“I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:7-15) - The God We Can Know IV –

“I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:7-15)

- The God We Can Know IV –

Whose Voice Do You Follow?

A George Barna survey asked high school students where they turn first in times of tension, confusion or crisis. Their answers were shocking: No. 25 on the list was their father; No. 11 on the list was their mother; secular music and personal friends topped the list. In other words, in times of tragedy young people may well look to false shepherds or immature shepherds at best. We do live in a modern desert. We as believers are called “sheep” – needy, defenseless, prone to wander and stubborn. Predators are everywhere. We hear confusing voices from everywhere. Drugs and alcohol are used to escape reality and cope with the pressures of life. Moral standards have more to do with what feels good to us rather than God’s word. The pervasive moral atmosphere says “God is irrelevant and there are no rules.” In the midst of this moral chaos, in this threatening desert, whose voice, which shepherd do you follow?

I AM Not …

In today’s text Jesus says “I am the good shepherd.” What does it mean by that? Which shepherd is a good shepherd? Jesus defines what the good shepherd means by differentiating himself from false shepherds. First, Jesus says, “I am not a thief or a robber” (v.1). Thieves and robbers come to harm the sheep. They just take advantage of the sheep. Here Jesus is saying, “I don’t want your possessions but you!” Second, Jesus says, “I am not a stranger” (v.5). Strangers don’t know the sheep, and the sheep don’t know them. They don’t have any personal relationship with each other. Here Jesus is saying, “I am not the god of deism who exists and created the world, but does not interfere with his creation.” Third, Jesus says, “I am not a hired hand” (v.12). The hired hand feeds the sheep and takes care of the sheep, but when trouble comes, he abandons the sheep and runs away, because his relationship with the sheep is established based on his interest, not on trust.

I AM …

But Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” The good shepherd calls the sheep by name, guides them, goes before them, and provides pasture for food and water. But the most important and striking feature of the good shepherd is that he lays down his life for the sheep. In verse 11 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Again in verse 15 he says, “And I lay down my life for the sheep.” In the Judean desert at night sheep were often herded into walled enclosures. These enclosures provided walls, but the door was just a bare entrance. No gate. It was an opening in the wall for sheep to go in and out freely. At night, the shepherd would lie down in the doorway to protect the sheep from predators. The shepherd literally became the door of the sheep-fold. In this context, Jesus said in verse 7, “I am the gate for the sheep.” The good shepherd is willing to come between his flock and danger. He is willing to die for them.

Why Did Jesus Have to Die?

Then, why did Jesus, the good shepherd, have to die? To answer this question it is important to know what kinds of dangers the sheep are facing. The greatest danger of the sheep is not from outside, but from within. It is called, “sin.” What is sin? As a young man, once John Wesley asked his mother for a definition of sin. Susanna replied in a letter: "Take this rule: whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off your relish of spiritual things; in short, whatever increases the strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may be in itself." (Letter, June 8, 125). Sin is anything that separates us from God. God made Adam and Eve, and it was very good in his eyes. But Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and desired to be equal with God. That separated them from God. All of us, like sheep, have done our own thing, gone our own way. Sin is pride, arrogance, self-centeredness, self-love, the desire to be equal with God, and the autonomous reason, morality, and culture without God.

The gravity of sin is this: Sin never goes away by itself. It only accumulates. Probably, many of you have seen the buildings and roofs that collapsed under the weight of snow. Sin is just like that. We don’t know. We don’t feel like we are accumulating sins. But the day will come like a thief. Romans 2:5 says, “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” Whether willing or not, we will face up to this gravity of sin. What are the consequences of sin? The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (6:23) and “after that we have to face the judgment” (Heb 9:27). What can wash away our sins? Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” That is why Jesus, the good shepherd, had to lay down his life for us. Christ died for us. More specifically, Christ died for our sins. Even more specifically, Christ died our death. We never came to him for ourselves. Instead, all of us without exception have gone our own way. God sent his kings, judges, and prophets to show the way of salvation. But we ignored them, persecuted them, and even killed them. Finally, just as Moses had lifted up the snake in the desert, so Jesus had to be lifted up (John 3:14). And when Jesus was lifted up high from the earth, he did draw all people to himself (12:32).

Feed My Sheep

In his first letter Peter says, “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Peter was able to say this, because he himself experienced this. At first, although he was one of Jesus’ disciples, he was going his own way. He had his own plan. He had his own ambition. When Jesus began to explain his suffering and death for the first time, literally Peter took him side and rebuked him, saying, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” (Matt 16:21-22) On the night when Jesus was betrayed, he prophesied that his disciples would all fall away because of him. But Peter declared, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away!” (26:33) He did mean it. But he didn’t have power to overcome his sinful nature. He didn’t have power to overcome the power of sin and death. He disowned Jesus three times. After that, Peter was wandering and going astray. But after Jesus was risen, he went ahead of Peter into Galilee. He appeared to him and prepared breakfast for him. When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter said, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” He did reinstate Peter. Peter personally experienced unconditional love and forgiveness of sin. He returned to his Shepherd and came to believe that Christ indeed died for him, that Christ died for his sins, and that Christ died his death. Only then, was Peter able to follow in Jesus steps and too lay down his life for Jesus’ sheep (1 Peter 2:21).

Love Begets Love

John 3:16 tells us how much God loves us: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” And 1 John 3:16 tells us how much we as God’s beloved children should love others: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” Only love begets love. Anne was born on April 14, 1866. At the age of five she contracted an eye disease called trachoma. When she was eight years old, she became blind. That same year her mother died. After that, her father abandoned her and her brother, Jimmie. They were sent to almshouse. Jimmie suffered and died after three months. After that, Anne attended the Perkins School for the Blind. She had never been to school before and lacked social graces. She had hard time there. But there was one person who loved Anne devotedly and became her good friend and teacher. Her name was Laura Bridgman. Laura spent time with Anne and taught her the manual alphabet. And while there, Anne had a series of eye operations, and it significantly improved her vision. Eventually, Anne was able to graduate from the school at age 20 as the valedictorian of her class. After about a year, she got the job offer. It was to teach a seven year old girl who was deaf, blind and mute. She decided to repay debts of love and accept the job offer. She began to teach the girl and helped her to fully blossom. Her name was Anne Sullivan, and her student was Helen Keller. Love begets love.

To Thy Precious Bleeding Side

Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). This morning whose voice are you listening to? Which shepherd are you following? Frances Jane Crosby, who became blind at the age of six weeks, answers to this question in this way: “I am Thine, O Lord. I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me; but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee. Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died; draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side.” Are you weary, are you heavy hearted? Come to Jesus’ bleeding side. Are you longing for new life and the life to the full? Come to Jesus’ bleeding side. Are you having a hard time forgiving others? Come to Jesus’ bleeding side not just once or twice, but every day and night. And you will find rest for your souls and be able to feed many and not faint! Amen.