The Good Shepherd

Text: John 10:1-21

I.          The beginning of chapter 10 is a continuation of the answer Jesus made to the Pharisee’s question in John 9:40

             A.         The question was, “Are we blind?”

             B.         Jesus uses the illustration of a sheep stockade.

                          1.          The owner of a flock of sheep has no need to enter the stockade, but through its one entrance.

                          2.          Anyone attempting to enter by any other means is immediately showing himself to be a thief

                          3.          The doorkeeper recognizes the shepherd’s voice and lets him in.

                          4.          The sheep recognizes the shepherd’s voice and willingly follows him.

                                       a.          The shepherd knows all his sheep by name.

                                       b.          If anyone else tries to lure the sheep, they will not follow, but will scatter.

             C.         John comments that the Pharisees hearing this illustration did not grasp its meaning.

                          1.          What do you think it means?

                          2.          Who are the thieves?

                                       a.          It appears that Jesus is calling the Pharisees thieves.

II.         Jesus is the door

             A.         Jesus is the one true and proper way to enter into the church - Matthew 7:13-14

             B.         He protects his people from those who seek to destroy them - Matthew 7:15-16

                          1.          We can recognize the destroyers by their behavior. They refuse to go through Jesus.

                          2.          They refuse to follow and obey the teachings of Jesus - John 14:15

             C.         Jesus is implying that these Pharisees are the thief who wants the sheep, but refuses to go through Jesus - Romans 10:1-4

III.        Jesus is the shepherd

             A.         A thief doesn’t care about the damage that he causes.

             B.         Even a hired hand is not as careful with someone else’s property.

                          1.          He will run at any sign of danger

             C.         The shepherd truly cares about his flock

                          1.          The sheep know their shepherd and the shepherd knows his sheep.

                                       a.          The call of the gospel goes out, but why doesn’t everyone respond to the call?

                                       b.          Not all are interested in following the Christ

                          2.          Jesus is willing to lay his life down for the sake of his sheep.

             D.         Jesus tells the Jews that he has other sheep that are not apart of the nation of Israel.

                          1.          Eventually, they too will respond to the call.

                          2.          They will become one flock - Galatians 3:26-28

                          3.          That joining will require a death - Ephesians 2:12-17

             E.         Because Jesus was willing to die for the people of God, God is well pleased with his Son - Hebrews 5:7-9

                          1.          Because He is laying down his life on his own authority, he has also been granted the authority to take it back up again.

IV.       This last statement causes a good deal of discussion among the Jews

             A.         A person volunteering to die they could understand, but a person claiming the right to return from death because he says God gave him the right to do so?

             B.         Many conclude that the man is insane – he is a nut!

             C.         Others point out that his words are too well reasoned to be called the words of an insane man.

                          1.          Besides, how could a demon-possessed man open the eyes of a blind man?

                          2.          Satan is able to deceive, but he is unable to do a true miracle.