THE WAY IN
John 10:1-21
S: Jesus as Shepherd
Th: The watch care of our Shepherd
Pr: WE REJOICE IN OUR SHEPHERD!
?: Why?
KW: Reasons
TS: We will find in our study of John 10:1-21 six reasons why we rejoice in Jesus our Shepherd.
The _____ reason is that Jesus…
I. CONNECTS (1-6)
II. COMPLETES (7-10)
III. COVERS (11-15)
IV. COMBINES (16)
V. CONTROLS (17-18)
VI. COMES BETWEEN (19-21)
Version: ESV
RMBC 22 June 03 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Listen (Youth or Consequences)
Youth or Consequences
Bille Strong’s four-year-old son, Jamal, spotted a cheap water pistol at the supermarket and pleaded with her to buy it. She pointed out that the gun was so flimsy it was sure to break easily, and finished up her argument by suggesting that they could find a much better one elsewhere.
Unconvinced, Jamal continued to beg and wheedle, so mom took the easy way out and bought the toy for him.
They were just getting out of the car at home when the plastic gun fell to the pavement and shattered. "See, what did I tell you?" she said, annoyed.
Jamal looked up at his mom and said, "You shouldn’t listen to me. I’m just a kid."
How are you when it comes to listening?
I know many of us probably wish we were better listeners.
Perhaps it is an area that you can improve on.
In fact, you can practice right now as we study God’s Word together.
TRANSITION:
Two weeks ago, we studied the ninth chapter of John.
1. During our last study we gave consideration to a man that recognized the voice of Jesus.
We refer to him as the man born blind.
The text tells us that Jesus saw him, rubbed mud in his eyes, and sent him to the Pool of Siloam to wash.
And the most amazing thing happens.
The man washes out the mud and he can see!
But what should be n event of joy, turns into controversy.
The Jewish leaders start questioning the man and they are not getting the answers they were looking for.
So then they go to his parents and they are fearfully defensive.
When the leaders return to this former blind man, he is clearly is up for their game and asks them if they want to believe.
This, of course, infuriated them.
They excommunicate him from the temple.
They throw him out.
It is then that Jesus returns to him and asks if he believes in the Son of Man.
The man asks Jesus to tell him who it is and he will believe.
When Jesus answers with, “You are looking at Him,” the man’s response is immediate and appropriate – he bows down and worships Him.
So not only are his eyes healed, so is His soul.
Not only does he have physical sight, he also has spiritual sight as well.
When we put our most recent study together with today’s, we discover this good news…
2. We have a Shepherd that speaks to us.
Jesus, as our Shepherd, does for us what He did for the blind man.
He knows our real and deepest needs, better than we know them ourselves.
When we acknowledge that Jesus is our Shepherd, we also acknowledge this truth about ourselves.
We recognize that we are the sheep.
And in case you didn’t know it…
3. As a matter of record, sheep are not known for their high achievement.
Sheep, by nature, are stupid.
They are utterly helpless with limited intelligence.
They are prone to get into danger with their habitual listless wandering.
They are defenseless.
One scholar has noted that they give the clearest evidence against the theory of evolution.
How would they ever survive?
Sheep need a shepherd.
And today…
4. WE REJOICE IN OUR SHEPHERD!
That which we need most, we have in Jesus.
So, as we look at our passage today, we are going to see why we can rejoice.
5. We will find in our study of John 10:1-21 six reasons why we rejoice in Jesus our Shepherd.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first reason is that Jesus CONNECTS (1-6).
Jesus connects us to Himself.
He puts us in relationship with Him.
[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. [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.
The setting for this passage is the communal corral where the sheep would be kept over night.
The corral would likely be a stone wall, up to 10 feet high.
There would be one opening that served as a door.
Shepherds would lead their sheep into the corral for their stay that night.
Then, standing guard for the night would be a professional gatekeeper.
At that one opening, he would in a real sense, become the door.
No one would get in or out except through Him.
When the night was over, the shepherd would come and calls his own sheep.
And you know what?
They would come because they recognize their shepherd’s voice and come out.
They would not come out for any other voice.
This shows us that…
1. False shepherds cannot lead sheep.
ILL Notebook: Death (not content to follow)
The following caption was found written on a gravestone...
"As I am now, you soon shall be,
So be content to follow me."
Then someone taped the following note on that gravestone...
"To follow you I’m not content,
Until I know which way you went!"
Thieves and robbers can never lead.
They have to steal.
They have to break in in order to get sheep.
There are a lot of false shepherds today.
They don’t go through Jesus.
Instead, it is their desire to exploit you.
They will take your money and weaken your faith.
They will paint rosy pictures and promise greener pastures, but what they will do is shear you and leave you bare.
They care nothing for sheep.
What they want is what they can get out of you.
So when the JWs or the Mormons come knocking on your door, or that TV evangelist makes grandiose promises about God’s blessing when you give to his ministry, they are not finding their way in by Jesus.
They are thieves.
They are false shepherds.
And they preaching a false gospel, and worship a false god.
In contrast…
2. The true shepherd relates to His sheep.
You see, the role of the shepherd is a highly personal occupation.
The real shepherd knows each individual sheep and has a name for each one.
He has a relationship with them, so when the shepherd calls, the sheep hear and they are not afraid to follow.
II. The second reason is that Jesus COMPLETES (7-10).
Jesus completes us.
He makes us whole.
[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.”
Because He was not being understood, Jesus makes a new application in this context.
He says, “I am the door.”
And by saying this, He invites people to leave the fold of the Jewish leaders and enter His flock.
Just like the former blind man, they must understand that they are being exploited and abused.
But there is good news.
When they hear His voice, they can be accepted.
But not only that.
They will find that the…
1. The true shepherd provides for our needs.
The true shepherd meets the needs of His sheep.
We are led to the comfortable pasture where we are secure.
We are fed and satisfied.
When the true shepherd provides for our needs, we can’t have it any better.
Because…
2. The true shepherd thrills us with wholeness.
When we respond to the shepherd’s voice, we are delivered safe and sound.
We are delivered from bondage and saved from a wasted life.
In turn, true freedom is ours.
We know life as it is meant to be lived.
Satisfaction and contentment are lived right now.
It is life that is full, abundant and complete.
III. The third reason is that Jesus COVERS (11-15).
Jesus protects His sheep.
He is a cover for them.
He goes above and beyond what some might consider the call of duty.
[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.”
Jesus is the good shepherd which means that…
1. Jesus is the best shepherd that there can be (Matthew 9:36).
The word “good” means that which is intrinsically good, beautiful, and fair.
As applied to Jesus, it means that He is preeminent in every way.
He is excellent in every feature.
Therefore, He is above all.
There is no comparison.
He is the standard of what shepherds are to be.
This is demonstrated in Matthew 9:36…
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus was definitely a different kind of shepherd for this audience.
He really cared.
It used to be the sheep would die for the shepherd as a part of the sacrificial system.
That was now going to change.
Now the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep.
He would be the substitute for the sheep.
He would be the sacrifice.
And His death would be sufficient for the salvation of the world and efficient for those who will believe.
But again…
2. In contrast, there were those that just did not care.
Jesus tells us that there are those that are in it only for themselves.
They are only interested in providing for themselves and protecting themselves.
The Jewish leaders had been acting just like that.
They were guilty of covetousness.
They had taken advantage of widows.
They had turned God’s temple into a den of thieves.
And to top it off, they plotted to kill Jesus.
Nevertheless, though they were plotting, it was not going to happen until the time was right.
It would happen when the Good Shepherd decided it was time to make the ultimate sacrifice.
IV. The fourth reason is that Jesus COMBINES (16).
Jesus combines us into one!
[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.”
We are united (Eph. 2:11ff.).
Note how the apostle Paul would later describe this very same thing…
[11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands — [12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…
Those that were Jewish and those that were not were being made into one flock.
Together, all those that believe, the people of God, become one body.
We are all brought together under the unity of our response of love and obedience.
And it is Jesus that brings us together.
V. The fifth reason is that Jesus CONTROLS (17-18).
ILL Notebook: Control (after national anthem)
A rookie pitcher was struggling at the mound, so the catcher walked out to have a talk with him.
"I’ve figured out your problem," he told the young southpaw. "You always seem to lose control at the same point in every game."
"When is that?" asked the kid.
"Right after the National Anthem."
Well, the issue of control is never a problem for Jesus…
[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.”
1. The true shepherd volunteered to sacrifice Himself.
When Jesus goes to the cross, it was going to look like an execution to the untrained spiritual eye.
But it would not be so, because Jesus going to the cross was a purposeful act.
He chose to die.
He could have prevented it.
He could have resisted.
So note this…
He didn’t just throw His body up there.
He felt the curse of sin.
He felt the hate.
He felt the pain of the nails.
He felt every excruciating agony that the sin of the world could put on him.
There was no detachment.
His soul felt every bit of it.
You see…
2. He was totally involved (John 19:30).
Note the testimony of John at the death of Jesus…
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John did not want us to miss this essential point.
Jesus was in control.
He proclaimed that it was finished.
And He gave up His spirit.
It was an act of total involvement, even to the point of death.
VI. The sixth reason is that Jesus COMES BETWEEN (19-21).
[19] There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. [20] Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” [21] Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
As we come to the final scene of this passage, we come to this simple fact…
The fact: A door shuts some people in and others out.
Jesus’ words, as usual are a dividing line.
And His statement of being the door came true.
Some would accept and be in.
He is the way in.
Those that did not accept His words, would be out.
APPLICATION:
So remember this…
Remember, it is not what you know, but who you know.
And rejoice in this…
Jesus is our Shepherd.
And He knows us in the most profound ways.
He knows our past with its failures and hurts.
He knows our present and our unrealized longings.
He knows our idiosyncrasies.
He knows us in the most intimate ways.
Do you recognize His voice?
Do you know His voice?
If you are His, you will.
And if you want to be His, you will.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Rejoice in our shepherd – for He desires to be in relationship with His sheep, calling us by name, inviting us to rest in His care.
Rejoice in our shepherd – for He gives us life; life that is complete, full and satisfying.
Rejoice in our shepherd – for He is in control and creates a destiny for us full of joy.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
