TRUSTING THE GOOD SHEPHERD
John 10:1-18
February 21, 2010
First in Sermon Series: Journey to the Cross
God’s Son was special! And He died for a purpose. These crosses behind me—that are indeed before us week after week—remind us that God gave His Son—who died for a purpose. We who call ourselves Christian—we who are followers of Jesus Christ—are forever impacted by the event of the Cross. This morning we’re beginning a series of sermons in which we’re going to Journey to the Cross with Jesus, as told in the Gospel of John.
We are now officially in the season of Lent—a time of Christian reflection on Christ’s sacrifice for us. At the heart of the Gospel is the wonderful truth that God gave His Son for us—that Jesus willingly went to the Cross in order to provide for our salvation, for the forgiveness of our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins, and He was in every way “the Last Sacrifice.” The purpose in Christ’s death was our salvation.
The passage of scripture which I want us to look at this morning comes from the 10th chapter of John’s Gospel. Jesus, the masterful story-teller, was teaching the people. Many of those in the crowd were His followers. They had discovered new hope in their lives as they had come to place their trust in Jesus, but there were also among them those who refused to accept that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus was using a scene quite familiar to them all to help them understand Who He was and why He had come. Let’s turn to chapter 10 of John and let me begin reading at verse 1—
[Read John 10:1-18, NIV]
Jesus was already on a journey. He clearly had a mission. His miracles had captivated the masses. His teaching had challenged the very foundation of their religious practices. He’d rubbed many of the religious leaders the wrong way. But in it all, He was on a journey…He had a mission…and there was purpose in what He was doing.
By the time we reach this tenth chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus is nearing the end of His earthly ministry. Slowly, the reality of Who He is was sinking into the minds and hearts of His followers. And as we begin this journey to the Cross once again with Jesus this morning, I thought perhaps a good place to start is for us to deepen our understanding of just Who we are following on His journey to the Cross. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus identified Himself as “the Good Shepherd.”
The imagery which became the framework for Jesus’ teaching here is that of the common “sheep pen” in Palestine in those days. It was usually made of rough stone or perhaps mud-brick structure, and would only be partially roofed, if covered at all. Sometimes it was actually a cave out in the hills. But whatever the composition of the sheep pen, it had only one opening through which the sheep could pass when they came in for the night.
The pen served for the protection of the sheep—protection against wild animals and against thieves. The thief who would try to steal sheep would not have any right of access through the gate, but would find his own way into the sheep pen. The sheep pen often held several flocks, and when the time came to go out to morning pasture, each shepherd separated his sheep from the others by his peculiar call. Wherever they went, the shepherd led them and they followed as a unit. The shepherd’s role was to provide protection and guidance, leading them to the best pasture and guarding them against unnecessary dangers.
Jesus’ shift to speaking about Him being the gate for the sheep refers to the fact the shepherd stood in the doorway of the pen. When he slept, he laid across the entrance to the sheep pen. His body became the gate to the sheep pen, not allowing any to enter or leave without His awareness.
Now, with that imagery in mind, listen to Jesus’ words again, this time from the paraphrase of Scripture called The Message—
“Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”
Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:1-10, The Message)
We need to remember who it is Who is journeying to this Cross—and why He’s on that journey. This is the Good Shepherd. He’s not a thief. He’s not come to make our lives miserable; He’s come to give us life—that we might “have it to the full.” He has come so that we can have real and purposeful life, more and better than we could ever dream of without Him.
Have you ever thought of Christianity as a “kill-joy”? Be honest. If not now, was there ever a time when you wondered if God’s greatest delight was making life miserable for you—and so He imposed all kinds of rules and regulations on your life that would so bind you that you couldn’t have fun one day of your life without feeling guilty about it?! My Aunt Miriam has a typical response for such thinking—“that’s hogwash!” It’s just not true!
Jesus came to set us free from our sins. While the Enemy deceives us into thinking that the acts of sin are the expressions of personal freedom—“I can do whatever I want to do!”—the truth is that sin is the great enslaver. I couldn’t help but think of that when I saw the confession of Tiger Woods televised over and over again in the past few days. He made an interesting comment in his public confession and apology, by the way. He said,
I knew my actions were wrong. But I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply. I never thought about who I was hurting. Instead, I thought only about myself. I ran straight through the boundaries that a married couple should live by. I thought I could get away with whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled…Thanks to money and fame…I was wrong. I was foolish. I don’t get to play by different rules. The same boundaries that apply to everyone apply to me. I brought this shame on myself. I hurt my wife, my kids, my mother, my wife’s family, my friends, my foundation, and kids all around the world who admired me.
It doesn’t sound like sin offered ultimate freedom, does it? But that’s exactly what the Enemy of our soul says.
But the Enemy of our soul—Satan himself—is the thief and the robber that Jesus was speaking of! We cannot trust what he tells us! He wants to manipulate our lives. He wants to control us. He wants to draw us into his web and ultimately destroy us. That’s what he’s about! And the messages we get over and over again from our culture are so often propagating his lies!
But Jesus came to save us from that snare! He came to offer us freedom from the bondage to sin. He came to give us life—life that is full and free and rewarding; life with joy and peace and contentment. There is safety and security in Christ. He came to provide that for us. He came to offer it to us. He is the Good Shepherd.
At verse 9 Jesus said, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” The footnote in many of our Bibles gives an alternate wording—“whoever enters through me will be kept safe.” While I hope we don’t ever feel we need to get away from the terminology of “being saved”—representing what Christ alone does for us when we seek His forgiveness and the new start He alone can offer—I also like the phrasing that whoever comes to Christ for salvation is “kept safe.”
We’re all seeking safety and security in some way. The whole insurance business is based on people’s need and desire to feel safe and secure. Mental health professionals deal constantly with individuals’ need to feel secure. Lots of people are stressed out day after in a frantic effort to provide financial security for themselves and for their families. But Christ came to provide for any who will call upon Him a special kind of security that covers all the hurdles of life. In Him alone are we kept safe and secure.
Let me ask you something: How do we know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd? How do we know that He’s not just another “thief or robber” who’s trying to take advantage of us or somehow make fools of us? The simple answer that Jesus gives Himself in this passage is that only the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep—and that’s exactly what Jesus was about to do. It’s what He was so mindful of as He journeyed to the Cross.
In contrast, clearly the thief and the robber are only out after what they can get for themselves. They’re not going to lay down their lives for the sake of the sheep! They don’t give a rip about the wellbeing of the sheep! Jesus goes on to point out the hired hand isn’t the good shepherd either. It’s just a job for the hired hand. If a wolf attacks the sheep, the hired hand’s going to first and foremost take care of himself—so that the wolf doesn’t attack him! He’ll run away if he needs to—leaving the sheep at the mercy of the wolf. The hired hand may lead the sheep out to pasture and generally take care of the sheep, but when push comes to shove, he’s not likely to risk his life for the sake of the sheep. He’s not going to put his own life in danger in order to protect the sheep! Only a good shepherd would do that—because only a good shepherd has a deep sense of ownership and responsibility toward the sheep.
The Good Shepherd knows his sheep. When he calls out his flock of sheep from the others in the pen in the morning when he’s ready to lead them to good pasture, they recognize his voice and follow him. They trust him. They somehow have learned that this is one who can be trusted—so they follow him.
Jesus is clearly identifying Himself as the Good Shepherd. And in doing so He’s relating to the rich Old Testament teaching that God is our Shepherd, our Ruler, our Protector and Leader, and our caring Companion. Jesus had already lived out such love and care in His response to hurting people and in His prolific healing ministry. Over and over in the Gospels we see Christ’s warm, pastoral concern for people in need. He is the embodiment of the word “good”—the winsome, loving, caring, responsible Shepherd.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He gives His life for the sheep. That’s what the Cross was all about. It’s why Jesus came. He cared for the sheep daily—watching, feeding and protecting them—but in the end He must finally deal with their greatest danger. Jesus must face the mightiest thief, the evil one, who spreads darkness and disorder and chaos into every life he can. Jesus must give His life in order to win the ultimate victory over the Enemy of our souls. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares so deeply about us, His sheep.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows the sheep—and His sheep know Him! There is a loving relationship between Him and His sheep. The Shepherd knows the weak and the strong, the stubborn and the submissive ones, the hurts and the needs of every sheep. And the sheep know and trust their Shepherd—every inflection in His voice, the way by which He leads them out to pasture, and even His courage in the face of danger. He is their Shepherd. It is in such a relationship, such a love, that the Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
I don’t know if we can consider the concept of Jesus as the Good Shepherd without somehow being reminded of the immortal words of Psalm 23—
The LORD is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
forever. (Psalm 23, NLT)
Truly, Jesus is the Good Shepherd!
So what was Jesus’ point in this teaching recorded in John chapter 10? What are we to glean from it today? It would seem to me that one of the great truths we need to grasp from this is that because Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, He is the One whom we can trust! If I know someone who will lay down their lives for the sake of my wellbeing, that is a person worthy of my trust! If they care so much about my welfare that they would put their own life at risk for the sake of mine, there can be no doubt of the depths of their love and genuine care for me! This One who is journeying to the Cross is the One whom we can trust. It’s really that simple!
Like many of you, I’ve been captivated by much of the Olympic broadcasts in the past week. While I’m not one who watches a lot of sports on TV, I’m always fascinated by the Olympics. Have you been as amazed as I’ve been at the speed of so many of the Alpine skiing events? I suppose I appreciate the dangers even more having had a chance to be on snow skis myself now. Those guys are amazing! And did you see the huge tumbles in the Men’s Super G competition Friday? It’s amazing that the guy didn’t have more serious injuries. And the snowboarding and the ski jumps where they’re gliding through the air for what we realized was the length of a football field! Amazing! I would most certainly break my neck if I even tried such a thing!
They’ve had to learn to trust certain people and certain things in order to even attempt such feats. They’ve certainly had to learn to trust their coaches. They trust their equipment and those who prepare it for them. They trust those who put together such events and set the courses for such competition. And it takes a lot of trust in themselves to venture to do such things. We see in Olympic competition those who made it—and not the hundreds and thousands of hopefuls who fell along the way, who never tasted success. We are drawn to the top three winners—those who win the gold, the silver and the bronze. And we seldom see on TV the coming in of those in 49th place—though it’s certainly a major accomplishment to compete in any way in the Olympics.
While I admire their athleticism and their sheer guts to do the things they do, I can’t help but wonder how many of them “get it”—that the things we pursue in this life can end up being the very thief and robber whom Jesus said came to “steal and kill and destroy.” I wonder if they realize that the gold medals they cherish today all too quickly become the relics of the past that gather dust on shelves and ultimately have little meaning in the broad scope of life. But it’s true, isn’t it?
Despite all the other things and ambitions and desires that compete for first place in our lives, only Christ is the gateway to life that is full and free and eternally significant. And while many religions offer their way to God, Christ claimed an exclusiveness in his statement, “I am the gate for the sheep.” It was Christ alone who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
From Jesus’ day and throughout the ages, there have been those who have rejected the idea that Christ alone is the Good Shepherd, the One whom we can trust for forgiveness, for protection, for peace, for life that is meaningful and purposeful. I was reminded again this week of the words of C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity, when he said—
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity)
As we journey to the Cross with Jesus during this season of Lent, may we be reminded over and over Who He is. May we see and experience Him as the Good Shepherd, the One whom we can trust with the very foundation of our lives. He’s proven His love for us. He’s laid down His life for us. We can trust Him—with the burden of our sins, with the temptations that come our way day by day, with the cares of life, with our heartaches and burdens, and with the challenges of life which offer success and prosperity. We can trust the Good Shepherd with it all. And we must be listening for His voice and seeking out His guidance, trusting Him to lead us to the experience of life that is full of peace and joy and purpose. And wherever you are on your journey today, let me declare to you that you can and must trust this Good Shepherd, Jesus—who gave His life so that you might experience life now and forever at its best.
