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INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: Sheep are familiar animals to us. Mahers, Halfertys, Wilsons resident experts in raising sheep. We did raise sheep for a
while. Most of my experience has been with dairy or beef cattle and pigs. I am glad the Lord choose to describe us as sheep, rather
than cattle or pigs. The Lord is the Shepherd not a herdsman.
Gospel of John chapter 10 is Jesus description of Himself as the good shepherd and His people as sheep who He gently cares for:
14, 11, 10, 9.
John 10 is the Jesus’ personal description that He is the shepherd of OT Psalm 23. Though a simple illustration (shepherds
and sheep), it has very significant spiritual meaning for us today.
There are several approaches I can take to unfold this text for you. One is an analytical study, but rather than preaching that, I
printed that outline on the back of your insert. For preaching I desired a more inspirational study. I have 11 different commentary
books, plus a few more on the computer.
The littlest book has the most interesting approach - The Gospel of John, by Charles Eerdman.
ILLUS: Picture in your mind, a Jewish town. Sheepfolds (pens) and shepherds who live there. Three scenes. The first in the morning
when the shepherd calls his sheep by name to gather around him vs. 1-6. The second scene is the shepherd takes them to the pastures
outside of town where they are feed by the grass, nourished by the streams of water, wander the green pastures, vs. 7-10. The third
scene they are brought back to the sheepfold for protection for the night, vs. 11-18. Let us use those scenes as the outline of our
text.
1. The Good Shepherd Calls His Sheep. vs. 1-6
- The shepherd enters the sheep fold and calls the sheep by name and they gather around Him.
- There are a lot of voices in our world calling for our attention and allegiance. Voices from religion, media,
education, government. There are people who want to come into our lives through other ways than through Christ and
steal us away.
ILLUS: Evolutionists who deny the Intelligent Designer. Socialists who believe government can take care of us.
Religionists who believe it doesn’t matter what you believe just believe - all religions lead to God.
- They are thieves by their deceit and hypocrisy, and robbers by their violence and audacity. Strangers who give strange
teachings.
- In Jesus’ day they were the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious leaders who had self-assumed authority, who
denied the authority of the true shepherd, and sought to steal away people from the true God.
- v. 6 Of course, they were clueless that Jesus was talking about them. Most Jews back then really didn’t
like those religious bullies - legalistic, hypocrites, arrogant. Not gentle or caring
- Many felt stuck with them. Under political tyranny of Rome, and religious tyranny of their own leaders. A few would
revolt, many give up, some were searching for the truth - they could find it in Jesus.
- Jesus is the true shepherd. He enters through the door of the sheepfold, front door, opens it Himself, and He calls us
by name. His people hear His voice and come to Him willingly.
- Here we can get into election and predestination. How does God know who will be saved and when does He know it? Do we
have free will? But sufficient to say, Christ calls those who are His. He knows His sheep and calls them by name, true
believers follow Him.
- When did Christ, the good shepherd call you by name? Do you remember when you were saved? Where? Who lead you to
Christ?
2. The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep. vs. 7-10
- Jesus provides communion and fellowship with Him. After He calls us He takes us out into the green pastures to find
spiritual nourishment.
- We follow Him gladly, faithfully. Psalm 23 fills in the details.
- He saves us from thieves and robbers and strangers. Thieves steal, kill and destroy. They do the devil’s work,
and the devil loves to use people to do his dirty work - even religious people.
- The thief takes, the Shepherd gives. The thief takes life, the Shepherd gives life; the thief comes to destroy,
Shepherd comes to give life abundantly.
- Is there any one word in the NT that summarizes its teachings of Jesus? I think there are really three, and the first
is - LIFE.
“These words I speak to you, they are spirit and life.” “I am the way, the truth, and the
life.” “I am the resurrection and the life.” “I have come that you may have life, and have it
abundantly.”
- The other words together are the 3 key words of John: “life, light, love”
- “life” Jesus gives us physical life, intellectual life, emotional life, moral life, family life,
spiritual life, body life. Life that is in fellowship with God, life in service to others, life in realization of self
- to be and to do fully as God has called and gifted you and me. We see God’s light clearly and experience
God’s love gratefully.
- “abundantly” = life in it fullness. Divine purpose, lived to our fullest extent by the grace of
God, in the power of God for the glory of God.
ILLUS: I enjoy reading autobiography’s and biography’s. I like to see what made great people tick. How
they lived life to the fullest. Several books on the life of Charles Spurgeon, D.L.Moody, Billy Graham, Ronald
Reagan. Just ordered brand new book Good Day!: The Paul Harvey Story by Paul Batura and forward by
Mike Huckabee. How did they live life abundantly?
- Abundant life is a life of great vitality - the power of God is made perfect in our weaknesses. It is a life of wide
interests - we can be the best citizens and world changers, all of life is sacred. It is a life of wisdom - as
disciples of Christ we can know the truth and discern right and wrong, better and best. It is a life of deep enjoyment
- Rejoice, in the Lord always, again I say “rejoice.” It is a life of eternal duration - forever
in the presence of our Creator and Savior with the saints of the ages in glory and majesty.
ILLUS: Memorial Day puts mortal life into immortal perspective. The saints live on, someday we will join them at
God’s timing - sooner than we realize.
- 1 Peter 1:8b-9 “you believe in Him, and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving
the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” NIV. The Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. v. 9
3. The Good Shepherd Sacrifices Himself for His Sheep. vs. 11-18
- We are kept safely in the fold, Jesus protects us by sacrificing Himself.
- Self-giving love. The shepherd gave His life for the sheep. John 1:29
“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”
- 5 times Jesus speaks of “I lay down My life” Voluntarily out of love.
- v. 14 Jesus knows His sheep personally. There is a personal relationship, not one based on rituals or
formalities, but on personal care.
- Divine protection. We are protected by the blood of Jesus from the power and penalty of sin, protected by the
indwelling Holy Spirit for life to its fullest in God’s eternal flock. We are protected from the wiles of the
devil, a wolf who by using hirelings to deceive and destroy us.
- v. 16 Christ has only flock, from different folds. That was a big issue with Jews. Can people beside
Jew’s know God? Ethnic diversity? Yes,
ILLUS: I have pastored Swiss, Norwegians, Germans, and now right outside of the Dutch Holy Land - we are a mixture
of sheep, but same Shepherd.
- We Gentiles are included. Our church family in Colfax is part of a huge flock, we have a lot of different sheep, but we
have One Shepherd.
CONCLUSION
Sinner, every day you live without Christ is your life is one day closer to spending eternity in hell. Jesus is calling you, are
you answering?
Psalm 100:3 “Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the
sheep of His pasture.”
Can you personally say that of yourself? I am one of His people, I am one of the sheep of His pasture?
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