The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-39)

Title Slide The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-39) Sermon (29 October 2017) (Adapted in part from The MacArthur New Testament Commentary and Matthew Henry s Concise Commentary, John 10) Today, we will continue our study of the Gospel of John, continuing with chapter 10. Slide 2 A Review and the Cultural Setting First, let s understand the setting of this passage. As Pastor Dan discussed this last week, Jesus had just healed a man born blind on a Sabbath (John 9:1-7 & 14). The man had been brought before the Pharisees for investigation of how this had happened (9:13-34). In disbelief of the healing, the Pharisees even summoned the man s parents, who confirmed that the man had been born blind, but they couldn t say how his miraculous healing had occurred (9:18-23). Still not willing to believe, they called the man back and questioned him again, and the Pharisees were confronted by the man s strong statement of truth, that only someone from God could heal a person born blind. they said, We know God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow [Jesus], we don t even know where He comes from. The man answered, Now that is remarkable! You don t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes? We know that God doesn t listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing. (John 9:29-33, emphasis mine) The Pharisees still wouldn t believe, and instead, got angry and threw the healed man out of their presence (9:30-34). The NLT further indicates that they even threw the man out of the synagogue, they excommunicated him because they had already decided to do so to anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah (v. 24). 1

When Jesus later met with the healed man, Jesus told him, and the man willingly believed, that He was the Son of Man, and that, For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind (9:39 NIV). The NLT reads, I entered this world to render judgment to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind (emphasis mine). Jesus was making a particular reference to the sin of unbelief and rejection of Him as Messiah and Son of God; the blind that will see were those who realize their lostness in spiritual darkness, and cry out for spiritual light, then they would see and no longer be blind and guilty of the sin of unbelief in Christ; while those who think they see were those who stubbornly fail to recognize their spiritual darkness, satisfied with their thinking that they are in the light, but continue to reject Christ, and thus remain in the darkness of their sin of unbelief (9:41). Hearing Jesus say this, the Pharisees took offense and asked, What? Are you saying we re blind? (v. 40 NLT, emphasis mine). Slide 3 Imagery of Sheep Management The Text: So, we begin Chapter 10 as a continuation of this dialog between Jesus and the Pharisees. As Pastor Dan suggested a couple of weeks ago in earlier passages of John, Jesus seemed to be using a hammer to get the attention of his listeners, by getting in the face of the unbelieving Jewish leaders and people. Jesus speaks in a parable here, taking from the customs of the Near East in the management of sheep, and refers to sheep in a sheep pen or sheep-fold, the gate to the sheep pen by which the sheep enter through the gatekeeper and that He Himself is both that gate and the gatekeeper. He says directly to the Pharisees, I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber (v. 1). For further understanding of our text, let s consider the culture in the Near East at that time. Each village had a sheep pen where the sheep were kept communally at night. The shepherds would graze their sheep in the surrounding countryside during the day, and lead them back to the village sheep pen in the evening, or 2

create their own enclosure where they were if they were too far away from the village. The shepherds would stop each sheep with their staffs at the entrance of the sheep pen, and carefully inspect it before allowing it to enter the pen (see Ezek 20:37-38), for he would know his sheep, and would know their condition from their day out in the fields. Once in the sheep pen, the sheep were in the care of the gatekeeper, who would keep watch over the sheep at night, and guard the entrance from strangers, rustlers, and wild animals. This gatekeeper was usually a hired hand, or undershepherd (v. 12), otherwise the gatekeeper would be the shepherd himself. Access to the sheep pen was given only to the shepherds, each of whom would call his own sheep by his voice, and recognizing his voice his own sheep would respond by following him. So, each shepherd s sheep would respond only to him. Would-be shepherds and rustlers wanting access to the sheep would have to climb over the walls to get to them, and the sheep would scatter and run from them, not knowing their voice. The OT refers to the coming Messiah as a shepherd (Ezek 34:23; 37:34; Mic 5:2-4; Zech 13:7). OT writers frequently used shepherding imagery to depict Israel as God s flock (Psm 74:1; 77:20; 78:52; 79:13; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3; Ezek 34:12-16), with God as her shepherd (Gen 48:15; 49:24; Psm 23:1; 28:9; 80:1; Isa 40:11; Jer 23:3; Ezek 34:11-12; Mic 7:14), and Israel s leaders as God s under-shepherds (Num 27:16-17; 2 Sam 5:2; 1 Chron 17:6; Psm 78:70-72; Jer 3:15; 23:4). In the NT, Jesus is referred to as the Shepherd in many passages (Matt 2:6; 26:31; 1 Pet 2:25; 5:4; Heb 13:20-21; Rev 7:17), and the Good Shepherd in our text (John 10:11), and the NT also uses the same shepherding imagery and terminology to describe the church (Acts 20:28-29; 1 Pet 5:2-3). Sheep are well-known for being helpless, defenseless, straying, and dirty; they require constant oversight, leading, rescue, and cleaning or they will die. Being a shepherd is good training for leading people; it was the patriarchal occupation of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 13:1-11; 26:12-14; 46:32; 47:3), as well as for Israel s greatest leaders, Moses (Exe 3:1) and David (1 Sam 16:11; 17:28; 34:2; 2 Sam 7:8). Men, as creatures depending on their Creator, are called sheep in His pasture. God s church in the world is as a sheep pen containing God s people, His sheep, who are continually exposed to deceivers and persecutors in the world. 3

Within the context of this parable in our text today, the sheep pen represents Israel (the Jews), because there were other sheep not in this sheep pen (v. 16), which was a reference to the non-jews, the Gentiles (you and me), yet to be called. Jesus depicted Himself as the true Shepherd of the sheep, the Good Shepherd (v. 11), and the only gate or door to the sheep pen, through which the sheep can pass and be saved (vs. 7-9). The Good Shepherd of the sheep knows all those sheep that are His, and guards them by His providence, guides them by His Spirit and Word, and goes before them, as the shepherds of the Near East went before their sheep, to lead them in the way of His steps. This was in direct contrast to the harsh, abusive, and autocratic Pharisees, who were the self-appointed (see Matt 23:2) false Jewish religious leaders dong the work of the devil, not of God, by climbing the walls of the sheep pen, scattering the sheep and taking advantage of them, and leading them astray from the truth. They were the thieves and robbers of which Jesus spoke in verse 8. Jesus made it clear that He, alone, has authority to lead out of Israel s sheep pen His own chosen or elect sheep. By being the gate of the sheep pen, Jesus is saying that He is the only way to the Father (v. 9). Here are the plain directions of how to come into God s sheep-fold: we must come in through the door of Jesus Christ Himself, by faith in Him alone as the great mediator between God and man. Jesus later clearly states in 14:6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (emphasis mine). After saying these things in His parable of the sheep and the sheepfold, and the gate and the gate keeper, Jesus had to explain to the Jewish leaders what He meant, because their eyes were so blinded by their self-righteous attitudes, that they couldn t understand what He was saying. And, only then, did they realized exactly to whom Jesus was referring, when He said that The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep (v. 12) it was them! Slide 4 Scriptural Warnings of Israel s Shepherds With Jesus accusations, the Pharisees might have even recalled where it was written in their beloved Scriptures, 4

Israel s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain. (Isa 56:10-11) My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray (Jer 50:6) Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture! declared the Lord I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done (Jer 23:1-2) This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat...clothe yourselves and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock You have ruled them harshly and brutally. (Ezek 34:2-4). But rather then recognize and repent of their self-righteous behaviors, the Pharisees were indignant and angered instead! Such lying shepherds, often posing as true shepherds, had been threatening Israel over the years, and would later threaten the early church and they are continuing to threaten the church today. Slide 5 Scriptural Warnings of False Prophets and Teachers With warnings of Israel s corrupt shepherd/leaders, are also warnings of false prophets and teachers. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Matt 7:15) there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them (2 Pet 2:1) 5

do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1) Scripture also predicts the coming of the ultimate false shepherd, the final Antichrist, who will lead away those not solidly founded in God s Word. He will be part of God s final judgment on Israel and the rest of the unbelieving world, for God is going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves. Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock!... (Zech 11:16-17; see also Dan 11:36-45; 2 Thes 2:3-10; Rev 13:3-10) Slide 6 God s Sheep Hear His Voice, While Others Will Not In this passage of John 10, Jesus said that His sheep will hear His voice when He calls them out of Israel into His messianic fold, and later, the other sheep of His NT church. This will be the human response to the effectual call to salvation (John 17:6, 9 & 24; 18:9; Rom 1:7; 8:28-30; 9:24; 1 Cor 1:2 & 23-24; Gal 1:6 & 15; Eph 4:1 & 4; Col 3:15; 1 Thes 4:7; 2 Thes 2:13-14; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 1:9; 1 Pet 1:15; 2:9; 21:5-10; 2 Pet 1:3; Jude 1). No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up on the last day. (John 6:44, emphasis mine) no one can come to Me unless the Father has enabled them. (John 6:65, emphasis mine) Jesus will lead His sheep, protecting them from evil dangers, to the green pastures and quite waters of God s truth and blessing (read the familiar Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing [I shall not want KJV & NKJ, as many of us learned when we were young]. He will lead me beside still waters ). True believers in Christ s church will not abandon Christ, the Good Shepherd, to follow false shepherds, because they will recognize and discern the truth of God s Word (John 8:31-32, 47 & 51-52), and reject error. 6

Of the false prophets and the world who follows them, John said earlier in his Gospel, They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. (1 John 4:4-5, emphasis mine) Jesus warned that, false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matt 24:24-25, emphasis mine) Those who abandon their profession of faith in God s truth of His Word prove that neither their faith nor their salvation was ever genuine. Those who are Christ s do not leave Him to follow those who deny the truth, or to follow behaviors that are blatantly contrary to God s standard of living. Slide 7 The Ministry of the Good Shepherd The unique ministry of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, is that in His concern for His sheep, He laid down His life to save them from the sins of a fallen world (v. 11). He voluntarily and sacrificially died on the cross as a substitutionary atonement, to provide propitiation for God s holy and righteous law for the sins of all who would believe in Him, as they are called and regenerated by the Spirit, because they were chosen by the Father before the beginning of time. He offered Himself willingly to be the Savior, because that was God s plan of redemption for His people. Jesus was both the offeror and the offering, so that His laying down of His life, was His offering of Himself, to die in the place of men, to obtain their pardon for their sin. In verse 18 of our text, we read that Jesus is the true Good Shepherd, marked by His compliance to the Father, by laying down His life on His own accord (NIV) or voluntarily (NLT). In Philippians 2:8, we read that the Son demonstrated His 7

love and obedience to the Father as He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!. And we read in Romans 1:4, that His true messiahship and deity is then demonstrated in His resurrection. In our text today, Jesus said in verse 16, in reference to the Gentiles (you & me) yet to be called, that He had...other sheep [non-jews] that are not of this sheep pen [Israel, the Jews]. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd (emphasis mine). There will be no more barriers between Jews and Gentiles; no more barriers between race or class all will be under one authority, Christ Jesus. Slide 8 The Promise to the Gentiles, the other sheep not of this flock Later, at another time and place, speaking to the Gentiles of the Ephesian church, Paul reminded them that, they, used to be outsiders called uncircumcised heathens by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts you were living apart from Christ excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel [without] the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ brought near to Him through the blood of Christ. (Eph 2:11-13, NLT emphasis mine) Slide 9 Controversy in a Fallen World But Jesus ministry was marked by controversy in a fallen world. His words divided the Jews. Many of those hearing His words, as well as many today, dismissed them arbitrarily or even intentionally, responding with ridicule rather than repentance, stubbornly saying that He is demon-possessed, and raving mad (v. 20) a blasphemous and damning conclusion. However, others responded in a positive recognition of His claims, These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? (v. 21). Implied in this verse, is that they were not so blindly biased, and that they realized that Jesus miraculous power of just healing the man born blind, was undeniable proof that He truly was who He said He was, the One sent by God. 8

The second half of chapter 10 (vs. 22-39) is about the rejection by many of the Jewish leaders and the people, of Jesus claim that [He] and the Father are one (v. 30). For more than three years, Jesus had traveled throughout the countryside of Judea, preaching the gospel of salvation in Himself, calling for repentance, confronting hypocritical religious leaders, instructing His disciples and other followers, and performing numerous signs and wonders which confirmed that He was the Son of God, and their Messiah (John 20:31). Through both His words and His works, Jesus had clearly demonstrated His deity and equality with God. Yet, as the OT predicted (Psm 22:6-8; Isa 49:7; 50:6; 53:3), the nation Israel, led by her false religious leaders, rejected Jesus as their Messiah. By the end of His life, Jesus had only a few hundred genuine followers (John 10:36; Acts 1:15; 1 Cor 15:6; also see Matt 28:7 & 16). Incredibly, most of the people wouldn t believe, and even after seeing the many miracles being performed, they asked Jesus How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ tell us plainly (v. 24). The people were blindly being led by the words and actions of the Jewish false leaders, whose minds were clearly closed, because they were unsettled by the miraculous signs Jesus performed (11:47); they were tired of the division He caused (v. 19; Luke 12:51-53); they feared the revolt He might spark against Rome, which would jeopardize their privileged political status (11:48); they were angered by His public rebuke of their hypocrisy (Matt 23:1-36); and most of all they were outraged by His unapologetic claim to be God (v. 10; 5:18; 19:7). They wanted Jesus to openly and publicly declare that He was the Messiah, so that they would selfishly have an excuse to arrest Him. Slide 10 But, I did tell you But, Jesus did not answer their question directly. Instead He simply replied, I did tell you, but you do not believe because you are not My sheep. 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 will 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. I and the Father are one. (vs. 25-30, emphasis mine) 9

The word know (v. 27) is used to denote an intimate relationship, as with the intimate love relationship between husband and wife. Jesus has a unique love relationship with His people. Jesus warns that on the day of judgment, He will tragically turn away those who are not true believers, because He never knew them; He never had an intimate, knowing love relationship with them. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers! Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine [in context, Jesus had been talking about the narrow & wide gates, vs. 13-14; true & false prophets, vs. 15-20; and true & false disciples, v. 21] and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matt 7:22-24, emphasis mine) Rather than hear and understand Jesus accusation and undeniable claim, instead, the people tried to stone Him for blasphemy, because [Jesus], a mere man, claim[ed] to be God (v. 33). Slide 11 If You Don t Believe Me, At Least Believe in My Works! Again, Jesus responded one last time (I can almost hear His pity for these rebellious, blind, spirit-dead people), even though you do not believe Me, believe the works [the evidence of the miracles ], that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father. (v. 38, emphasis mine) Jesus appeal was simple if they would not believe Him, then at least believe in the evidence of the miracles, that these works could have only come from God (v. 37). Jesus miraculous works of power and mercy proclaim Him to be over all that we may all know and believe that the Father is in the Son, so that by divine power of the Father, the Son performed His miracles; and that the Son is in the Father, so that the Son knows the whole mind of the Father. 10

The continued unbelief of the Jewish leaders and most of the Jewish people was certainly not due to insufficient exposure to the truth, but to their hatred of that truth, and their preferred love of sin and lies (John 3:19-21). Jesus did not give them the plain answer they requested, because He knew that they weren t seeking the truth, for if they had truly been doing so, they would have seen it already! They didn t believe Jesus because they were not among Jesus sheep, who would know Him, and the call of His voice (vs. 26-27). It would be to the true seeker, those who would respond according to God s sovereign plan to His divine call, that He would give the gift of eternal life and the promise that they would never perish or be taken from Him (vs. 28-29). Slide 12 Continued Unbelief But, even with this reasoning, when Jesus declared The Father and I are one (v. 30), speaking of His equality with the Father, the unrepentant Jewish leaders and people, blinded by their self-righteous attitudes picked up stones to stone Him (v. 31). This was the fourth time in John s gospel that the people tried to kill Jesus because of His claim to be equal with God (5:16-18; 7:1; 8:59). The people were incensed by Jesus claim, because it was blasphemous to their deaf ears, and deserving of death in their unrepentant hearts, despite Roman law against such action on their part. It is important to note here, that having been charged with blasphemy because everyone knew exactly what He was claiming His equality with God, by calling God His Father Jesus did not indicate that they had misunderstood Him! His refusal to do so makes it clear that His declaration to be God was in fact what they knew it to be but the truth to which they were blinded! Slide 13 But Many Believed in Him But, the powers of men cannot overcome the plan of God, and when the angry mob tried to seize Jesus, He simply escaped their grasp (v. 39), not because He was afraid of them, but because His hour had not yet come (Matt 26:45; Mark 14:35 & 41; John 2:4; 8:20; 12:23 & 27; 13:1; 17:1). Jesus left the angry mob, and went back across the Jordon River to where John the Baptist had once been baptizing, whereupon many people came to Him. They said, Though John 11

never performed a sign, all that John said about this man [Jesus] was true. And in that place many believed in Jesus (vs. 41-42, emphasis mine). So, then as today, those who are drawn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith will come to know the truth of who He is. Jesus directly told the woman at the well, because she was truly seeking, I AM the Messiah (John 4:26 NLT) interestingly, that is Jesus only recorded direct declaration of being the Messiah! And, then as now, to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God...born of God [reborn a birth that comes from God NLT). (John 1:12-13). In conclusion, most people today consider Jesus Christ to have been a great man, but they will not believe (or even do they consider it important!) that He is the unique Son of God. Nevertheless, He is indeed God s only begotten Son! A link that Pastor Dan sent out to the Sunday School class a couple of weeks ago to a YouTube video interview with the general American on the street, revealed absolutely incredible responses to the question, Who is Jesus?. Nearly all of them had no clue who Jesus is! Some simply said that they didn t know, while others had some bazar answers! Truly, we are living in a lost world literally going to Hell! Today, we have the incredible privilege of having God s written Word to reveal the truth about Jesus, His Son, to us. In Luke 1:35, before Jesus birth, the angel Gabriel predicted to the virgin Mary: The Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Later, John the Baptist spoke of Jesus in John 1:34: I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God (NKJ); and in other translations, God s Chosen One (NIV) and the Chosen One of God (NLT). Jesus disciples recognized Him: In John 1:41, Andrew said that He was the Messiah ; in John 1:49, Nathaniel said that He was the Son of God the King of Israel ; in Matthew 16:16, Simon Peter said that He was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and later in John 6:69, speaking for all the disciples, Peter said, We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God ; then in John 20:28, after the resurrection, Thomas declared to Jesus, My Lord and my God! ; and much later, as the last living apostle, the aging John wrote his intended parting words to the believers in John 20:31, that the very purpose of his Gospel of John was to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. And, let s not forget Mary, the sister of Lazarus, who said even before Jesus raised her brother 12

Lazarus from the dead (next week s Chapter 11, v. 27), Lord I believe that You are the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of God, who was to come into the world Even the powers of darkness grudgingly acknowledged who Jesus was. We read in Mark 3:11, Whenever the impure sprits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, You are the Son of God. In Luke 8:27-33, we read of the many evil spirits, jointly named Legion, who resided together in one man, who upon seeing Jesus, made the man fall down at Jesus feet and shout out, What do you want of me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?... (And, as you may recall, that when Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man, they begged Jesus to let them enter the heard of pigs feeding nearby. Jesus gave them permission, and when the demons entered the pigs, the entire heard plunged down the steep hillside into a lake and drowned (v. 33)). Then finally, in Matthew 27:54, the Roman centurion who supervised Jesus crucifixion, seeing the phenomenal weather events that accompanied Jesus death, had to confess, Surely, He was the Son of God. But, most important of all was the testimony of God the Father, Himself, as He spoke from heaven to Christ s Sonship, both at His baptism in Mark 1:11, You are my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased, and on the Mount of His Transfiguration in 2 Peter 1:17, This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Slide 14 Do YOU Believe? Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for our own salvation that we also believe that Jesus is the Son of God, for in John 3:18 Jesus clearly tells us that, Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God s one and only Son (emphasis mine) In all three synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we are told that Jesus queried His disciples, Who do people say the Son of Man is? (Matt 16:13; see also Mark 8:27 & Luke 9:8). Then, He asked them the critical question, But what about you who do you say I am? (Matt 16:15, emphasis mine; see also Mark 8:29 & Luke 9:20). 13

Peter answered without hesitation, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matt 16:16; see also Mark 8:29 & Luke 9:20). To know God, is to study and know His Word, where He clearly reveals Himself to us His nature and character and what is to be the nature of our personal relationship with Him. To not know His Word is to be like a ship at sea without a rudder or more appropriately for me, to be on a horse in rocky mountains without reins. Without any means of steerage, we have no way to follow any direction or to know the right teaching, and are...blown and tossed by the wind (Jam 1:6), and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Eph 4:14). When we know Christ Jesus by faith in our hearts, we find all that Scriptures say of Him is true! So my dear friends Who do YOU say that Jesus is? Can YOU profess like Peter, without hesitation, that He is YOUR Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matt 16:16)? Is He YOUR Good Shepherd? If so, does YOUR life reflect a profession of such an intimate relationship, that YOU know Him? Let us pray 14