Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:22-31

“I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 34:22–31, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 10:22-30

“At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and 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 hand. I and the Father are one.’” (John 10:22–30, ESV)

Introduction

That Jesus was and is the eternal Son of God come in the flesh is something that all Christians believe. And that he came to deal with the problem of sin and death is also something that all Christians agree upon – he lived his life in full and perfect obedience to the law of God, and yet he died the death of a sinner in order to pay the price for sins – he atoned for sin – he appeased the wrath of God – he defeated sin and death for us. All true Christians believe these things.

But there exists is a significant disagreement over the question, who did Jesus come to save, exactly? Who did he come to rescue? Who’s sins did he come to die for?

Some see it this way: Jesus, the eternal Son of God, came to make salvation possible for all. He lived and died and rose again for all people. When he paid the price for sins, he paid for all sins – every sin that has ever been committed in the history of the world. When he bore the wrath of God, he stood in everyones place. But it is only those who choose to believe who benefit from the redemption accomplished by Christ for all people everywhere.

In this view, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirt had every person who has lived in mind when the Christ was sent to hang on that cross. Jesus took upon himself the sins of all people without exception, and paid for them in full, saying, “It is finished”.  And now God, having accomplished salvation for all through the cross of Christ, applies the benefits of that salvation to the ones who choose to believe in the Son. This is how many Christians in our day picture salvation working.

But there is, as you know, another way of seeing things. There are others who believe that Jesus, the eternal Son of God, came to accomplish salvation for some. He did not merely make salvation possible. He actually accomplished it – he earned it, completed it, and finished it.  And he did not do it for all – leaving it ultimately up to the individual to believe or disbelieve – he came to accomplish salvation for a particular people in order to give those particular people eternal life.

In this view God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirt had particular people in mind when the Christ was sent to hang on that cross. Jesus took upon himself the sins of those people, and paid for them in full, saying, “It is finished”. And now God, having accomplished salvation for them through the cross of Christ, is active in bringing those particular people to salvation through faith in Christ, by the proclamation of the gospel, and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit.

This second view is our view.

I hold to this second view (what has come to be known as the Reformed position, or the Calvinistic position) because I believe it is what the scriptures clearly teach. I would not hold this view if unaided human reason were my final authority for truth. And I would not hold this view if my emotions were my final authority for truth. It is because the Holy Scriptures are my final authority for truth (and I believe that they abundantly clear on this point) that I am moved to view Christ’s atoning work in this way.

Jesus came in order to save those who are his. He came to save those who were given to him by the Father in eternity past. These were chosen, elected, predestined by God the Father and they were given to the Son so that he would save them by dying for their sins. They were chosen, mind you, not because of anything deserving in them – not because of any good or redeeming quality foreseen by God within them – but by pure unconditional, unmerited, undeserved grace. These are the ones that the Good Shepherd has laid down is his life for.

Truthfully, there are very many passages of scripture that we could point to to prove these things. But I really cannot think of a book in the Bible that presents these truths more consistently, more clearly, and more powerfully than the Gospel of John. And it here in chapter 10 that these truths are brought to the forefront.

The Gospel of John reveals that some people have been given to the Son by the Father from before creation.

First of all, notice how the Gospel of John reveals, time and again, that some people have been given to the Son by the Father from before creation.

This is most clear in the prayer of Jesus found in John 17.

Verses 1-3:

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1–3, ESV)

In verse 6 Jesus says,  “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” (John 17:6, ESV)

In verse 9 Jesus says, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9, ESV)

This same truth – the truth that some have been given to the Son by the Father from before creation – is also clearly articulated here in John 10. Jesus uses the image of a sheepfold to communicate this truth to us. He is the Good Shepherd, and he is also the door of the sheep. The sheepfold contains many sheep – at first we are only told of one sheepfold which represents all of the people of Israel – later we are told of another sheepfold, representing all of the peoples of the earth. Both sheepfolds house sheep – some who belong to the Good Shepherd, and some who do not. Jesus the Good Shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. He calls them by name and they recognize his voice and follow him. All of this was clearly set forth in verses 1-21of chapter 10.

The teaching is clear. A distinction is made between sheep and sheep – some belong to the Good Shepherd and others do not. The sheep who belong to the Good Shepherd represent the elect. They represent those who were given to the Son by the Father in eternity past. These sheep represent the same people that Jesus would later pray for in his high priestly prayer, saying, “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9, ESV)

This is the doctrine of unconditional election.

The Gospel of John reveals that those not given to the Son by the Father are unable to believe. 

Secondly, notice how the Gospel of John reveals that those not given to the Son by the Father are unable to believe.

This truth is stated in a number of places in John, but we will limit our attention to the passage before us here in John 10:22-30, since it is at the heart of the text.

Notice that we have now experienced a change of scenery in John’s Gospel. From the beginning of chapter 7 all the way to 10:21 we hear about Jesus’ activities in and around the temple in Jerusalem during the Feast of Booths. Now we read in verse 22, “At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.” (John 10:22–23, ESV)

The Feast of Dedication was not a feast instituted by God and recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures. It began in 167 B.C. The Syrian leader Antiochus Epiphanes had overrun Jerusalem. He had polluted the temple by setting up a pagan altar to displace the altar of Israel’s God. Israel suffered for a time under the oppression of Antiochus until many of the Jews began to revolt. They eventually developed the fine art of guerrilla warfare and grew strong enough to overthrow their oppressor. This all happened under the leadership of Judas Maccabaeus (Judas the Hammer). They eventually recaptured the temple and reconsecrated it to God on 25 Kislev (the lunar month that approximately coincides with December), 164 B.C. The people celebrated the rededication of the temple for eight days, and it was decreed that a similar eight-day Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) should be held every year, beginning on 25 Kislev (cf. 1 Macc. 4:36–59; 2 Macc. 1:9, 18; 10:1–8).

Jesus was in Jerusalem for this feast and was walking in the colonnade of Solomon (also called Solomon’s Porch), which was a covered patio located to the east of the temple serving as boundary to the temple platform. Interestingly we hear of this place again in the book of Acts because the early Christians would gather there to preach the gospel. Peter and John would heal a man in this same location.

But it was here under the colonnade of Solomon that (verse 24)  the “Jews gathered around [Jesus] and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’” (John 10:24, ESV)

It is interesting that Jesus rarely, if ever, spoke before the religious leaders of the Jews in an explicate or direct way concerning his being the Christ – the Messiah of Israel. He spoke with the woman at the well directly, saying, “I who speak to you am he”(John 4:26, ESV), but his answers were always less direct – more elaborate and involved – when he spoke with the Jews in general, and especially with the religious leaders. The reason is simple. People had in their minds all kinds of expectations concerning what the Messiah would be like. If when asked, are you the Christ?, Jesus simply said, yes!, he would have been saying yes to all that was in their minds, and not necessarily the truth. So although he never said yes, in a direct or explicit way, he had already said yes dozens of times before in other ways.

They wanted a simple yes or no. But Jesus responds to them saying,  “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me…” (John 10:25, ESV) I’ve already told you, he says. I’ve told you in word, and I’ve shown you by my deeds. Jesus was always pointing to the miracles that the he preformed as proof that he was indeed the Christ. But they did not believe.

But I want you to notice something very significant. Jesus reveals here in verse 26 why it was that these men did not believe. He said to them, “you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.” (John 10:26, ESV) The Arminian, or the anti-Calvinist – whatever you want to call them – turns this statement on its head. They insist that a person is free to believe if he so choose; and that a person is made into one of Christ’s sheep because they choose to believe. But Jesus says exactly the opposite. You do not become a sheep of the Good Shepherd’s the moment that you believe. No, you believe because you are one of Christ’s sheep. Those who are not Christ’s sheep – not one of the elect – are not able to believe. Christ does not know them, and they do not know Christ They do not hear his voice. They do not follow his voice. Why? Because they were not among those given by the Father to the Son in eternity past. “You do not believe because you are not among my sheep”, Jesus says.

This is the doctrine of total depravity, or total inability.

The Gospel of John reveals that those given to the Son by the Father will certainly believe.

Thirdly, notice how the Gospel of John reveals that those given to the Son by the Father will certainly believe.

Listen to John 6:35:

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.’” (John 6:35–37, ESV)

Notice the same teaching in 10:27 when Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” This is in contrast to what Jesus said to the non-believing Jews. They did not believe because they were not Christ’s sheep, but those who are Christ’s sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd; he knows them; and they follow him.

This is the doctrine of irresistible grace, or effectual calling.

The Gospel of John reveals that those given to the Son by the Father will never be lost.

Fourthly, notice how the Gospel of John reveals that those given to the Son by the Father will never be lost.

In verse 27 Jesus says,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and 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 hand.” (John 10:27–29, ESV)

I cannot think of a more clear statement in scripture concerning the security of the believer.  There are other clear statements indeed, but this is rather powerful. The teaching is this: If a person has been set apart by the electing purposes of God Father, and that persons sins have been paid for by the death of the Son, and if that person has been brought to faith in the Son through the effectual calling of the Holy Spirit, then that person cannot be lost. He cannot be lost because he has been saved, not on the basis of something within himself, but by God. God has saved him through Christ and by the Spirit. Christ holds his sheep in his hand. More than that, the Father holds those who are his in his hand. Who could possibly snatch them away?

Christians struggle with this concept because they have seen some who profess to believe in Christ for a time and then walk away from Christ in the end. It can be difficult to know how to explain that phenomenon. The Biblical way to talk about that is to say that though they claimed to know Christ, they in fact never knew him. This is what John himself says in his epistle: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:19, ESV)

What we see here in John10:27-29 is the doctrine of the preservation of the saints. Those who truly belong to Christ will persevere to the end. Better yet, they will be preserved until the end, being kept by the Father and the Son.

The Gospel of John reveals that those given to the Son by the Father are the ones for whom Christ died.

Fifthly, notice how the Gospel of John reveals that those given to the Son by the Father are the ones for whom Christ died.

Let us look back into chapter 10 for a moment. Jesus says in verse 11,

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, ESV) Also look at verse 14: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14–15, ESV)

So for whom did Christ die, according to John? He died for his sheep. He died for the ones given to him by the Father. These are the ones that he laid his life down for. He payed for their sins and gives them eternal life.

Look also at 10:30. Jesus concluded this entire conversation with the unbelieving Jews by saying,  “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30, ESV) We will look more closely at this well known and often quoted text next week as we pick up with verse 30 and move on. This verse is most often used as a proof that Jesus was divine. “I and the Father are one” is taken to mean, I am divine just as the Father is divine. Truthfully, I do not think that this is the most accurate understanding of Jesus words here. There are other texts in scripture – other texts in John – that clearly refer to Jesus’ deity. The context here seems to be more about the unity of purpose that the Son has with the Father. I’m not saying that this verse has nothing to do with Jesus deity. I’m only saying that the statement, “I and the Father are one” has more to do with the unity of purpose, or the unity of mission shared between the Father and Son. There will be more on that next week.

What I want you to see today is that Jesus claimed to be one with the Father. He was perfectly in sync with the Father. They were about the same purpose – the same mission. The Father decreed in eternity past to send the Son into the world to save the elect, and it was the elect that Jesus came to save. He knows his sheep and he calls his sheep. He died for his sheep in order to give his sheep eternal life. He gives them eternal life and he holds on to them. Jesus keeps his sheep by holding them in his hand. And the Father also holds them in his hand, the end result being that no one is able to snatch them away.

This oneness that exists between the Father and Son supports the doctrine of limited atonement.

Not only do the scriptures explicitly say that Jesus came to lay down his life for the sheep, they also say that there exists a unity between the Father and Son. The Father’s purposes are the Son’s purposes. The Father’s mission, is the Son’s mission. If the Father sent the Son into the world to save those whom he had given to the Son (the elect), then it should be no surprise to us that the Son came to lay down his life for them. He came to pay for their sins. He came to earn salvation for them. And is it they that he draws to himself by calling them by name. They are at the ones who follow the Good Shepherd because they are his, having been set apart from all eternity.

Application 

Have you ever wondered why it is that God has chosen to reveal these difficult things to us in his word. He could have left it unstated. He could have relegated this to the realm of mystery. But he did not. He speaks plainly concerning these things in his word. Why?

The reason is that these truths, when rightly understood, have a significant impact upon the people of God. These truths transform.

First of all, these truths are the ground out which true humility springs. If I were to ask you, why are you in Christ? Why are you a part of his flock? Why is he your shepherd? The answer must ultimately be, because God has been gracious to me.

Secondly, these truths are the firm foundation of our assurance in Christ. If you Christ’s then you you will be Christ’s to the end because he holds on to you! This does not do away with the need for exhortation or effort. It is good for us to say to one another, hold on to Christ until the end! But we hold on to Christ – we strive after him, and labor in our obedience to him – knowing that he is the one who holds on to us!

Thirdly, these truths provide a firm footing that we might have confidence in evangelism. It is because of these truths that we are able to confidently proclaim, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV) We offer the gospel freely to all who will hear knowing that the Good Shepherd will draw his sheep to himself in his time and in his way.

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-24

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 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. 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. 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. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 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. As for you, my flock,’ thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?’ Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: ‘Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.’” (Ezekiel 34:11–24, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 10:1-21

“‘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. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 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. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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.’ There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, ‘He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?’ Others said, ‘These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’” (John 10:1–21, ESV)

Introduction

It would be good for us to start by noticing – or for those who were here last Sunday,  remembering – that there are two “I am” sayings of Jesus found in this text.

In the first Jesus reveals himself as the door, saying,  in verse 7, “I am the door of the sheep”. This is the image that we fixed our attention upon last week. Jesus is the door. He is the only way to salvation. True shepherds enter by the door and lead the sheep through the door, who is Christ. False shepherds are identifiable by the fact that they refuse to enter by the door themselves. They climb into the sheepfold by some other way; they lead the sheep by some other way. They care nothing for the sheep. They are only concerned to benefit from their wool and meat and fat. All of this (and more) we considered last week.

Today we will turn our attention to the second “I am” saying of Jesus found within this figure of speech. Jesus not only identifies himself as the door of the sheep, he also identifies himself with the shepherd of the sheep, saying in verse 11, “I am the good shepherd”.  This is certainly a most comforting thought to the people of God – Christ Jesus is our good shepherd. The question we will eventually ask is, what makes the good shepherd so good?

But before we do that I think it would be wise for us to look in upon a theme that runs in the background of this text. It’s true that Jesus Christ is the main focus of this text – he is the door and the good shepherd – this whole saying is meant to reveal truth concerning who Jesus is. But notice that something is revealed concerning who we are. We are likened to sheep.

The image is a powerful one, isn’t it? The image is used in other portions of scripture too. When we, as the people of God, are compared to sheep the implication is that we are needy creatures. Of all the beasts of the field sheep seem to me to be the most needy. They need a shepherd. They need a shepherd to guide them, to lead them, and to feed them. They need a shepherd to protect them from harm. They need a shepherd to train and discipline them, and to bind up their wounds. Sheep are needy animals. They need a shepherd; they need the flock.

As it is with sheep, so it is with us. We like to think that we are independent, and self-sufficient – fine on our own. But the scriptures reveal time and again that we were designed to live in community, in the midst of a flock. More than that, we were created to live under the perpetual care of our creator, the shepherd of our souls.

Christ Jesus is the good shepherd. When he called himself that he was claiming to be the fulfillment of what was promised in Ezekiel 34:15, which say,

“‘I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down,’ declares the Lord God. ‘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.’” (Ezekiel 34:15–16, ESV)

Jesus is the fulfillment of these promises of God. He is the good shepherd.

But the question may be asked, what makes the good shepherd so good? Certainly many things could be said about the goodness of our Savior, but I see I four examples of his goodness in this passage.

I. Christ is the good shepherd because he leads his sheep in the way of truth.

First of all, see that Christ is the good shepherd because he leads his sheep in the way of truth.

This is a bit of a reiteration of what was said last week, but it needs to be said again as we focus in upon Christ as the good shepherd. The test for whether a shepherd of God’s people is good or bad, true or false, is this: do they lead the sheep through the door, who represents Christ? Do they lead the people in the way of truth?

This test could be applied to the shepherds of Israel under the Old Covenant – the prophets, priests, and kings. There is a reason why David is considered the greatest of all the kings of Israel. He, as Israel’s shepherd king, led the people to God through Christ. There is reason why, when we think of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel we think of men who shepherded the people of God well. They faithfully lead Israel to God through the Christ. And their is a reason why when we think of Melchizedek we think of a faithful priest. He mediated between the people of God and the Most High through the Christ.

You may be thinking to yourself, this is a really strange way to talk about David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Melchizedek given that all of these men lived before Christ came! Perhaps your thinking, how can you say these led people to God through the Christ when the Christ had not yet come! 

Brothers and sisters, if this is your thought then may I encourage you to read your Bibles more often and more carefully! Read the Old Testament and see the way that Adam and Abraham, Melchizedek and Moses, David and Isaiah approached God with the confidence fixed – not in themselves, not in the law – but in the Christ – the Messiah –  who would one day come. Read the Pentateuch and see Christ there. Read the Psalms and behold the Christ. Read the prophets and see the Christ faithful proclaimed. The Old Covenant saints were saved by grace alone through faith alone just as we are. They were made righteous before God as they trusted in the finished work of the Christ. They looked forward to his coming – we look back upon it. The good shepherds who labored under the Old Covenant entered through Christ, the door of the sheepfold, themselves, and they faithfully led the people of God through the door. They are therefore rightly considered to have been good and faithful shepherds.

The same standard should apply today. When we judge the goodness of one of Christ’s under shepherds – those pastors and elders who serve in Christ’s church – the first question that should be asked is does the man know Christ? And does he faithfully lead the people to Christ, proclaiming all of his words? A good and faithful shepherd will always be found leading the flock of God through the one door of the sheepfold, who is Christ.

The fascinating thing about this figure of speech is that Jesus is both the door of the sheep and he is the good shepherd. And what is it that makes him good? Well, for one, he leads his flock, as the chief shepherd, through the door of sheepfold, who is in fact himself. Jesus Christ was and is the good shepherd because he faithfully leads the people of God to God, through the Messiah, the Savior. And he is the Messiah. He is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him].” (John 14:6, ESV) He is “the light of the world. Whoever follows [him] will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV)

We are to call Christ the good shepherd because he leads his sheep in the way of truth.

And life is so good when we walk according to the truth. Have you noticed this? Have you noticed how good and joyous and full life is when we walk according to the truth of Christ? Or perhaps you have learned this same principle, but in a negative way. Perhaps you have you learned of how good God’s ways are by walking away from him for a time. You, like the prodigal son, have been reminded of the goodness of God by wandering away from the Lord. And having wandered far from God, you have discovered the emptiness of the things of this world and you have been reminded of the goodness of God.

It is so good to have Christ. It is so good to follow him and to walk in his paths. It is so good to see believe in him, to see the world as he sees it, and to live in obedience to his commands. When we walk with Christ we experience, what Jesus here calls, abundant life – a life that is rich and full and overflowing. We feast upon green pastures (vs. 9)

Christ is the good shepherd because he leads his sheep in the way of truth.

II. Christ is the good shepherd because he protects his sheep from harm, even to the point of death.

Secondly, see that Christ is the good shepherd because he protects his sheep from harm, even to the point of death.
Notice the recurring theme in verses 11-18.

Verse 11: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

A shepherd that is good will certainly be willing to suffer harm, even death, if that is what it takes to protect the sheep.

Verses 12 & 13: “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. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”

I think we would all admit that it would take a good deal of resolve, courage, and gumption to see a bear or a pack of wolves coming towards the flock and to run towards the threat instead of away from it. If a person does not own the flock – if he has no vested interest in the flock – if he does not love the sheep of the flock, nor the owner of the flock – he will not stand against the threat. A hired hand tends the sheep for a daily wage. He is interested only in the money. He does not care for the sheep. And so it is no wonder that he flees from anything that threatens his life. He has nothing motivating him to stay.

But Christ is the good shepherd. He is ready and willing to lay down his life for his sheep.

But there is something that separates Jesus from common shepherds of sheep. Shepherds of sheep may be willing to die for their flock, but they intend to stay alive, don’t they? In fact it is in the flocks best interest that they do stay alive! For who will protect them if the shepherd is overcome? Not so with Christ. He came in order to die for his flock. To die was the purpose for which he came. And his death would be for the greatest good of his flock. For in the moment he died and rose again the threat of the enemy would be neutralized. The enemy would not be left to ravage the sheep because the Christ had died. Quite the opposite! The evil one would be defeated through the death of the good shepherd.

This is what verses 17 – 19 speak of:

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 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…”

The Father sent the Son to die for his flock;  and the Son came to willingly laid down his life for his flock. It may sound strange for Christ to say, “No one takes [my life] from me.” As we consider the rest of John it will seem as if people took Jesus’ life from him. But the point is that all that happened to Jesus – the false accusations, the false trial, the brutal treatment, and ultimately his crucifixion – was according to the will of the Father and the Son. In other words, things were not out of control. Jesus maintained his authority through it all.

We are to call Christ the good shepherd because he protects his sheep from harm, even to the point of death. He has earned salvation for his sheep through his death and resurrection.

III. Christ is the good shepherd because he knows and loves his sheep, and his sheep know and love him.

Thirdly, see that Christ is the good shepherd because he knows and loves his sheep, and his sheep know and love him.

Verse 14: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…”

Remember what has already been said earlier in this passage. There are many sheep in the sheepfold. Some belong to the good shepherd, some do not. Those who belong to the good shepherd know the voice of the good shepherd and follow him. This distinction between sheep and sheep represents the distinction between the elect and non-elect. He were are simply told that the good shepherd knows his own, and his own know him. The good shepherd knows particular sheep and those particular sheep know him.

But what is the nature of this knowledge? Does Christ simply know about his own? No, far from it! Verse 15 reveals to us the kind of knowledge that he has of his particular sheep, and the knowledge they have of him.  Verse 15 says, “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father…”

In other words, the good shepherd knows his sheep and his sheep know him in the same way that the Father knows the Son and the Son the Father. This is more than mere informational knowledge. It is intimate knowledge – relational knowledge.

Think of the love that exists in the Godhead. Think of the love that exists in the one true God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we say that God is love, we are, first of all, saying that he is love to the fullest – he is love in the most pure and perfect sense. We are mistaken when take the truth that God is love to mean that he is somehow obligated to show mercy and grace all equally and without exception. No! God is love in and of himself. His perfect love is perfectly contained and perfectly displayed within the Godhead himself – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

The Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father.  The principle being communicated here is that Jesus, the good shepherd, knows those people who belong to him – the elect – in the same way that Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father.  He knows them and love them with a saving love. Those who are united to Christ by faith have come to share in the perfect love that exists eternally between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Notice verse 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.”

Up to this point all of the sheep of the sheepfold seem to represent all of the people of Israel. Not all who are of Israel belong to the good shepherd – that seems to be the point. There were and are elect and non-elect peoples from amongst the Jewish people. Now Jesus refers to other sheep not of this fold. This is a clear reference to the elect from amongst the gentiles. So there are two sheepfolds. One represents Israel, the other the gentiles. And there are some from within each – the Jews and gentiles – who belong to Christ, the good shepherd. He calls them by name, they here his voice, and follow him. He knows them just as the Father knows the Son.

The end result is that there is “one flock, one shepherd.”  The text is clear. There is one people of God – they are the elect from all the peoples of the earth. There is also one shepherd – there is only one way of salvation for all people in all times. All who have ever been saved, or who will ever be saved, will be saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus the Christ, the good shepherd, the door of the sheep.

When I consider all that is said here in John 10 I can’t help but think of Jesus’ prayer in John 17. What is taught here in this text through this figure of speech is communicated again in the form of a heart felt prayer in John 17. Please listen to it. Jesus prayed,

“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17, ESV)

Conclusion

Do you see the love of the good shepherd for you? Do you love the good shepherd? Would you draw near to him that he might lead you and feed you, protect you, and that you might know him more dearly?