The Greatest Shepherd
The Life Of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: The Life of Christ.
Hope: To inspire to know one’s Savior even greater through his life here on earth.
Throughout the holy scriptures there is a continued theme that produces a “cherished mental picture” if you will and that is of a shepherd taking care of his sheep.
There is no greater comfort for any child of God then to think of God as his/her shepherd or one who seeks to protect, care for, tenderly help, and is willing to sacrifice for his sheep.
This is good considering the reality of sheep.
Sheep have poor eyesight and very little sense of direction.
They are virtually defenseless when attacked.
When terrified, they simply sit down with their legs tucked underneath themselves.
Sheep often seem silly in how they behave.
When one sheep in a field imagines something dangerous it jumps first and all the other sheep around them will jump as well.
Sheep in an unfamiliar place will not even know where the watering trough is sometimes and the shepherd has to lead them to it.
Sheep need help and it’s no wonder humanity is called sheep.
However, not all shepherds were positive for their sheep.
Of the shepherds of Isaiah’s day God said this of them in Isaiah 56:9-12…
9 All you beasts of the field, come to devour— all you beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 The dogs have a mighty appetite; they never have enough. But they are shepherds who have no understanding; they have all turned to their own way, each to his own gain, one and all. 12 “Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”
The shepherds of Jeremiah’s day were seen to be just as bad by God.
1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.
3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
It’s obvious from these two passages that God has high expectations of those that are considered “shepherds” of his people.
Hence the reason there is so much joy in Jesus proving to be “The Greatest Shepherd” and thankfully our shepherd.
With this in mind let’s examine our lesson for this morning.
I Am The Door
I Am The Door
Some Background.
Some Background.
Shepherds, from time to time would travel great distances and when this occurredsteal would need places to stay the night wherein their sheep would be protected.
These places were called “sheepfolds.”
Sheepfolds were typically large circular holding areas for sheep that were encompassed by a very large stone wall.
These could usually hold several sheep herds and the shepherds could sleep next door secure in knowing their sheep were safe for the night.
At front of the circular enclosure was a door and a doorkeeper was placed at the door for added protection.
Thieves and robbers were known to try and steal sheep from this by climbing the walls, slaughtering as many as possible before detection, and throwing the remains over the wall to their accomplice.
Thus the reason for a good “doorkeeper.”
Now this was common knowledge at the time and the reason Jesus’ discusses what he does in John 10:1-10.
Let’s read that now…
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. 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.
This leads us to Jesus’ point which is…
Jesus Is The Barrier & Opening.
Jesus Is The Barrier & Opening.
Jesus the Barrier.
Most people do not consider Jesus to be a barrier but that is exactly what he is to “most people.”
Why and how is that the case though if he loves us, his creation, so much?
Today, we hear people all the time say things like, “God loves us so much he would never keep anyone away from him.”
The reality is, he isn’t the one keeping us away, it will be his son “The Great Shepherd.”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Jesus is the door and thus barrier to most between God and the people.
Jesus will not allow the unfaithful, which includes non-Christians and wayward Christians, to be with the Father, him, or the Spirit.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Jesus the Opening.
When someone “does the will of the Father” Jesus, The Door, opens for them to have access to the Father.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
When someone “knows” Jesus, The Door, opens.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
When someone “keeps his word and does not deny his name” Jesus, The Door, stays open.
8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Summary
Summary
Our Great Shepherd is The Door between humanity and the Father.
Whether Jesus keeps the door shut or opens it up is up to us.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Jesus, in our text, continues to stress his divinity by directly pointing to himself by saying…
I Am The Good Shepherd
I Am The Good Shepherd
Jesus Laid Down His Life.
Jesus Laid Down His Life.
Jesus continues by saying in John 10:11-13…
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.
Notice here Jesus says he is willing to fight for his sheep against the dangerous wild animals of sin that seek to devour his sheep.
Because sheep are so unintelligent they are easy pickings for wild animals.
David points out some of the predictors he had to protect his sheep from in 1 Samuel 17:34-35.
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
How wonderful is it to know that our “Great Shepherd” is willing to fight for us.
He was so willing that he even laid down his life for us in the ultimate of sacrifices.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Jesus also points out that he is not a “hired-hand.”
When someone was “hired” to watch someone else sheep they simply would not be as invested in those sheep as the owner is.
In the same way a “babysitter” is not as invested in the child she is watching verse the parents.
A parent is far more likely to go into a burning house to save their child than a babysitter.
Remember the parable of the “Lost Son.”
18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
There was no way the father was going to consider the son a “hired-hand” because the father knew he was his son.
Thanks be to God that our Great Shepherd is willing to “pull the beard of the lion” to keep his sheep, “us,” from the sinful predictors that seek to devour us.
This is made possible for only one reason which is…
Jesus’ Sheep Know Him.
Jesus’ Sheep Know Him.
Sheep will not follow just anyone where ever someone might want to lead them.
Know, they listen to their shepherd and his voice only.
During World War 1, a group of hungry Turkish soldiers stationed near Israel came upon a flock of sheep. They began driving the sheep toward their camp, thinking this would be an easy feast. The shepherd of the sheep, who had no weapon that would help, quickly ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction, across a deep ravine and up on the top of a nearby hill. He then cupped his hands around his mouth and began calling his sheep as he done their whole lives. The sheep immediately turned and ran the direction of the shepherd. The soldiers were could do nothing to redirect the sheep back as long as their shepherd called them. 1
Jesus, our Great Shepherd, knows us better than we even know ourselves.
After all Jesus created us.
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
We were created for Jesus as well.
16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
This means, we can trust our Great Shepherd.
We trust him by listening to him.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
We trust him by following his path that is lit by him for us.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Summary
Summary
So because Jesus is our “Great Shepherd,” who laid down his life for us, why would we want to follow any other shepherd out there but him?
Our Great Shepherd’s commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).
Our Great Shepherd’s yoke is easy (Matthew 11:28-30).
Our Great Shepherd will never separate himself from us (Romans 8:38-39).
So, why would we follow any other shepherd?
Conclusion
Conclusion
There have been so many sheep led astray from shepherds like that of Isaiah and Jeremiah’s day.
But if we focus on the “chief Shepherd” and follow him we will receive the unfading crown of glory.
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Endnotes
Endnotes
Friedrich Hauck, “paroimia,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Friedrich, trans. and ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1967), 5:856.