Sermon: I AM The Good Shepherd

Text: John 10: 11-30

Introduction:

In chapter 10 Jesus describes His relationship with humanity in a way that is more personal, more intimate than He has used before.

He describes Himself as a Shepherd. As we saw last week in the first 10 verses of this chapter Jesus described Himself as the door to the sheepfold. He compared and contrasted Himself to thieves and robbers who tried to steel what was not theirs and who tried to enter the sheepfold in a different way that the door. The Pharisees didn’t fully comprehend what He was saying. He was comparing Himself to them. They thought they were they were the guardians of the people, the dispensers of truth, the way to God. Using mixed metaphors here as not only the shepherd, but also the door to the fold, Jesus made it abundantly clear that he alone is the one true shepherd and the true way.

In verse 11 He emphatically said: "I am the good shepherd, again using the I AM formula identifying Himself as the one who is and was and will be – The eternal Good Shepherd who lays; down or voluntarily gives up His own life for the sheep. (NAS)

I. THE UNIQUE CHARACTER OF THE "GOOD" SHEPHERD

     1. Caring deeply vv. 12-13

          a. A “good" shepherd - was one who was well prepared, knowledgeable dedicated totally to His sheep. Jesus isn’t just a good shepherd, He is “The” Good Shepherd who takes love to a different level because He loves unconditionally. He

contrasts Himself with the one who was just paid to care for the sheep, the hireling.

          b. Jesus is also the "True" Shepherd, in the same sense that he is the true light (1:9); the true bread (6:32); the true vine in 15:1 and the true God in 17:3. There is a loving relationship between the Shepherd and the sheep. He loves them with undescribable love. The hireling is not the owner – the Good Shepherd is.

Jesus says of the hireling in verses 12 and 13:

12      "He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters {them.}

13      {"He flees} because he is a hireling, and is not concerned about the sheep.

(NAS)

On the other hand, because He is the true owner, He is willing to give Himself completely for His sheep.

     2. Gives Completely vv. 11, 15, 17

Again quoting from Philip Keller, the former shepherd turned writer theologian. Reflecting back on his years as a shepherd, he writes, "My sheep had literally been the recipients of my life. It had been shared with them abundantly and unstintingly. Nothing was ever held back. All that I possessed was in truth poured out unremittingly in order that together we should prosper. The strength of my young body, the keen enthusiasm of my spirit, the energy of my mind, the alertness of my emotions, the thrust and drive of my disposition were all directed to the well being of my flock."

Keller’s descriptive words enable us to see and understand the picture Jesus was painting for those hearing His words. As I mentioned last week, shepherding in first century Israel was a full time occupation. A shepherd’s life was not easy. There were no paid vacations, no holidays no weekends off. They faced danger from thieves, wild animals and nature. The shepherds literally poured their lives into their flocks.

But, the greatest expression of the totality of Jesus’ giving is found in verse 11 the willingness of the Good Shepherd in giving his life for the sheep. Jesus said, in Jn 15:13. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Jesus was talking about the willing giving of His life on the cross for sin in substitution for the lives of His followers.

In verses 17-18 He said, "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. "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." (NAS)

The Father’s love is linked to The Son’s death for the sin of the world. This event doesn’t represent the origin of the Father’s love, but it’s supreme manifestation. The Father willed that the Son should lay down His life for humanity (v.18); the Son willingly obeyed. The Father in love willed to save humanity and the Son in loved freely paid the price in perfect obedience to the Father.

It was Jesus unique and unconditional love that allowed Him to go to the cross and be crucified for sin. He explained to Peter in the garden, when they came to arrest Him, that at any time he could ask and the Father would send 12 legions of angels to come to His aid (Matt 26:53). It was not the authority of Rome, nor the strength of Roman nails that kept Jesus on the cross, it was the Good Shepherd’s love for me and for you.

His great love led Him to the cross that you and I might be redeemed from sins death grip on our lives. He died that we might live.

Now some make the claim that since Jesus died for the sin of the world, the sins of all humanity are forgiven and everyone will eventually be saved. But, that is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus died for the sin of the world so that all mankind would have the means by which they might be saved. We saw last week in Jesus teaching about being the door to the sheep those who enter through Him would be saved.

What does it mean to enter through Him? How does a person become His sheep? Is everyone His sheep? The Calvinist says only those who are elected are His sheep. The Arminian says it’s all up to the individual whether we are saved or not.

The Universalist says that everyone is His sheep. But, Jesus said three things about His sheep in this passage:

In verse 14 Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, (NAS) I know them just as My Father knows me, Jesus said in v. 15. There are no wolves in sheep’s clothing here, no pretense will deceive Him. There is certainly here the idea of individual responsibility and individual salvation. Jesus knows those who have placed their trust in Him. He knows them not just intellectually, but relationally. Relationship established by belief.

Acts 2:21 “And it shall be, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Those who are His sheep are those who have recognized their need, repented or turned away from sin and turned to God in faith believing He is who He claimed to be and that He alone is the way to salvation. However, that decision is not made apart from the sovereignty of God. The bible makes it equally clear that without the Spirit of God there is no conversion. Speaking of the Spirit in John 16:8 Jesus said,

"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; (NAS) Without conviction of sin there is no repentance of sin. Jesus also said in John 6:44: "No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. (NAS) So we see individual salvation, which always originates in the sovereignty of God, is a result of man’s free will which is God given acting in response to God’s saving grace in drawing individuals to Christ and convicting individuals of sin.

That fact also shows the fallacy of universalism. In John 8:42-44 Jesus made it abundantly clear, not everyone was His sheep simply by birth. He told the Jewish leaders, who were religious, who were physical descendants of Abraham "If God were your Father, you would love Me; for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. "Why do you not understand what I am saying? {It is} because you cannot hear My word. "You are of {your} father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. (NAS)

Jesus also said in v. 14 His sheep know Him – Jesus is talking about what Paul referred to as being "in Christ.” The Spirit of God, which calls individuals to salvation, is also at work in the life of the believer bearing witness to a new relationship, a new way of thinking, a new way of understanding, new attitudes, a new world view. Ideas and attitudes shaped not so much by the world in which we live but by the Spirit of God who lives in us. And the believer can recognize God at work within their lives as God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirit.

This new relationship between shepherd and sheep between individuals and Jesus Christ lead Jesus to point out two other facts in:

They hear his voice v. 27 – The sheep hear because they are now listening for His voice and they hear because He speaks to them. We’ve been talking about this on Sunday night in our study of the Lord’s prayer. There is communication and communion between the Good Shepherd and His sheep. He has given us His Spirit resident within to serve as counselor, teacher, intercessor and He has given us the privilege of prayer.

The second fact is They follow Him v. 27 -- His sheep confirm they are His sheep by their obedience to Him. They don’t become sheep by obedience but they confirm they are His by obedience. Of course sometimes sheep are stubborn and they want to go their own way. They practice what wives call selective hearing and they go astray and wander far away from the shepherd and the flock.

Sometimes we do that. One of the reasons people resist giving their lives to Christ is from earliest childhood we insist on having our own way, indulging our own desires, doing our own thing, going our own way with our wishes always paramount. “ (Keller; A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd; p. 34) Sometimes even after we become Christians we think we know a better way; we see grass that looks greener only to find that it’s weeds and not grass at all and then we look around and we can’t find the shepherd and so we continue to wander further and further away. It’s like our sign says, If God seems distant guess who moved. It wasn’t God.

The thing that is important for us to remember, no matter how far we wander, how lost distant we find ourselves from the fold, the Shepherd continues to love us. We may give up on ourselves, other may give up on us, but the Shepherd sends His Spirit to call us back to the fold because of that unique and wonderful love. That doesn’t mean we take lightly our obligation to obedience. Jesus said if you love me you will obey me. It doesn’t mean we are to use freedom in Christ as an excuse to continue in sin. Paul said in Rom 6:2, may it never be.

What we are to do is come to Him in faith, hear His voice and follow Him in loving obedience to His will. He is our Savior and our Shepherd we must let Him lead us through life. Are you willing to allow the Shepherd to lead you through life?

#61 Savior, Like a Shepherd lead Us