John 10:1-16 JESUS: THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Intro: "Two men were called on, in a large
classroom, to recite the Twenty-third Psalm. One was a published orator trained in speech
technique and drama. He repeated the psalm in a powerful way. When he finished, the
audience cheered and even asked for an encore that they might hear his wonderful voice
again. "Then the other man, who was much older, repeated the same words--'The Lord is
my shepherd; I shall not want...' But when he finished, no sound came from the large
class. Instead, people sat in a deep mood of devotion and prayer.
"Then the first man, the orator, stood to his feet. 'I
have a confession to make,' he said. 'The difference between what you have just heard from
my old friend, and what you heard from me is this: I know the Psalm, my friend knows the
Shepherd.'"
Of the many images painted by John in his wonderful Gospel, probably the
most descriptive is that of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. For like a shepherd, Jesus is
concerned with the welfare and the care of His sheep. As Jesus delivered this sermon, on
the heels of healing the blind man at the Temple, He clearly declares His identity and
plainly states His purposes and plans. In these verses, we can the heart of Jesus on
display. Here, He reveals His great love for sinners and His plan for dealing with their
sin.
As I bring the message this morning, I want you to ask yourself this
question, "Do I really know the Shepherd?" If you do
not know Him, then I want you to know this is a message that you need to hear. For during
the next few minutes, you are going to hear first hand, from the Bible itself, exactly how
you can be saved. My prayer for you is that if you do not know Jesus as you personal
Savior this morning that you will before you leave this building today. If you do know
Him, then you are going to hear how knowing the Shepherd makes your life more abundant and
rich.
These verses teach us that Jesus possesses certain qualities that
qualify Him to be called the Good Shepherd. I would like to take a few minutes this
morning to look into this passage and see for ourselves why Jesus deserves this title.
Please go along with me today as we walk through these verses and discover Jesus: The Good
Shepherd.
I. V. 1-5 HE POSSESSES THE RIGHT CREDENTIALS
A. V. 1-3a He Came Properly - (Ill. Jesus uses
the imagery of the sheepfold to illustrate His message. A Sheepfold was a circular wall
about 10 feet tall with a single opening that served as a door. Several flocks might be
placed into the sheepfold at night, with one of the shepherds lying in the opening to
serve as the door. Nothing could get into, or out of the sheepfold without having to go
through the shepherd. Jesus is telling His audience that only thieves and robbers seek to
enter the sheepfold by another means besides the door. The shepherd, however, always comes
in the right way!)
(Ill. Jesus proves that He is the Shepherd of the sheep because He came
into the world in the right manner. He entered according to plan. He had presented His
credentials to His people. Notice the proof that He came in the right way:
1. He had been virgin born - Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:21-23
2. He had been born in Bethlehem - Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:4-6
3. He had come in the fulness of time - Gal. 4:4
4. He had been brought out of Egypt - Hos. 11:1; Matt. 2:14-15
5. His arrival had provoked the rage of the enemy - Jer. 31:15; Matt.
2:16-18.
Ill. He was the right person, born in the right place, arriving at the
right time, summoned from the right country, and attended by the right sign. He possesses
all the credentials necessary to prove that He is the Good Shepherd! (Ill. Luke 4:18-19;
Isa. 61:1-2) When Jesus came with the right credentials, the porter, John the Baptist
openly introduced Him to the nation and declared His identity - John 1:29.
B. He Calls Properly - (Ill. There may be
several flocks sharing the same sheepfold. However, when the shepherd of the sheep walks
up to the door and calls his sheep, they instantly recognize his voice and respond to him.
They know his call.)
(Ill. A man in Australia was arrested and charged with stealing a sheep.
But he claimed emphatically that it was one of his own that had been missing for many
days. When the case went to court, the judge was puzzled, not knowing how to decide the
matter. At last he asked that the sheep be brought into the courtroom. Then he ordered the
plaintiff to step outside and call the animal. The sheep made no response except to raise
its head and look frightened.
The judge then instructed the defendant to go to the courtyard and call
the sheep. When the accused man began to make his distinctive call, the sheep bounded
toward the door. It was obvious that he recognized the familiar voice of his master.
"His sheep knows him," said the judge. "Case dismissed!")
(Ill. So it is with the lost soul. There are many voices which compete
for our attention in the world, but there is a special note to the voice of the voice of
the Lord. When He calls, everything changes - John 6:44. The lost sinners is dead until he
is awakened by the Holy Spirit - Eph. 2:1. You see, the voice of the Good Shepherd is the
only one that can awaken the dead heart. The only one that can give us hope. The only one
that sounds right to a desperate soul. Ill. All other calls sound empty and frightening
when compared to the sweet call of the Lord Jesus.)
C. V. 4-5 He Commands Properly - (Ill. When the
shepherd calls forth his sheep, he goes before them and they instinctively follow him. He
doesn't have to drive them, that is for goats. He just leads them out and they follow
close behind.)
(Ill. What a truth! When a soul is saved by the grace of God, they will
have a desire to follow the Good Shepherd! When a person is saved and their heart is right
with God, they do not have to be begged to come to worship, to tithe, to share their
faith, etc. They have been called out by the Shepherd and have a burning burden to worship
Him, 2 Cor. 5:17. Their heart's desire is summed up by 1 Cor. 10:31.)
I. He Possesses The Right Credentials
II. V. 6-10 HE POSSESSES THE RIGHT CHARACTER
A. V. 6-8 His Personality - In these verses,
Jesus reveals His identity as the Door. If you will remember, there was only one opening
going into or out of the sheepfold. It was in this opening that the shepherd lay.
Therefore, the shepherd Him self became the door of the sheep. Nothing could enter the
fold, nothing could exit the fold without going through the shepherd himself.
(Ill. If anyone desires entrance into the fold of God, there is only one
door. That door is Jesus Himself! He is the only way to God, Eph. 2:18; John 14:6; Acts
4:12. This truth is abundantly clear from 1 John 5:12. Jesus is the only way to the
Father. Any other way leads to death and damnation - Matt. 7:13-14.)
(Ill. This may seem narrow minded and out of step with our modern way of
thinking. However, it is perfectly in line with what God has said in His Word - 1 Tim.
2:5.)
B. V. 9a His Performance - Jesus plainly tells
His listeners that He alone is the door into God's eternal salvation. His promise to those
who enter is that they will be saved. That is, they will be rescued from the wrath of God
and will experience the fullness of God's perfect salvation.
(Ill. Saved = to be rescued from all harm and danger. When a sinner
comes to Jesus and is born again, they are forever delivered from the awesome wrath of
Almighty God - John 5:24; Rom. 5:9.)
(Ill. It is wonderful to be eternally saved and free from the fear of
dying lost and ending up in Hell. I am grateful for the salvation that I have in Jesus
today!)
C. V. 9b-10 His Promise - (Ill. The thief is a
threat to the sheep. When a thief enters the fold, his primary purpose is to use the sheep
for his own personal gain. He doesn't care about their welfare. The Good Shepherd, on the
other hand, comes so that the sheep might experience a life that is immeasurably better.
He cares about the sheep and He promises them a new and better life in Himself.)
(Ill. Everything changes when a person meets Jesus! When He enters into
a life, it cannot remain the same. He gives us the ability to live better, to love better
and to do something with our lives that will glorify God. Jesus makes the difference
between a life that is lived for the devil and one that is lived for the Lord - Eph.
2:1-4! Ill. "But God!)
I. He Possesses The Right Credentials
II. He Possesses The Right Character
III. V. 11-16 HE POSSESSES THE RIGHT CONCERN
A. V. 11-13 His Concern Is Proven By His Sacrifice
- (Ill. Jesus explains the difference between the concerned shepherd and the hireling. The
hireling is there only for the paycheck. When trouble comes, he runs away and leaves the
sheep to be devoured by the wolves. The shepherd, on the other hand, owns the sheep and
has a vested interested in their welfare. Therefore, the good shepherd is willing to pay
any price to protect the sheep, even if it means that he has to give His very life for
them.)
(Ill. Jesus has proven that He is the Good Shepherd because He saw the
danger that the sheep were in and did not run away, but did everything in His power to
save them. The Bible says that people are like wayward sheep, Isa. 53:6. This waywardness,
or sin, that is in us has separated us from both fellowship and relationship with God,
Isa. 59:2. Worse than this, the sin of man has brought him under the wrath of God, John
3:18; 36. This condition will eventually culminate in every lost sinner being cast into an
eternal Hell, Rom. 6:23. However, Jesus did something to change that! Since God had said
that the wages of sin was death, Jesus came down from Heaven and was born in human flesh.
Then, after a sinless life He died on a cross, taking the place of every sinner who would
put his/her faith in Him, 2 Cor. 5:21; 2 Cor. 5:15.)
(Ill. The terrible death Jesus was called upon to endure for sinners.
There is no more horrible death known to mankind than that of crucifixion, Isa. 52:14;
Psa. 22:14-22. He was beaten, mocked, spit upon, slapped, had the beard plucked from His
face, was whipped with a cat-o-nine tails, was forced to wear a crown of thorns which were
driven deep into His head by His tormentors with a staff. He endured all of this simply
because He loved you and me. Yet, beyond this, He endured the awesome wrath of Almighty
God against all sin. When Jesus was on that cross, He literally became sin and was judged
in our place. By this priceless sacrifice for the sheep, He deserves the title Good
Shepherd!)
(Ill. Some might ask, "Why did Jesus have to die?"
The answer is simple! Blood is required to redeem the soul from sin - Heb. 9:22. When
Jesus died, He shed His blood, and later, after His resurrection, He ascended into Heaven
with the blood and offered a perfect sacrifice on the mercy seat in Heaven, Heb. 9:12;
24-28; 10:12. Thank God for the Blood of Jesus! It is the sinner's only plea - 1 Pet.
1:18-19; Rev. 1:5; Rev 5:9. He had to die so that you might live!)
B. V. 14 His Concern Is Proven By His Sheep -
(Ill. Jesus speaks of the bond that exists between the shepherd and his sheep. They know
Him and will not follow another, and the shepherd knows his sheep. Ill. The
individual sheep in a flock all look alike to the untrained eye. A good shepherd, however,
can tell them apart--often because of their defects and peculiar traits. A man who was
tending a large flock explained this to a Christian friend who expressed surprise at his
familiarity with each animal. "See that sheep over there?" he asked.
"Notice how it toes in a little. The one behind it has a squint; the next one has a
patch of wool off its back; ahead is one with a distinguishing black mark, while the one
closest to us has a small piece torn out of its ear." Observing all of them, the
believer thought about Christ, the Chief Shepherd, who also knows the individual
weaknesses and failings of His flock and watches over the members with discerning love and
sympathetic understanding. With infinite concern He notes the doubts, fears, trials,
conflicts, and defeats that disturb their peace, and He swiftly comes to their aid.)
(Ill. May I remind you with morning that the Good Shepherd
knows His sheep? He knows everything there is to know about you - Matt. 10:29-31; Matt.
6:8. He knows every strength and every weakness. He knows every joy and every burden. He
knows every mountain and every valley. He knows every victory and every battle and He
stands ready to help you in your times of need, Heb. 4:15-16. He is
your Good Shepherd and He will look after you - Psa. 23:1-6) (Ill. He is still
Jehovah-Jireh - "The Lord will see to it!", Gen. 22:14.)
C. V. 15-16 He Proves His Concern By His Salvation
- (Ill. Jesus makes it plain that there will be other sheep that will come along
afterwards. These sheep can be assured of being saved just like those who were there to
hear Jesus speak. You see, He came the first time to the nation of Israel, John 1:11, but
when they rejected Him, He turned to the Gentiles. Therefore, anyone who needs salvation
can rest assured that Jesus will provide that salvation when faith is placed in Him - John
1:12.)
(Ill. When faith is placed in Jesus Christ, salvation is always the
result. This salvation is complete, Heb. 7:25; and it is eternal, vrs. 28-29. The good
news is this: Jesus died for every person in the world, including you. If you will come to
Him right now and will place your trust in Him, He will save your soul. You see, the
salvation that Jesus provides is open to all. He is still the Door and He is still the
Good Shepherd. Like the shepherd of Luke 15:4-7, He is still out on the mountains of sin
searching for those who are lost and away from the fold. All who will respond to Him in
faith will be brought into the flock and will be saved, Acts 16:31.)
Conc: There is no question that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The only
question that remains at this point in the service is this: Do you know the
Shepherd? How you answer that question determines where you can expect to
spend eternity. Your answer to that question will make all the difference between Heaven
and Hell. If you know the Shepherd, then you can rejoice in the fact that He will ever be
with you and that He will ever watch over you. If you do not know Him, then I invite you
to come to Him right now. You do not have to, nor should you want to wait. Delay is
dangerous! Come to Jesus today and He will save your soul. He will place you in the flock
of God. He will save you from the wrath of God. He will give you a new life and a new
birth. Will you come to Him?
