Jesus: The Good Shepherd (10:1-18)

Bible Passage: John 10:1-18

This passage contains two of the ‘I am’ statements where Jesus explains something of his identity. The first is that he is the gate, and the second is that he is the good shepherd. This sermon focusses on the image of Jesus as shepherd.

Shepherding as Spiritual Leadership: An analogy is frequently drawn between the way shepherds care for their sheep and the way spiritual leaders care for their people. In Jesus’ day, the spiritual leaders did not function well as shepherds. The recent context is when Jesus healed a blind man, demonstrating what it means that he is the light of the world. Not only did the authorities oppose Jesus, but they cast the blind man out of the synagogue for the testimony that he gave. They were the people who had been charged by God to protect the people, to prosper them and bring good to their lives. Yet when good arrived for this man, they persecuted him. Instead of seeking his welfare, they used him as a pawn in their own power games. Incidents like this led Jesus to denounce these false shepherds. When somebody takes the name of a shepherd but seeks to harm the sheep, they are something else: thieves and robbers. False shepherds exist. There have always been people who call themselves pastors or ministers who are seeking their own gain rather than the people’s. As Jesus speaks against them, he uses imagery that had first been introduced by Ezekiel, who addressed the false shepherds of his own day with these words: “You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them.” (Ezek. 34:4)

Jesus as Shepherd: In Ezekiel 34, the solution presented is that God himself would be the shepherd of the people. Where the leaders failed to bind up the wounded, God himself would do so. Where they failed to feed the sheep, God would feed them. Where they failed to seek the sheep that were lost, God will seek and find them and return them to the flock. God also speaks of ‘David’ who will shepherd the people. In John, Jesus doesn’t just condemn the ‘thieves and robbers’, he takes for himself the role that in Ezekiel belongs to God, that of the good shepherd. Not only is Jesus the Davidic shepherd that was promised, he is God himself, come to earth to shepherd his people. Those authorities who are harming the sheep are harming his sheep, and he is here to stop them and protect the flock himself.

Jesus as Good Shepherd: In the verses in John, Jesus outlines some of the features of his ministry that make him the good shepherd:

• His sheep know his voice – The voice of Christ is recognisable to his people. When he speaks it carries a ring of familiarity and authority that cannot be replicated as strangers speak. Jesus explains that he knows us and we know him in a way that resembles his own relationship with the Father.
• He leads his sheep into good pasture – this good pasture includes a sense of security, spacious places to dwell and good nourishment. Jesus describes the life he gives as abundant.
• He lays down his life for the sheep – Unlike the shepherds of the day who were using the sheep for their own gain, Jesus is willing to lay himself down for them. The way he leads us into abundant life is through dying on the cross. He stood between his flock and the predators of sin, death and Satan and sacrificed himself. Having laid down his life, Jesus took it up again of his own accord.
• He is bringing his people together as one flock – The teaching he gave here was spoken primarily into a Jewish context, and the Jewish people thought of themselves as God’s flock. Jesus widened their horizons, explaining that he had people outside of Israel that were his sheep too, and part of his mission was to bring them all together into the one flock made up of people from every tribe and tongue.

Potential Applications:

• There is a warning here for any with leadership responsibility. Will we lead like those leaders Jesus is teaching against here, or will we follow the example of the good shepherd?
• This is a comforting passage for those going through difficult times. Understanding the heart of Jesus as shepherd of his people makes a big difference when suffering. You could spend time praying that people would know this abundant like that he offers.
• Jesus teaching about laying down his life for the sheep gives a great opportunity to present the gospel message and invite people to receive the forgiveness of sin and eternal life that he offers through his death on the cross.