Jesus: The Good Shepherd - Part 1
John 10:1–18
Jesus is the Good Shepherd promised in Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23 who fulfills God’s commitment to shepherd His people directly; false shepherds are illegitimate, destructive, and self-serving, while Jesus lays down His life for the sheep.
Outline
- OT backdrop (Ezekiel 34 and Jeremiah 23)
- False shepherds are illegitimate
- False shepherds are destructive
- False shepherds are self-serving
- Conclusion contrasting with Jesus the Good Shepherd
Themes: Good Shepherd · False Shepherds · Illegitimate · Destructive · Self-Serving · Ezekiel 34 · Jeremiah 23 · Lays Down His Life
Key Cross-References: John 10:1-18, Ezekiel 34:1-16, Jeremiah 23:1-5, Matthew 9:36, Jude 1:3-4, 12-13, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Matthew 7:15-17, Titus 1:5-11, Luke 20:45-47, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, Matthew 6:24, Luke 15:1-6, 1 Peter 2:24-25
MANUSCRIPT
Last week we met a man who had gone his whole life without seeing light. He spent day after day in darkness, not just the darkness of congenital blindness, but the darkness of societal rejection. He daily experienced ostracization, and ridicule.
As hard as his blindness was, it spared him from seeing the turned up noses of passersby as they dismissed his pleas for mercy. It was not however, effective in shielding his ears from their cruel whispers. Parents, in their ill-attempts to explain human suffering to their children, murmured that this man was paying the price for some hidden sin, or perhaps the sins of his parents. Thus, the generational hate was kept alive. God had judged him, and if God had judged him, they should feel no guilt in doing the same.
From time to time a coin might be dropped in the blind man’s bag. Money given more to soothe the conscience of the giver than to genuinely help the beggar. Money thrown in his bag like one might throw bread to a mangey stray. A creature fit for a fleeting act of pity, but not something you’d ever allow in your house.
Jesus’ disciples were shaped by this same culture, carrying with them the same prejudices. They had grown up hearing the same stories, the same explanations—that suffering like this was tied to sin, that blindness had to be someone’s fault. So they asked Jesus: “Whose sin caused this, his or his parents?” Jesus corrected them, and a scene began to unfold in which Jesus revealed the loving heart of God toward the suffering. At the same time, he exposed the hateful hypocrisy of the religious leaders. Leaders who had created a religious climate in which it was easy to pile social and spiritual stigma upon those who were already suffering physically.
Now in Chapter 10, John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has chosen to fast-forward a few months in Jesus’ earthly ministry to record one of His most significant public discourses. He does so in order to continue the contrast between the character of the religious leaders and the heart of God as seen in the character of Jesus.
In this discourse, Jesus exposes the spiritual leadership in Israel as simply the latest in a long line of corrupt shepherds who had usurped spiritual authority over God’s people for their own selfish gain. He then presents himself as the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited promise to lead his people. Not with the self-serving, harsh, and exploitative leadership to which they had grown accustomed. But with a tender, selfless, and loving guidance under which they would be genuinely cared for.
Before we read our text in John 10, I’d like to begin with it’s Old Testament backdrop. Jesus has not chosen to weave together a discourse about shepherds and sheep out of thin air. What he is doing is making an explicit claim that he is God’s answer to the persistent problem of the Jewish corruption of spiritual leadership. He is presenting himself as the final fulfillment of God’s longstanding promise to one day shepherd his people directly.
One of the passages in which we find these promises in Ezekiel 34. Let’s turn there.
In this passage, the Lord speaks judgment through Ezekiel against the “shepherds of Israel.” This refers to their political, spiritual and religious leaders. We read:
Ezekiel 34:1-16 ¶ The word of Yahweh came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.
5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; 6 they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
According to the Lord, the spiritual leadership of Israel had become utterly corrupt. Although they were to serve as stewards over God’s people, they instead served themselves by lording their authority over the people. Instead of providing, protecting and guiding the people, they neglected them, only paying attention to exploit them for their own selfish gain.
God would not allow this situation to continue forever. Instead, he foretold of a day when he would once and for all shepherd his people directly, ensuring that they would receive the spiritual care that they needed. Listen, as the Lord, through Ezekiel continues:
7 ¶ “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: 8 As I live, declares the Lord Yahweh, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh: 10 Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.
While these men claimed to be representing God, God says “I am against the shepherds.” The way they were representing God, and treating God’s people was in direct opposition to God. Now, listen to the solution:
11 “For thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord Yahweh. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
So, the solution to this persistent culture of corrupt spiritual leadership is that God himself would act as the shepherd of his own people.
Practically speaking, what exactly would this look like? How could God, whose unveiled presence, no man can withstand, come and shepherd his people? Jeremiah gives us some more details:
Jeremiah 23:1-5 ¶ “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares Yahweh. 2 Therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares Yahweh. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares Yahweh. 5 “Behold, the days are coming, declares Yahweh, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Here we learn that God’s direct shepherding of his people would not preclude delegation. Instead, he would raise up a descendant of David, called the “righteous Branch” who would reign as a shepherd-king, overseeing the watch care of his people.
What Jesus is doing in our passage in John 10 is revealing that he is that promised righteous branch. He is the Son of David. He is the means by which God himself would provide, protect and guide his people. He’s revealing that he is the Good Shepherd.
And, he’s doing it in a context where the corrupt nature of the Jewish leadership in his day had just been exposed through their ill-treatment of the blind man. The blind man was illustrative of the many lost, suffering children of Israel who had been neglected, rejected and abused by their spiritual leadership.
These are the people that frequently moved Jesus to compassion:
Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
So, in this discourse in John 10 Jesus paints the Pharisees and other religious leaders as the direct spiritual descendants of the corrupt shepherds addressed in Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Their time had finally come to an end, and the time for God’s fulfillment of his promise to shepherd his people directly had come.
So, in our passage in John 10, we will learn about the loving, shepherd-like care that Jesus provides for His people, as well as the characteristics of false shepherds. On one hand, this will help us lean more into the care Jesus offers, and on the other, it will equip us to guard against those who claim to represent God but ultimately harm His people.
Let’s read John 10:1-18
John 10:1-18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Now, in order to better understand and appreciate what it means that Jesus came as the Good Shepherd, we first need to consider the nature of false shepherds. Let’s begin to build that profile together.
First of all, consider that false shepherd’s are illegitimate.
1. False Shepherds are Illegitimate When we consider how the blind man was treated in the spiritual climate of his day, we can see how it would be easy for someone in that day to grow cynical toward the entire religious establishment. Here were men using their positions as religious leaders to oppress others. Instead of helping the downtrodden, they stigmatized them. They poisoned the minds of their followers against the very people they should have been helping.
But, notice what Jesus says in verse 1 of our passage:
John 10:1-2 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Now, remember that John has placed this discourse immediately after the incident of the man born blind. The Spirit has inspired him to do this for a reason. Here is Jesus’ answer to the cynic or the skeptic who, in light of how the Pharisees treated the blind man, might question God, or the entire spiritual endeavour in general.
What Jesus is saying is that these religious hypocrites who sneered at sinners, neglected the poor, and trampled on the weak, were never put in place by God. They were illegitimate shepherd’s who crept into positions of leadership where they didn’t belong.
They were not legitimate shepherds of the sheep; rather, they acted more like thieves, stealing the sheep. Like thieves and robbers, they crept into the sheepfold under cover of darkness to take what was not theirs.
How did this happen? Over time, the entire Jewish religious system became distorted, allowing religious hypocrites to rise to positions of prominence. Within that system, external displays of piety were valued more than genuine spiritual humility. Expertise in human traditions was prioritized over knowledge of the Scriptures. Additionally, due to Roman influence, many individuals gained leadership roles based more on their political opinions than on spiritual merit.
The system became so corrupted that hypocrites could ascend through the ranks, attain positions of influence, and exercise authority over God’s people.
That’s enough to turn anyone off of religion. But, what Jesus is saying in verses 1 and 2, by comparing these men to sheep stealers, is that they held their positions illegitimately. They were not God’s representatives, and they should never have been in positions of leadership. They were not welcomed into the sheepfold by the gatekeeper, but snuck in under cover of darkness.
And, do you know what we learn from the rest of the New Testament, and from church history, and from our own experience present day? This was not just a Jewish problem. There are always efforts to corrupt, to distort and to otherwise hijack God’s plans for his people. There are always efforts to erect a system whereby hypocrites can rise through the ranks and be illegitimately appointed as self-styled shepherd’s over God’s sheep. They do this while having absolutely no business being there, and while harbouring ill-intent.
Jude, writing about 30 years after Jesus’ resurrection wrote:
Jude 1:3-4 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
According to Jude, there were men like the thieves and robbers that Jesus mentioned, who “crept in unnoticed.” They infiltrated the sheepfold and set themselves up as shepherds in order to teach error. Unlike the Pharisees, who distorted grace in order to teach legalism, these illegitimate teachers distorted grace in order to teach license. That is, they perverted the grace of God and used it as a cover so they could indulge in sin.
This happens all around us today as well. There are men and women purporting to represent God, who pervert the ideas of love and grace in order to justify their sin, and encourage others to do the same. Make no mistake, they have no business claiming to represent God. They may stand behind a pulpit, be ordained, or have their name on the church sign, but they are the product of a corrupted system which has enabled false shepherds, with nefarious intent, to masquerade as representatives of God. A God whom they do not know, and who in no way put them in the position they have usurped for themselves.
They are illegitimate shepherds.
If you are there this morning as a visitor and find yourself disillusioned with religion because of ill-behaviour of some who claimed to represent God, consider that they very well may have been one of these illegitimate shepherds.
Harsh, domineering, self-serving, prideful, greedy, impure men do not represent God, and are not qualified for spiritual leadership. The degree to which they hold a position of authority over God’s people, is the degree to which they stole it. They have more in common with thieves and robbers than genuine spiritual shepherds.
Next, continuing with Jude, we learn that these illegitimate shepherds are also destructive shepherds.
2. False Shepherd’s are Destructive
Jude goes on to describe them quite poetically:
Jude 1:12-13 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.
They are hidden reefs. That is, like a ship might collide with a hidden coral reef, resulting in shipwreck, a church which entertains one of these illegitimate shepherds is unknowingly putting itself in grave danger. Little do they know that this man among them will be the cause of many others shipwrecking their faith.
Jude continues: they are waterless clouds – men and women claiming to bring refreshment only to forever disappoint; they are fruitless trees – barren because they possess no real spiritual life; and, especially relevant to us – they are like shepherds who feed themselves. They stand before the flock pretending to be shepherds who will lead the sheep to safety and sustenance, only to slaughter the sheep and feed themselves.
As Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Peter likewise warned about such illegitimate shepherds:
2 Peter 2:1-3 ¶ But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 ¶ And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Again, Jesus said they sneak in like thieves and robbers. Jude says they “creep in unnoticed”. Peter says they “secretly bring in destructive heresies.” They are subtle, deceptive and ultimately destructive.
Does theology matter? Yes. According to Peter, bad theology or “heresies” can destroy. Every idea bears fruit. Sound theology bears the fruit of the Spirit, destructive heresies bear the rotten fruit of the flesh. They introduce a rot which eats a church from the inside out until all that’s left is an empty, hypocritical shell of itself.
What we learn from all this sneakiness is that these illegitimate shepherds not only capitalize upon corrupted systems that allow them to rise to positions of prominence, but they also sometimes weasel their way into sound churches, solid seminaries, and otherwise trusted platforms. They do it via deception. They appear qualified at first only to later show their true nature, via their rotten fruit. Jesus said as much:
Matthew 7:15-17 ¶ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
Unfortunately, fruit takes time to develop. Sometimes the true nature of false teachers isn’t known for some time. When they are finally seen for who they are however, the consequences are destructive.
What might this bad fruit look like? These false teachers create a culture among their followers of impurity, infighting, and division. There’s anger, jealousy and strife. There is harshness, impatience, and misery. Instead of the fruit of the Spirit, they and their followers are marked by an indulgence in the flesh and sensuality.
As a reminder, let’s consider again what God requires of a legitimate shepherd over his people:
Titus 1:5-11 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 ¶ if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. 10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
Notice in verses 10-11 that there was a serious problem on the island of Crete. Some men were rebellious false teachers who were teaching for money and upsetting whole families. The solution to these false teachers, wasn’t to call into question the entire spiritual endeavour, or God’s design for the church at large. The solution was to strengthen and establish the church but leading it to adopt God’s design. The answer to false teachers and ungodly men was to appoint true teachers, and godly men to positions of leadership in the church.
Nevertheless, sometimes charlatans creep in, and wreak havoc in the church.
OUT INTO THE STREETS
Not only do such illegitimate shepherds wreak havoc within their churches but the destruction spills out into the streets. Peter says that “because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
Most people outside the church don’t have the discernment, nor the desire, to distinguish between false shepherds and genuine shepherds. They would rather use the abuses of the false as a justification for rejecting the whole.
As a consequence of these illegitimate shepherds, people say horrible things about God, Christ, the scripture, and the church.
Such people should be reminded what God actually thinks of these teachers. These charlatans. These thieves and robbers.
God, through Jude says, that for them “the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.” And, through Peter says that they are “bringing upon themselves swift destruction” and that “their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” Make no mistake that those who claim to represent God, while victimizing God’s people will face a sure, swift, and serious judgment. However you have judged these hypocrites in your own mind, you can be sure that God’s judgment will be much worse.
So, as people in Jesus’ day were considering the Pharisees and the other religious leaders who were overseeing a religious system which victimized people like the man born blind, Jesus would have them know that these men did not, contrary to their claims, represent God. They were illegitimate shepherds. What they were spreading was not the Kingdom of God, but heresies designed to promote themselves, and destroy others.
Next, consider that these impostors were not only illegitimate shepherds, but they were self-serving shepherds.
3. False Shepherd’s are Self-Serving
Thieves and robbers by definition are willing to victimize others for their own gain. This was the case with the so-called shepherds of Israel. The Pharisees and Sadducees were greedy, self-serving hypocrites who only cared for the people insofar as they thought they might get something out of it.
What did God say through Ezekiel?
2 …Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.
Remember what Jesus said about the religious leaders in his day in Luke 20?
Luke 20:45-47 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
These religious leaders were so unscrupulous in their greed that they would ingratiate themselves with widows and persuade them to give away all their money or property. They were the worst kind of predators, exploiting those who had no one to defend them. What made their actions even more reprehensible was that they used the very trust that their position as religious leaders afforded them to deceive their unsuspecting victims.
Did you think that men using religion as a means to become wealthy was a new thing?
Greedy, covetous men have always sought to hijack spiritual leadership in order to satisfy their lust for money. This is true regarding false prophets of the Old Testament and false shepherds in the new, it is true in our day and will be until Christ returns.
2 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV) But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. …
2 Peter 2:14 (ESV) They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
These greedy false teachers; followers of Judas, not Jesus; worshippers of money and not God; these defilers of the household of God; these blasphemers who are destined for condemnation and destruction are in no way to be regarded as genuine followers of Jesus Christ or legitimate spiritual leaders.
How can they live extravagant, indulgent lifestyles while still maintaining credibility with their followers? Easy, simply alter the gospel to include material blessings as a measure of godliness. Their multi-million-dollar homes, private jets and otherwise extravagant lifestyles are not contrary to godliness, but evidence of godliness, they will say. They are God’s blessings upon them.
And, like a skillful fraudster from a late-night infomercial, or the charlatan living at the peak of a lucrative pyramid scheme, they tell you exactly what you want to hear and convince you that if you only do what they suggest, you too can achieve their level of financial breakthrough.
In reality, they’ve simply found a way to corrupt the faith in order to victimize others and feed their own lusts.
This is why Paul told Timothy that as he appointed men to leadership positions in the churches, they were to be
1 Timothy 3:2-3 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
And to Titus:
Titus 1:7-8 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
Of course, Paul was simply applying the teachings of Christ who said:
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Spiritual leadership and greed cannot coexist. If they do, the pastor, preacher or teacher will begin to see the church, not as a people to serve, but as a resource to serve his own lusts.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we’ve only scratched the surface this morning in John 10. We’ve begun to paint a portrait of corrupt spiritual leaders in order to better understand how Jesus, the Good Shepherd cares for us.
He came on to the scene at a time when the religious leaders in Jerusalem were largely corrupt. They were unspiritual, uncaring, greedy, self-serving hypocrites who preyed upon God’s people for their own self-interest. They were judgmental, condemnatory, and even hateful toward sinners.
Jesus, on the other hand, came as the perfect expression of the heart of God toward sinners. He came as the Good Shepherd to gather the sheep that the Sadducees and Pharisees had scattered, to bind up the spiritual wounds that the Jewish leadership had inflicted, and finally give rest to the sheep that illegitimate shepherd’s had burdened.
Let’s end our little introduction to John 10 with another passage with seems to perfectly contrast the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd to the illegitimate shepherds in Israel.
Luke 15:1-6 ¶ Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’
This morning, if you are not a Christian, it may very well be that Jesus is seeking you out. He does not condemn you like the Pharisees would. Instead, he sees your sinful condition and understands that you are not only a sinner, but also a sufferer.
He would rescue you from your wandering, bind up your spiritual wounds, and welcome you into his fold. He has provided everything you need to be spiritually healthy and whole. He did this by laying down his life for you.
He stood in your place, and bore the penalty which your sins deserved so that you could be made spiritually whole, and reconciled to the Heavenly Father.
Come to Jesus in faith this morning and Peter’s words can be applied to you:
1 Peter 2:24-25 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
