• Drug abuse
• Sexual temptation
• Gambling addiction
• Depression
• Financial ruin
• Pride
• Arrogance
• Selfishness
All of these come straight from the demons of Hell, and they desire to eat us up. But when we keep our eyes on our good shepherd, and call out to him in our fear, he hears us, and he protects us – even laying down his life for us.
CONCLUSION:
ILLUS: Family Olympics – blindfolded mothers. Kids calling their names. Even blindfolded they found their children eventually, even with all other children calling for their mommies.
Mommies know the cries of their children. We need to remember that the Good Shepherd wants us to know his voice that well. To be able to recognize it clearly amidst the calls of others who would lead us into the wrong places in our life.
If we will only learn to stay within the sounds of his voice and listen for his call, he will lead us. He will give us an abundant life – far beyond anything we could arrange on our own. And He will protect us from the attacks of the evil one.
Though I’m not sure I like being compared to a sheep, I’m so thankful that I have a Good Shepherd.
