The Good Shepherd

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.