The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

Well we are back to the Gospel of John. The last time that we studied out of John's Gospel we looked at chapter 10, verses 1-13. In these verses Christ Jesus identified Himself as the Good Shepherd. In looking at Christ's words you can see that the Good Shepherd Offers Security (vs. 1-6) and that the Good Shepherd offers Shelter (vs. 7-13). Christ Jesus, the good shepherd cares for His sheep in a way no-one can.

Here in verse 14 Christ Jesus again openly identifies Himself, “I am the good shepherd.” In so doing He lays hold of the rich meaning of Yahweh as Israel’s shepherd, their Ruler, Protector, Leader, and caring Companion. In these verses there is a mutual acquaintance between Christ Jesus and true believers; they know one another very well. The shepherd relates to his sheep with trust and intimacy. You see the shepherd knows his sheep the same way that the Father knows the Son. Not only that, but the sheep know the shepherd in the same way the Son knows the Father.

Lynn Anderson, in "They Smell Like Sheep” relates this story: “Several years ago in Palestine, Carolyn and I rode a tour bus through Israel’s countryside nearly mesmerized as the tour guide explained the scenery, the history, and the lifestyle. In his description, he included a heart-warming portrayal of the ancient shepherd/sheep relationship. He expounded on how the shepherd builds a relationship with his sheep—how he feeds them and gently cares for them. He pointed out that the shepherd doesn’t drive the sheep but leads them, and that the shepherd does not need to be harsh with them, because they hear his voice and follow.

And so on… He then explained how on a previous tour things had backfired for him as he was giving this same speech about sheep and shepherds. In the midst of spinning his pastoral tale, he suddenly realized he had lost his audience. They were all staring out the bus window at a guy chasing a ‘herd’ of sheep. He was throwing rocks at them, whacking them with sticks, and siccing the sheep dog on them. The sheep-driving man in the field had torpedoed the guide’s enchanting narrative. The guide told us that he had been so agitated that he jumped off the bus, ran into the field, and accosted the man, ‘Do you understand what you have just done to me?’ he asked. ‘I was spinning a charming story about the gentle ways of shepherds, and here you are mistreating, hazing, and assaulting these sheep What is going on?’ For a moment, a bewildered look froze on the face of the poor sheep-chaser, then the light dawned and he blurted out, ‘Man. You’ve got me all wrong. I’m not a shepherd. I’m a butcher’” This poor unwitting fellow had just provided the tour guide and all of us with a perfect example of what a ‘good shepherd’ is not.”

John 10:14-18
14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to 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 authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

1. The Shepherd Trust His Sheep (vs. 14-15)

Christ Jesus knows with a distinguishing eye who His sheep are, and who are not. He knows His sheep, blemishes and all. And He knows the goats through their best churchy disguises. He knows with a favorable eye those of you that are His own sheep; He is aware of your state, and concerns Himself with you. He regard with you tenderness and affection. He is continually mindful of you and intercede on your behalf with God the Father. Through the Holy Spirit He communicate with you if you will let Him. Christ Jesus knows you if you are His and He approves and accepts you. If you are not His, He wants to know you and will accept you as you are, just come to Him.

He is known by them. He observes them with an eye of favor, and they observe him with an eye of faith. It is the character of Christ Jesus' sheep that they know Him. You should know Him from all pretenders and intruders, you should know His mind, know His voice, know by experience the power of His death and resurrection. Here in (v. 15), Christ Jesus mentions the relationship between His Father and Himself: As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. 

I believe it shows the intimate relationship which exists between Christ Jesus and all believers. The covenant of grace, which is the bond of this relation, is founded in the covenant of redemption between the Father and the Son, because the Father and the Son understand one another perfectly well in all matters.

Christ Jesus is the good Shepherd because He gave His life for the sheep. This is why He has came. He cares for His sheep daily, watching, feeding, and protecting you. But in the end He had to finally deal with your greatest danger. He had to face the mightiest thief, the evil one, who spreads darkness and disorder through his own servants, the false shepherds. In short He came to deal with Satan and sin once and for all. So Christ Jesus the Good Shepherd gave His life on the cross in this last struggle with this enemy and won. Because He was willing to lay down His life you can know freedom – freedom from sin and all it's entanglements.

2. The Shepherd Joins His Sheep (vs. 16)

Other sheep that are not in this sheep pen. I don't know about you but I find this statement both intriguing and reassuring. I say intriguing, because of the mystery of the statement. What other sheep? Where are they? Why doesn't Christ Jesus just say who they are? 

I remember when I was a teenager in the 70's and space exploration was going strong and there was all kinds of hope and expectations of contact with extraterrestrials. With this mind set many of my Sunday School classmates, with myself counted among them thought that verse 16 might be evidence of other life in the universe. 

I now know different, this passage does not refer to extraterrestrials but to the Gentiles and Samaritans. Here is the reassurance I spoke of earlier – Christ Jesus knew that His message of mercy and reconciliation would spread beyond the confines of the Jewish nation. Remember what Christ Jesus said to the disciples just before His ascension, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8). 

It is as if our Lord had said, “Do not imagine that I will lay down my life for the Jews, exclusively of all other people; no: I will die also for the Gentiles; for by the grace, the merciful design and loving purpose of God, I am to taste death for every man, But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9); and, though they are not of this fold now, those among them that believe will be united with the believing Jews, and made one fold under one shepherd, But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, ... and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (Eph 2:13-14, 16)”

There are many folds or pens containing sheep that must be reached. But when the spiritual unity of Christ Jesus' followers comes into correct perspective, there is only one flock – one body of Christ, with many denominations and affiliations. 

"They shall hear my voice. Not only will Christ Jesus' voice be heard among them but it will be heard by them; He will speak, and make away for them to hear." Faith comes by hearing, and your diligent in listening to the voice of Christ Jesus is both the way and an evidence of you being brought to Him, and to God through Him. Will you not only hear His voice today, but act upon His call - “Come to me...”?

3. The Good Shepherd Dies For His Sheep (vs. 17-18)

It is the nature of love to reach out, to go the limit. So Christ Jesus came to lay down His life for the sheep as an amazing expression of the love of the Father and Son for each other. Christ Jesus’ death was not a last-minute strategy, nor was it an act of desperation. He was not forced into an unexpected death, nor was His life taken from Him. His death on the cross did not occur because of earthly powers stronger than the power of the heavenly Father. There has never been nor will there ever be an individual, a group, or government power that has the power to kill Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus' whole ministry from the very beginning had moved toward this final act of obedience, this offering of Himself for the sake of the sheep. 

Make no mistake about it, Christ Jesus laid down His life willingly and at the time the Father required it. Substitutionary atonement is the heart of the gospel, Christ Jesus would join the sheep from a variety of pens and He would die for all of them. He laid down his life, not only for the good of the sheep, but instead in place of the sheep. He laid down His life in your place.

Christ Jesus has the authority or right to lay down His life, but if that is all He did then He would be no different than any other religious leader or cult leader. Here is what makes Him different, He has the power to take up His life again. The laying down and the taking up, the cross and the resurrection, are two sides of the one redemptive act. This power to lay down and take up is the same in Father and Son. Here is the mystery of the divine nature of Christ Jesus, who is at one with the Father. What had been agreed upon in the Godhead, in the “counsels of eternity,” for the salvation of all men, was to be the historical event of both Christ Jesus’ death and Resurrection. In all this He is utterly obedient to the Father.

Conclusion: Christ Jesus is the good Shepherd who knows the sheep and they know Him. There is a loving intimacy between Shepherd and 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 of His voice, the way by which He leads them out to pasture, His courage in the face of danger. He is your Shepherd.

It is in that knowing love for the sheep that the Shepherd laid down His life and took it up again. The pain and joy and healing of His death and His resurrection is not for a particular flock, but is so universal and so far-reaching that other sheep will hear His voice and come. There will be one Shepherd and one flock, not many. Why not come to the Good Shepherd and let Him care for you.