Today I want you to know Jesus like the early church: as The Good Shepherd
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.” John 10:10-16 NLT
Let me start with some brief but important context:
Firstly, in there audience Jesus is addressing there is no-one who doesn’t understand what Jesus is talking about.
There is no ambiguity for them…
The landscape of their day, the work of the day, the diet of the day, the traditions of the day was ‘a shepherd and sheep culture’. Most families or their neighbours kept a small herd.
No one in the jewish audience was nudging their friend and asking ‘here mate, whats a shepherd?’
On the island of Ireland for every 2 people there is one sheep
In New Zealand for every 2 people there is 10 sheep!
Secondly they understood the religious significance of that Jesus was saying:
The knew the symbolism from the Torah, the prophets and the psalms and books of wisdom, all contained this powerful imagery.
Let’s look at this briefly before we delve into the word of Jesus:
Chances are, most if not all have head Psalm 23
“The Lord is my Shepherd” Psalm 23:1
Psalm 23 is the most well known Psalm and one of 4 key old Testament passages where God is depicted as a shepherd. The others being:
Jer:23, Ezek 34 and Zech 10
Additionally in the OT the image of the good shepherd is used in 3 ways:
1- Firstly, God is the Good Shepherd. Psalm 78:52
‘Then He led forth his people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.’ Psalm 79:13
We are your people, the sheep of your pasture, Will give thanks to you forever.
Repeating the same idea in Isaiah
‘He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms.’ Isaiah 40:11
2- Secondly the leaders of Israel are also referred to as shepherds:
Ps 78:52,53 . God is described as the shepherd of Jacob his people
In Is 63:11 Moses is also referred to as ‘the shepherd of His flock’
3- Thirdly the final image points to a shepherd who is to come: The messiah, a new leader from Bethlehem:
Micah declares in Chapter 5
‘He shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD.
In the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.’ Micah 5 :4
Let’s dive in Jo 10
1 Jesus said ‘I AM THE GOOD Shepherd.’
He is a good Shepherd
The Greek word used here is Kalos primarily means morally good. Hebrew and Syrica translations use the word TOV which primary meaning is ‘morally Good.’ Additionally as an Aramaic word Tov means morally good.
There should be no confusion in the kind of Goodness Jesus is describing.
Jesus is the bar of moral goodness.
In a world where morality is attacked on every side, this is very important.
Origin, meaning, morality, destiny, and truth and the most precious treasures in the world today: and Jesus hold the key to all 5.
Jesus is TOV. Morally good.
Now this might come as a shock to you…
The Government on ireland, uk, and U.S is not consistently TOV.
And the church is not consistently TOV Right? Who’s been hurt by church ppl?
Jesus is TOV.
He is GOOD.
He alone is the TOV shepherd.
Church leaders are supposed to represent God. If that is what God is like, then no thank you.
But that isn’t what God is like at all. In fact, he is the very opposite. Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep’ (John 10:11).
There are bad shepherds out there who claim to represent God. They don’t. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus, the good shepherd.
What kind of leader is Jesus? He’s a good one. The good shepherd, who loves and cares for his people, the sheep he leads. He’s the good shepherd who leaves the 99 to go and search for the one that has gone astray.
We used to have a saying maybe 20 years ago in church ‘God is good all the time and all the time God is good’.
If you are here today and you have been hurt by the church, by someone in the church, maybe it was a leader, maybe it was me.
I am so sorry.
I am so sorry that we have failed.
I am so sorry that no one reached out to you I am sorry.
Can I ask you to consider three things:
1 – To forgive
2 – if possible, seek reconciliation
3 – remember that only Jesus is always good.
Jesus is always always good.
2- Jesus is a GOOD shepherd who bring with him ABUNDANT LIFE or a rich and satisfying life.
Following Jesus, obeying the Good shepherd gives is abundant life…
What does that mean?
What did the ppl hear? They heard the echo of Ps 23
This whole passage alludes to Psalm 23 and his audience would understand that immediately.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack or I have everything I need.
He settles me down in green pasture, leads me by still waters.
For the sheep this is heaven:
In Israel there are green pastures in the hill sides 3 months per year,. The rest of the time its yellow.
Sheep also do not like running water, they won’t go near it….
It needs to be still.
3 – I AM The Good Shepherd.
This is an exclusive statement
The promise of the centuries was being realised.
There are 7 recorded in Johns Gospel and today we are zooming in where Jesus declares ‘I AM the good shepherd.’
All 7 are signposts of Jesus claiming to be God.
I am the bread of life / john 6:35
I am the light john / 8:12
I am the door / john 10:9
Good shepherd / 10:11
The resurrection / 11:25
The way john / 14:6
The vine / john 15:5
This is important.
Jesus said he was God and Jesus showed he was God by his life, miracles, death, resurrection and ascension.
John 8:58
’Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM!’ John 8:58
At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.
Why throw stones at him for saying I AM?
Because he is referring to the exclusive name God used for himself in the O.T.
in Ex 3:
13 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”
God replied to Moses, “I am who i am. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. Exodus 3:13, 15
I AM
In our passage today Jesus says: ‘I am the good shepherd.’
Luke 18:18
18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. Luke 18:18, 19
Only God is good… consistently good.
And Jesus declares himself as Good.
There is no other Good shepherd, there is no other way to be reconciled to God there is other way to heaven. I AM it.
Jesus said
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
It’s exclusive.
Some people object to that, what about other religions, other religious leaders. Are you saying they are wrong??
A.W Tozer made it clear “Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way.”
Finally if you want to a sheep to lie down you can’t force it, but you can create the right environment :
Safe from wolves, thieves, shaded from the sun, green pasture and clean still water.
‘I have everything I need… this is the life, abundant life rich and satisfying.
That a happy sheep: if they could speak they would say ‘I have everything I need… this shepherd is the best! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!
God leads us into abundant life… he wants to bless you, prosper you in every way.’
‘Hold on Mitch, this sounds like prosperity preaching!’
‘Listen… I know only one kind of preaching: prosperity preaching.
The psalm 23 john 10 kind of prosperity where the focus is the good shepherd bringing abundant life.
God is not a withholder of blessings. He’s a giving God.
To close up , let’s look the thief
The word Thief is from the greek word ‘Klepto’
You may have heard the word Kleptmanic … some one who has a persistent impulse to steal.
How does the devil work? He makes you forget that he is there, that he even exists… makes you even feel comfortable.
He’s obsessed with trying to steal from you. A Kleptomanic.
Jesus warns us of wolves and thieves.
Maybe your sitting thinking: ‘oh please, this is old preaching, we don’t do this stuff anymore…
Then that old devil had already bluffed you and probably stolen from you more than you dare too imagine.
Jesus is not asking us to be afraid but to beware.
10: 6 The powerful imagery of Jesus as the good shepherd carrying the lamb on his shoulders is only possible because of the work of the cross.
Jesus is the Good shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep
Luke 15
Isaiah 53:6 AMP
All of us like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, each one, to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] To fall on Him [instead of us].
We are not innocent sheep, we are guilty sheep Laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Is he your shepherd today??
Is he???
Do you know him as your shepherd??
Discern this:
Look at what you get as one of Jesus’ sheep. Identity. Jesus’ followers are God’s true sheep. His flock. Jesus wasn’t setting up some new cult.
He was God the shepherd become man. His flock is God’s flock. He said, ‘So there will be one flock, one shepherd’ (10:16). He is the leader of the one flock of God’s true people. If we want to be part of that, we need to follow him.
Relationship. ‘My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me’ (10:27). What Jesus offers is not just signing up to some set of beliefs, or joining a new club. It’s having God in Christ know you personally and care for you. ‘He calls his own sheep by name’ (10:3). It’s about the Creator God knowing you by name.
Life. ‘I give them eternal life and they will never perish’ (10:28). Jesus gives his sheep eternal life. He rescues them from the wolf of death and judgement, having died in their place.
Security. ‘No one will snatch them out of my hand. 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 hands. I and the Father are one’ (10:28-30).
Many people feel insecure. They’ve no idea where they’re going or what they’re here for. They don’t really feel they belong or that anyone loves them. Jesus offers security. Once you’re in his hand, the Father’s hand – Jesus and the Father are one – you are eternally safe. No-one has more power.
You’re protected from all the forces of evil. So it’s a good deal being part of His flock – you get identity, relationship, life, security. But how do you join?
Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior and getting baptised and becoming part of the Body of Christ that is the Church!
God bless you
Evangelist Mitch – Crown Jesus Ministry