Jesus: The Good Shepherd - Part 2
John 10:1–18, 26–30
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus exercises comforting ownership, gentle leadership, and sacrificial guardianship, securing eternal life and perfect security for His sheep in fulfillment of God’s promise to shepherd them directly.
Outline
- Context of harassed and helpless sheep
- Comforting ownership
- Gentle leadership
- Sacrificial guardianship
- Conclusion on belonging to His sheep
Themes: Good Shepherd · Comforting Ownership · Gentle Leadership · Sacrificial Guardianship · Eternal Security · Psalm 23 · Abundant Life
Key Cross-References: John 10:1-18, 26-30, Matthew 9:36, Ezekiel 34:2-6, Psalm 23:1-6, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 40:11, Isaiah 53:5-6, John 14:6, 1 Samuel 17:34-35
MANUSCRIPT
A hopeless leper sits outside the city, commiserating with his diseased companions. A well-respected Roman centurion feels powerless as he watches his beloved servant laying paralyzed. Two tormented men, ravaged by the effects of demon possession, haunt cold tombs by a herd of swine. A penniless woman leaves her home knowing this day, like each day for the past twelve years, would be one of social stigma and rejection. Blind men set up shop outside the temple, where they will once again cast their livelihood upon the charity of faceless strangers. A father leads his family to synagogue while contemplating whether God is indeed merciful or if he shares the heartless character of the legalistic religious rulers who dominate so much of their lives. It was into this milieu that Jesus stepped when he began his earthly ministry. How would he respond?
Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
What made the helpless and harassed state of the God’s people even more tragic was that the Lord had left them with leaders charged with the stewardship of their spiritual shepherding. But these leaders corrupted the office, and the faith which was intended to shape it.
The Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus’ day were just the latest in a long line of unfaithful shepherds who used their position to serve themselves, while oppressing the people. As we learned last week, these so-called shepherds of Israel were illegitimate, destructive, and self-serving. They were the spiritual progeny of the political, religious and spiritual leaders whom the Lord condemned through the prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
Ezekiel 34:2-6 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: 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.
As is clear from Matthew 9:36, things were little better in Jesus’ day. The Lord’s sheep were still scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search for them. Or as Matthew says, they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherds. Those who claimed to be shepherds, were really just thieves and robbers, abusing, exploiting, oppressing, and deceiving the sheep.
So, Jesus says in John 10:
John 10:1 “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.
The Lord would not allow this situation to continue forever. In the same passages in which he condemned the shepherds of Israel, he promised that one day he would come and shepherd his sheep directly. The Lord would regather his people and care for them directly. He would supply the provision, protection and guidance the wicked under-shepherds of the past denied them
In our passage in John 10, we find Jesus stating that in his coming, he is the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to gather his people and to lovingly care for them like a shepherd cares for his sheep.
John 10:2-10 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.
When we witness Jesus’ incarnation and his earthly ministry, we are witnessing God himself finally stepping onto the scene to gather his lost sheep to himself and to provide them with the tender watch-care they so desperately needed. This is why, upon seeing the state of Israel, Jesus had such a visceral reaction. The one with the perfect shepherd’s heart was moved with compassion when he saw the suffering sheep.
Matthew tells us that Jesus perceived the people to be “harassed and helpless.” Harassed in that they were dominated by a hypocritical, legalistic, and unspiritual religious class who, instead of leading them into a relationship with their creator, burdened them with manmade rules and slammed the gate of the kingdom of heaven in their faces. The religious class in Jesus’ day was the spiritual progeny of the wicked under-shepherds we read about in Jeremiah and Ezekiel in our last lesson. They were men who claimed to be spiritual shepherds while abusing the sheep.
Jesus also saw the people as helpless. That is, like sheep, they needed a shepherd. They were like a scattered flock, wandering, lost, hungry, thirsty, injured and in danger. They needed the provision, protection and guidance only a faithful, tender shepherd could provide. They needed deliverance from the oppressive shepherds of Israel and to be gathered together, once and for all, under the Good Shepherd.
Now, let’s look at John 10 and learn what is the character of the Good Shepherd and the nature of his shepherding care.
1. As the Good Shepherd, he exercises a Comforting Ownership
John 10:2-5 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.”
Sometimes, multiple flocks of sheep might be held together in a common field and overseen by a hired gatekeeper. When a shepherd came to the gate to receive his flock, the gatekeeper would open, the shepherd would call his sheep, and those who recognized his voice would come out of the mixed crowd, fall-in behind their shepherd, and begin to follow him.
The shepherd knew which sheep belonged to him, and the sheep knew their shepherd. The relationship was revealed when the sheep responded to the voice of the shepherd.
Jesus says again in verse 14:
John 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
So, what is the relationship of the Good Shepherd to the sheep? He owns the sheep. The sheep belong to him.
We may not like the term “own” because it evokes thoughts of slavery. It might help to think about this ownership more as “belonging.” The sheep belong to the shepherd. Their rightful place is within his flock, under his loving watch-care.
The alternative to being at home within Christ’s flock is to be wandering aimlessly apart from him. Many of the societal ills that we observe all around us are the product of men and women seeking to cope with life apart from God. It’s the behaviour of the lost, the harassed, and the helpless. On the other hand, there’s a soul-satisfying comfort which comes to the individual who finds themselves back where they belong, in relationship with God, through Jesus Christ. Meaning, purpose, value, and identity, are restored when one finds themselves back in Jesus’ fold.
That’s what was discovered by so many sinners in Jesus’ day. They heard his voice speaking words of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation and they flocked to him. Many gladfully repented of their sin and began to follow Jesus. They knew they were helpless. They knew something missing from their life. As much as they might have defended their sinful lifestyle when asked by others, they knew deep inside that their sin was destructive, and unfulfilling.
So, when they heard the voice of Jesus calling to them, it was like they were being called out of turmoil and into the safety and comfort of home.
If you are a Christian this morning, you belong to Jesus. You were lost, but now you are found. You were wandering, but now you are home. Jesus the Good Shepherd has sought you out and has brought you into his fold, where you belong. When we understand ownership this way, it is more comforting than constricting.
And just how comforting is the fact that you and I belong to Jesus? And when might such knowledge be the most comforting? We could ask David, who knew a thing or two about shepherding. He said:
Psalm 23:1-6 Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they 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 goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.
The knowledge that God was David’s shepherd gave David comfort. He knew that he would never be empty again. He knew that he would never be lost again. He knew that he would never have to wander again. Such knowledge was so powerful that David could even face death with confidence. He said:
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Even in the face of mortal danger, David took comfort. He says, “your rod” – your instrument of correction, and “your staff” – your instrument of protection, comfort me. That is, when I think of every aspect of your shepherding care, it gives me a sustained, all-encompassing comfort. That’s the power of the comfort which accompanies being one of Jesus’ sheep.
Notice also that with this comforting ownership also comes an intimate knowledge. Jesus says in verses 14-15:
John 10:14-15 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.
The knowledge which Jesus is speaking of here is more than a general familiarity, it is about intimate relationship. He defines it for us in verse 15, he says that the knowledge that he has of his sheep is “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” This speaks of a tender relationship in which Jesus knows everything about us, while loving us.
Although Jesus is the Good Shepherd leading a flock, he knows each one of his sheep by name. Although there are millions of men and women who belong to Jesus the world over, he knows each one intimately.
This means that he knows your personality, your character, your strengths, and your weaknesses. He knows your worries, your anxieties, your struggles and your sin. He knows your sorrows, your regrets, and your feelings of guilt and failure. He knows who you are, and he knows exactly how he can meet the deepest longings of your heart.
Just as there is nothing about the Father which Jesus doesn’t know, and nothing about Jesus that the Father doesn’t know, there is nothing about you that Jesus doesn’t know – and he loves you anyway.
Don’t confuse this with some awful takes on Jesus’ love. Some would suggest that since Jesus knows everything about us, and loves us anyway, that must mean that he approves of everything we do, say, think or feel. That is not true.
Jesus’ love for us does not mean that he condones our sin, but that he loves us enough to save us from our sin and then to continually work to sanctify us so that we no longer desire that sin.
So, In the first part of Jesus’ parable about sheep in John 10, he presents himself as the true shepherd who both owns and knows the sheep. His special relationship with the sheep is seen when he calls them because they recognize his voice and follow him.
This is a tender relationship of trust, familiarity, and dependence on the part of the sheep and care, knowledge, responsibility, and ownership on the part of the shepherd. Jesus’ followers belong to him like sheep belong to a shepherd.
Next, consider that as the Good Shepherd, Jesus not only exercises a Comforting Ownership but:
2. As the Good Shepherd, he offers a Gentle Leadership
Look again at what Jesus says in verses 4-5.
John 10:4-5 When he [the shepherd] 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.”
Unlike other shepherds, Jesus doesn’t drive his flock, he leads it. He doesn’t pressure the flock to move into the unknown by barking out orders from behind. Instead, he gently leads his sheep calling them to follow as he shows the way. He doesn’t drive his sheep with fear and intimidation. Instead, since he is the meek, gentle, loving, compassionate, merciful and trustworthy Shepherd, the sheep are naturally drawn to him.
If one’s concept of Jesus is that of a harsh taskmaster demanding compliance under the threat of disapproval and punishment, they’ve gotten it wrong. Jesus leads his sheep; he does not drive them.
He says in verse 27:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
And what might his voice be saying when the sheep hear and follow? Something like:
Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Following Jesus does not mean taking on burdens, but having burdens lifted. Jesus’ lordship, and leadership should not bring anxiety, fearfulness, or insecurity, but rest.
Christian, the inner turmoil, insecurity, and anxiety that you feel as you live your Christian life may be self-induced, or caused by others – but it is not from Jesus. He came to give rest from the harshness of legalism, the hardship of self-effort. He came to deliver us from these things so that we could have genuine rest in our souls.
When he calls out, his message is – “come and rest! I am gentle and lowly! There’s a yoke, but it’s a yoke that brings freedom! There’s a burden, but it’s a burden that liberates!”
Think for a moment about those poor Christians who belong to churches where the Pastors are domineering. Those believers who are constantly hearing preaching that runs them down, condemns them, and burdens them with guilt. They are like sheep trapped in a fold led by an abusive shepherd. That’s exactly the type of spiritual abuse that Jesus came to rescue the Jews from in his day. That’s an approach to ministry that has no place in a Christian church. It is exactly antithetical to who Jesus is, and the type of shepherding care he offers to his people.
Now, look in verse 7:
After John tells us that Jesus’ disciples were not understanding what he was saying to them, Jesus changes his metaphor a little bit. He says:
John 10:7-9 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.
Jesus not only identifies with the shepherd in his parable, but now he identifies with the door, or the gate as well. He says “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
With that, Jesus is making a direct reference to Psalm 23. Remember, David said:
“Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake” (Ps 23:1-3).
Yahweh leads his people safely to pasture. What Jesus is saying in John 10 is that the divine shepherd of David’s psalm, who provides rest, sustenance and spiritual restoration, is present in him. Further, if anyone would experience that rest, they must come through him. He is the door, and the only door. It reminds us of what Jesus said in John 14:6:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).”
So, in our passage, Jesus likens salvation to a sheep “finding pasture.” Think of a sheep that has been without food and without water, wandering alone, and fearful of predators, to finally find the way to abundant grass, calm waters, and safety – all under the loving watch-care of a loving, and competent shepherd. The sheep can graze at his leisure. They can lay down and rest. They can sleep without fear. Further, they don’t have to be anxious in the presence of the shepherd, because he’s meek and gentle.
In the presence of their shepherd, they have everything they need to live a life of full safety and satisfaction.
Jesus has come to shepherd his people like this. He has come to shepherd just as God the Father shepherds. Isaiah 40 says of the Lord:
Isaiah 40:11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.
Think of a young lamb, defenseless and vulnerable to predators. The shepherd scoops up the lamb, holds it safely next to his chest, and carries on gently leading the others. He leads them all to green pastures and lovingly places the lamb down near still waters where he can have his fill of cold refreshing drink.
This is the tender, gentle shepherding that Jesus offers, and what each of his under-shepherds (or Pastors) must offer as well.
Next, consider that as the Good Shepherd, Jesus not only exercises a Comforting Ownership, and
Gentle Leadership but:
3. As the Good Shepherd, he provides a Sacrificial Guardianship
What we learn next is that the safety and security which Jesus’ sheep enjoy, is only possible because of a price that he was willing to pay.
Think of a flock of sheep in a green pasture, along still waters. They wander without a care, they calmly graze on lush grass, they drink from the gentle stream at their leisure. They can do this because the shepherd is watchful. The shepherd is on guard. The shepherd is watching for predators and willing to place his life on the line to protect them. They can experience rest, because of his willing sacrifice.
This is exactly the kind of shepherding that Jesus has offered us.
John 10:10-15 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.
If a shepherd truly cared for his sheep the way a good shepherd should, he would be willing to place his life in danger for their wellbeing. When David recounted his time as a young shepherd, he told Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him” (1 Samuel 17:34-35). David understood that protecting the flock meant potentially endangering the shepherd’s life.
Jesus, however, is not talking about a willingness to potentially endanger himself for the temporal safety of his people. Rather, he is saying that he has come with the express purpose of laying down his life to save the sheep. This is the only way to provide them with eternal life. The rest and pasture Jesus promised his sheep can only be secured through his sacrificial death.
According to Jesus, only a good shepherd would give himself for the sheep because only he has genuine care for the sheep. Because of this intimate relationship in which his sheep know him, and he knows the sheep, he is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
After a long history of unfaithful shepherds willing to sacrifice the sheep for their own profit, Jesus came to sacrifice himself for the sheep. His willingness to die for the sheep flowed from his tender care for them. When he looked at the sheep, he saw precious souls tormented by their lost state and helpless to rectify it. Moved with compassion, he gave himself on the cross to defeat the enemies of their souls. Through his sacrificial death, Jesus secured salvation for his people. Because of the torment he endured, they could enjoy rest. They could find peace because he bore the iniquity of his straying sheep. Or, as the prophet Isaiah wrote:
Isaiah 53:5-6 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
So, Jesus gave his life, so that we could have life. Not only this, but he gave his life so that we could be assured of eternal, irrevocable life. Look at what he says in verses 27 of John 10:
John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
As the perfect shepherd, Jesus not only provides abundant life for his sheep through salvation, but promises that they can never perish. As long as we belong to him, none will be lost. If that’s not enough of a comfort, Jesus adds that the Father himself is also at working keeping, guarding, and securing those who belong to Jesus. It’s this absolute security which creates an environment in which you and I, as Jesus sheep can find genuine rest in our souls.
CONCLUSION
In John 10, Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd, fulfilling God's promise to care for His people directly. Unlike the unfaithful leaders who exploited and abandoned the sheep, Jesus provides comforting ownership, gentle leadership, and sacrificial guardianship. He knows each of His sheep personally, calls them by name, and leads them to safety and rest. His ownership is not one of oppression but of belonging, where the lost and wandering find their true home in Him. His leadership is tender, offering rest for the weary. And lastly, Jesus' guardianship is sacrificial; He laid down His life for the sheep, securing their eternal safety and abundant life.
As we close, maybe you’re wondering, “Am I one of his sheep? How can I know?” There’s an easy answer to that. Look again at John 10:26 where Jesus confronts those who reject him:
John 10:26-27 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Notice what he does and doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “You are not my sheep because you don’t believe.” He says instead, “You do not believe because you are not among my sheep.” That’s the only question this morning. Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that he is sent Son of God, and the only source of eternal life? Do you believe that he is the rightful shepherd of your soul? If so, you are of his sheep.
Come home to him, receive salvation, and be assured you are forever safely and securely in his tender shepherding arms.
