Message
John 10:11
I Am The Good Shepherd
I wonder if there were days when the shepherds in first century Judea had times when they thought … “I am sick and tired of looking after these sheep.” Sheep are not the easiest animals to look after – especially for a shepherd in Jesus day.
Sheep easily get lost. The reason this happens is because they are so focussed on eating the food in front of them that they get distracted forget what is happening around them. So they just keep eating the food then – all of the sudden – the rest of the flock is gone out of sight. Additionally sheep don’t have a “homing instinct” like other animals so they are totally incapable of finding their way to their sheepfold even when it is in plain sight. The situation happened so often that Jesus was able to tell a parable involving a lost sheep – and everyone listening to the parable would be saying, “Yes I get that. I’ve seen it happen so many times.
Sheep are pretty defenceless. Yes they can use their horns to defend themselves and they do have a powerful kick, but they are no match for predators such as wolves. They have no capacity to out-run much faster animals, nor do they excel in a fight. Add to this the problem that sheep keep growing their fleece. So, if they are not shorn, the fleece just keeps getting bigger and bigger until it is so heavy they cannot move. If they are left to their own devises the sheep would be an easy target, or they would self-destruct. They need protection from themselves.
Sheep by nature are followers, which is why they have the reputation for unthinkingly following the crowd. Which is a real problem when the lead sheep, if left to it’s own, also has no idea where it is going. If the lead sheep steps off a cliff, the others will follow. If the lead sheep goes to a place of danger, the others will follow.
So – when a shepherd looks after his sheep these are some of the issues he needs to overcome. Which makes the job quite a challenge, except for one redeeming feature.
Sheep have excellent hearing. They are very good at distinguishing different pitches and volume of sounds.
With this understanding of sheep in mind let’s read John 10:1-6
Last Sunday when we were looking at Jesus being the Gate we saw that there were two types of sheep pens – the ones in the village and the ones in the open country. We saw that the pens in the village were quite large.
You would put walls between the back of houses and buildings and then have quite a robust enclosure with a gate that was used for the sheep to enter and exit. There would be multiple flocks of sheep in this pen. When it came time for the shepherd to get his flock in the morning he stand at the entrance and the shepherd would call his sheep. Only the sheep who know the call of their shepherd will respond – because they know who they have to follow. Their shepherd will lead them out.
They would follow because they were tuned into the voice.
After being taken out of their pen the shepherd would take the sheep to places of water and food. He would do this by walking ahead of the sheep and, as he walked, he would keep calling out. The sheep know the voice of the shepherd and, because they trust what they hear, they follow the voice.
If a sheep becomes distracted – the voice of the shepherd would bring them back on track.
If there was a need to protect the sheep the voice of the shepherd would call attention to the danger. Then the shepherd would defend the sheep.
If the sheep got lost, the voice of the shepherd in the distance is enough to give the lost sheep direction.
As they walked through life … every aspect of life … provision, protection; care, concern; through easy times and difficult times … as they walked through life the sheep are led by the shepherd.
The sheep would follow because they had confidence in the voice of the shepherd.
This is the powerful imagery that sits behind the “I am” passage which we are focussing on today. Let’s read John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd sacrifices Himself – He lays down his life – for the sheep. Just as the shepherd puts his life on the line so that the sheep may be saved – the Good Shepherd gives His life.
A voluntary sacrifice for our sin. A death that enables life. God in the flesh giving his life for His sheep.
This is the shepherd who is calling us to follow His voice.
The Good Shepherd is committed to the sheep. Unlike a hired help who has no personal commitment, the Good Shepherd will never abandon the flock. It is not because the hired help is a thief and a robber – it is just that the hired help would rather preserve his life than die for the sake of some sheep. So the hired help leaves the sheep when they are in their greatest need. The Good Shepherd never leaves us in our greatest need. He always protects and always cares, no matter the circumstances.
This is the shepherd who is calling us to follow His voice.
The Good Shepherd also knows the sheep. Yes the shepherd does lead them, but not like an dictator who heads off and just expects everyone to follow. When they are in the pasture he knows the ones that eat slower and need more time. He knows when they need to be shorn, and when their toes need to be clipped. He knows when they are feeling skittish or afraid. He can identify each one of them individually. Nothing is hidden from the shepherd – which means he can give the best care. And nothing is hidden from the Good Shepherd. There is nothing about us that He doesn’t know – from that which is most obvious to that with you thought you had hidden! He even knows things about you that you don’t know about yourself. Because He knows, He is able to provide for each of us individually.
This is the shepherd who is calling us to follow His voice.
The Good Shepherd is committed to expanding the flock. There are those who are part of the flock, and those who are still to become part of the flock. The Good Shepherd is not building some sort of exclusive sheep-pen – where no others are welcome. The Good Shepherd has his eyes on the sheep who have been abandoned, or lead astray by false shepherds, or destroyed and abused by the thieves and the robbers. There is always a place in the sheep-fold for those who realise how grace-filled and forgiving the Good Shepherd is.
This is the shepherd who is calling us to follow His voice.
This is the shepherd who is calling us to follow His voice. These actions of the Good Shepherd give us confidence that His voice is the One that we should follow.
So the simple question for each one of us today is this:- Are you tuned in to that voice?
It is a simple question, and it is an important question, because there are a lot of voices out there vying for your attention.
There is the voice that wants people to have nothing to do with Jesus and to get rid of Him. We hear this voice around the time of Jesus’ death.
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 5 ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or there may be a riot among the people.’
Matthew 26:3-5
They despise Jesus popularity. They are fearful of Jesus grace agenda. They are angry at the challenges Jesus makes. They aggressively want Jesus out of the way.
The voice of hate. The voice that won’t make room for faith. The voice of the thief and the robber and the hired hand.
In some countries it is a very strong voice. Here, not so much, but even in Australia this voice is growing. Jesus can’t be the only way. His sacrifice can’t be all sufficient.
In the middle of the doubts and questioning and antagonism are we still tuned into the voice of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep.
That is one voice. Another voice is the voice of inconvenience. This voice also we hear around the time of the death of Jesus.
32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means ‘the place of the skull’).
Matthew 27:32-33
Simon from Cyrene wanted to be somewhere else – he was in Jerusalem for a pilgrimage. But now, because he had to carry the cross and help Jesus and touch blood … now because of this he is unclean and can’t finish the pilgrimage. Not only that it is about 1.5k to Golgotha – carrying the heavy cross will not be easy. His holiday is ruined. It is all very inconvenient.
It is inconvenient following the Good Shepherd. He knows us – so He knows what we need to change and the secret sins we keep hidden. He knows when our faith is faltering, or when it is just a veneer.
He calls out to us to change direction when we are distracted.
He convicts us through the Scriptures when we need to repent.
We have our agenda, but He has a calling for us, and when these don’t meet there is a clash.
Obedience is inconvenient. Following the voice is not always easy when our convictions lead us to look at a different path. His plans for us can make us feel like our plans are ruined.
In the middle of the inconvenience, and temptation and pressure to compromise are we still tuned into the voice of the Good Shepherd who has brought us into the flock for a purpose.
There are so many voices. Then there is the voice of Jesus.
The Good Shepherd who lays down his life.
The Good Shepherd who never abandons.
The Good Shepherd who knows the sheep.
The Good Shepherd who keeps on the look-out for more sheep.
What does Psalm 23 say?
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil.
He leads me to quiet and guides to the right path.
Your rod and your staff they comfort me.
The Lord is my Shepherd – he is the Good Shepherd.
Crucified and dying.
What greater reason do you need to tune in to His voice … and listen?
Prayer
