The Good Shepherd

John 10:11-18 The Good Shepherd

1. The shepherd of the 23 Psalm

• He is responsible for giving water, food and protection to his flock.

• But then he goes further than we would expect by saying, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11).

• How many shepherds would really do that? Not many. They might work hard for their sheep, lose sleep for their sheep and even fight for their sheep. But lay down their life? No. That’s the mark of a truly sacrificial shepherd.

2. Jesus is not like the “The hired hand,”

• Jesus says the hired hand is not the shepherd does not own the sheep

• The Hired hand, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them” (v. 12).

• The Hired Hand is, like so many of us in the workplace today, willing to follow a job description and get the job done. But lay down his life? No way. Jesus says, : “The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep” (v. 13).

3. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Good shepherd has relationship with sheep

• Jesus says “I am the good shepherd,”. “I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father” (vv. 14-15).

• Professor Gail O’Day, knowledge is not an intellectual category, “but is a category of relationship.” Jesus does not simply know about us; he knows us personally. He does not simply know about God; he knows God intimately.

• She continues to say, “At the heart of the Christian faith is a web of relationships: Jesus knowing people, people knowing Jesus, God knowing Jesus, Jesus knowing God, God knowing people and people knowing God.

• The Good Shepherd has this relationship “becomes flesh and walks among us”

• The Good Shepherd relationship with us He walks in our struggles, sufferings, our joys, our sadness

5. The Good Shepherd has “Power”

• The Good Shepherd says, “I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes[a] it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

• The chief priests and Pharisees plotted against him they thought they had all the influence

• Judas betrayed him Judas thought he had some control over the circumstances at hand.

• Pilate sentenced him to death He thought he had all the Power

• Roman soldiers carried out the crucifixion they thought they had all the muscle and clout

• But the architect of the plan was the Good Shepherd (God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit) The purpose of the plan was to save the world from its sin, and Jesus is a willing participant in that plan. Just as “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11), Jesus lays down his life “that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (3:16).

6. Finally The Good Shepherd

• The Good Shepherd of 23 Psalm gives water, food, protects, he will carry me home

• The Good Shepherd is not hired hand one who runs when danger threatens,

• The Good Shepherd has relationship with the Sheep I know my own and my own know me.

• The Good Shepherd Cares when my heart is pained, O yes He cares I know he cares.

• The Good Shepherd cares when I have tried and failed , O yes He cares I know he cares

• The Good Shepherd Cares His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary,The long night dreary, I know my Savior cares I know my Savior cares

• The Good Shepherd has Power not only to take his life back but ours one day as well.

• The Good Shepherd Cares when my heart is pained, when I have tried and failed, when burdens press, when days are weary and long night dreary, when tears flow like a river O yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief’s, I know my savior cares I know my savior cares