“I AM the Good Shepherd” John 10:1-21
Today we look at John 10 when Jesus introduces himself as the Good Shepherd. Raising and caring for sheep was a big part of Old Testament and Middle Eastern culture. In the Old Testament the “shepherd” was also a caretaker of God’s people, and God Himself was called the “Shepherd of Israel”, (Ps. 80:1, Ps. 23:1, Isa. 40:10-11, Eze 34:11-16) and now Jesus makes the same claim in John 10.
Recall last week’s scenario when we ended with these words from John 9:39-41: “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may be blinded.” 40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words, and said to him, Are we also blind? 41 Jesus said to them: If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say: ‘We see’. Therefore your sin remains.”
John 10: “Verily, {this is the absolute truth!} I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up another way, is a thief and a robber all the same. 2 But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper {or watchman} opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his sheep by his name, and he leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 But they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things that he spoke to them.
The Allegory of the “Sheep Shepherd”
Jesus gives this illustration of the Shepherd of the Sheep following his startling statements in John 9. It is evident to Jesus that the religious leaders are the ones who are not entering the door, but coming up some other way, like a thief or robber, are most interested. in “plucking” the sheep than in caring for them, raising them and caring for them. leading the sheep. There were many warnings in the Old Testament for those who were leading falsely and certainly a warning was implied in what Jesus said here.
Ezekiel 34 had included a very clear example of this: 1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shouldn’t shepherds tend flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with wool; you kill the fattened animals, but you do not feed the flock. 4 You did not strengthen the weak, nor did you heal the sick, nor did you bind up the broken, nor did you bring back what was driven away, nor did you seek what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have governed them. 5 And they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.”
A good shepherd knows and calls his sheep by name; He would not howl using a general “sheep call”. Although many times a sheep pen contained sheep from different owners, as the shepherd called his sheep by name, they would come and follow him intently because his trusty voice was familiar to the sheep and they knew that he would lead them to “green pastures.” and calm waters.” Remember the words of Psalm 23, the most familiar chapter in the entire Bible: Verses 1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd; I will lack nothing. 2 In green pastures he makes me rest; He leads me into still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He will guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
The leaders of Israel had been leading God’s people away from the Good Shepherd of Israel, and so even though the leaders could not see Jesus as the Light of the World and could not accept their own blindness, in their sinfulness, they did not understand what Jesus taught here because very clearly, they were NOT His sheep. The sheep that are the Lord’s HEAR and FOLLOW his voice because they are his sheep.
I am the Sheep Gate
Look at verse 7: “Then Jesus said to them again, Verily, {again, this is the absolute truth!} I tell you, I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved; and he will go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it abundantly.”
Thieves and robbers would come at night under cover of darkness, but Jesus comes in the Day and not just in the Light but He comes AS the Light of the World. False teachers and leaders (not the trusted Old Testament prophets who called Israel to repentance before God), but the false teachers only sought to deceive and destroy. They taught righteousness by works. and not by faith. They taught self-righteousness on the outside, not a clean heart as the work of God from above who loves God entirely from the heart.
When Jesus says “I AM THE DOOR” in verses 7 and 8 he is again using a statement of Deity, identifying himself with the “I AM” of Exodus 3:14, the Self-Existing Eternal God, YAHWEH; He reminds us of his declarations that “I am the Bread of Life” and “I am the light of the World,” and the repetition again in verse 11, “I am the Good Shepherd.” There is an exclusivity in his statement; There is a particular flock of sheep that is yours alone, and Jesus is the only gate or entrance to the fold. He is saying that He alone is the gateway to salvation. Verse 9 makes it very clear: “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and find pasture.”
Salvation is the term for the entire process by which sinful men are delivered from the consequences of their sin by God and brought into the blessings of God. “Go in and out” and find pasture” in verse 9 explains the sufficiency of Jesus alone to nurture and care for his sheep. He is the only access to spiritual life and He is the one who will lead His particular sheep to living water and spiritual food that will sustain them.
Psalm 23: 4-6 gives us the perfect image of this sufficiency in the Good Shepherd: 4 Yea, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; Because you are with me; Your rod and your staff comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely good and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; And in the house of the Lord I will dwell forever.”
The devil seeks to steal and kill and destroy but Jesus has come so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. (vs. 10) The “Abundant Life” of the Lord Jesus means that we receive more than is necessary for LIFE. To focus on the material aspects of life is to miss the point of the passage: The spiritual provision we receive is a life blessed by God to live fully FOR God. We can now know fellowship with our God and Savior, having been freed from the effects of thieves and robbers: We have spiritual safety and security in the Lord of Life, the Light of the World, the Bread from Heaven, the Good Shepherd.
I am the good shepherd
Look at verses 11-15: “I am the good shepherd. “The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 But the hireling, the one who is not the shepherd, the one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.”
Here Jesus is identified as THE Good Shepherd. There is only one that is good and that is God. The wage earners who take care of the sheep are there for the occupation and wages, but they would not give their lives to protect the sheep, but the only Good Shepherd is willing to sacrifice his own life for his sheep because He alone is THE noble model of perfection That is why THE Good Shepherd is totally committed to the salvation of his particular sheep until death: The death of the Good Shepherd would mean Life for his Sheep.
Jesus affirms again in verse 14: “I am the good shepherd; and I know my sheep, and I am known by mine. 15 As the Father knows me, so I know the Father; and I give my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear my voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 That is why my Father loves me, because I give my life to take it up again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I put it on myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this mandate from my Father.”
The Good Shepherd intimately knows and loves his sheep as he knows the Father and in the same way that the Father knows and loves the Son. Remember that the Father and Son have known an eternal love for each other and have that kind of love for those whom God has chosen to be his sheep. Those sheep will listen to the call of God and will come to the Shepherd for life and protection.
The Good Shepherd’s substitutionary death would not be a surprise to Him or His Father, but death would not be the end. The sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus is not the end, but he died to rise again and complete the work with the maximum glorification of him and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ death would be a God-ordained command and charge that his death would result in his resurrection, with life being the ultimate result.
The fact that Jesus’ death was only temporary means that his death for sinners was and is effective. That is why his sheep listen to his voice and follow him. However, the evidence is never for those whom the Father has not called. In verse 19 we have the same reactions as before: “So there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said: “He has a demon and he is crazy. Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said: “These are not the words of someone who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of a blind man?
All praise and glory be to God the Father and Jesus the Son, that Jesus IS the Messiah and that His absolute relationship with the Father resulted in forgiveness and life for all who would believe and follow Him. In the Lord’s Supper we celebrate and remember who he is and what he has done for sinners. Ezekiel 34:31 had announced: “You my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are a people, and I am your God, says the Lord God.’ “
I. The Allegory of the Shepherd of the Sheep.
A. A warning to false teachers is implied.
B. A Good Shepherd called his sheep by name.
C. His voice was familiar and the sheep could trust him to guide them to pasture and water.
II.Jesus explains and amplifies: “I am the Door”/ I am the entrance to salvation.
A. There is only one flock and only one entrance to salvation.
B. “In and out” explains the sufficiency of Jesus alone to nurture and care for his sheep.
C.“Abundant life”means that we receive more than is necessary for LIFE.
III. “I am THE only Good Shepherd”/ I am willing to…