Jesus, the Good Shepherd: In the third and fourth of the “I AM” statements in John’s gospel, Jesus says he is the gate or entry point into the flock of God’s people, and he is the Good Shepherd over the flock. These statements reveal much about pastoral ministry (shepherding) and God’s great heart to shepherd his people. Recorded on Dec 3, 2023, on John 10:1-21 by Pastor David Parks.
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Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
We’re working through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 10, considering two more of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the gate,” and “I am the Good Shepherd.” But for today, what does it mean for Jesus to be the gate and the Good Shepherd? But this teaching is such good news because it gets at the heart of God for us, his people. How do you think God feels about you? Have you ever thought about that? How you answer that question says a lot about who you think God is and probably how you feel about yourself. Do you think that God is pleased with you? Or is ashamed or embarrassed by you? Do you believe that God is near to you and wants to be involved in your life, or that he’s far away because he doesn’t care? Well, friends, you don’t have to wonder how God feels about you. Because God has revealed exactly how he feels about you in his word. And the dual images we have of Jesus being both the entry point into a relationship with God and of Jesus watching over us like a shepherd watching over their flock are two beautiful pictures of the heart of God for you. This passage also gives us a window into pastoral ministry. So, if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 10:1. There is so much for us here.
John 10:1–6 (NIV), “1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.” Ok, let’s pause here. So last week, we saw Jesus had healed a man who was born blind. And this was a picture of our need for spiritual sight, to see what is true/real about God, ourselves, and the world around us. This healing was subsequently investigated by the religious leaders who thought Jesus was a false teacher or had done some sort of trick. They sought to disprove or discredit this miraculous sign and even started throwing people out of the synagogue for saying that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. So we ended our passage last week with the ironic situation where a blind man could see, while the Pharisees who could see were actually blind to the truth, and Jesus said as much. Here, Jesus continues this line of thought by making a serious statement condemning their leadership. This teaching starts with “Very truly I tell you…” which in John means pay attention, this is important. If you do not enter the sheep pen by the gate, you’re a thief or robber, not a shepherd of the sheep. Remember, he’s talking to the Pharisees (religious leaders) here. Later, Jesus will move the focus to the sheep, but here he’s talking to those who are supposed to be shepherds of God’s people. Now, the idea that a shepherd represents a leader of God’s people runs throughout the Bible. Being a shepherd wasn’t particularly glamorous; it was hard work, mostly outdoors. But there were some famous shepherds in the history of Israel. Abraham, Moses, and King David were all shepherds. In Psalm 23, David says that the Lord is our shepherd. So, shepherding became a common image of leadership for ancient Israel. In fact, the word pastor comes from the Greek word for shepherd. To pastor means to shepherd. But here, Jesus says that some of those who may have the position of a shepherd or who think of themselves as shepherds are not true shepherds. And this is as true today as it was back then. But Jesus says that the sheep will not ultimately follow them because they will not recognize their voice, and they will see these false shepherds do not have a personal care/knowledge of them. When Jesus said this, the Pharisees didn’t fully understand what he was saying about them, but Jesus was making a bold statement about the quality and legitimacy of their leadership. And, of course, instead of walking this back, Jesus keeps going. We’ve seen that he never shied away from conflict when it was needed. And it’s absolutely clear throughout the Bible that God can’t stand it when his people are misled. So Jesus continues…
John 10:7-15 (NIV), “7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Let’s pause one more time. So here, Jesus makes his two more “I AM” statements: “I am the gate/door for the sheep,” and “I am the good shepherd.” First, let’s consider what Jesus means by saying that he is the gate. In this picture of sheep and shepherd, the fence or sheep pen does several things. First, it represents a boundary around the flock, a boundary defining who’s in the flock and who isn’t. But also, the fence would provide protection for the sheep, keeping thieves/predators out and away from the flock. The sheep have to come in and go out by the gate or the entry point for the safety of the sheep pen. In the third of the seven “I AM” statements, Jesus says that he is the gate. He is the entry point into the flock. In other words, in order to find life, security, and green pasture, we must go through him. But for those who enter the flock through faith in Jesus, he says you will be saved (not you might be; you will be saved). This means that Jesus is claiming to be the only way into a relationship with God and into the family/kingdom of God. Later in John’s gospel, we’ll consider the exclusivity of this claim that he is the only way. But then, Jesus adds the fourth “I AM” statement. So not only is Jesus the gate or the way in, but he’s also the good shepherd. So we keep the analogy of sheep and shepherd, but Jesus gives us another image to help us understand who he is and what he is doing in the world. Not only is he the entry point into salvation and life and all of the kingdom of God, but he’s also our shepherd/leader/the one who watches over us. Now, according to Jesus, this is what Jesus does as our shepherd: he knows us and calls us by name. He speaks to us and goes ahead of us, leading/guiding us for our good. He feeds us what we need and provides for us over and over again. He doesn’t use us but is even willing to lay down his life to protect us from the abuse of the thief or the attacks of the wolf. He will not abandon us like a hired hand who’s just doing a job and doesn’t really care for the sheep. He will be faithful to us and will defend us, for he cares for us. And this is such a compelling image of who Jesus is and what he does. If you want to highlight something in your bible, highlight verse 10. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it (abundantly) to the full.” This is so significant because this could be the mission statement for Jesus. It certainly fits with the main message of John’s gospel of finding life — real/eternal/abundant life — in Jesus’ name. This is why he came: not to steal, kill, or destroy; that is the work of the devil. Instead, Jesus came to rescue us, to save us, so that we might have life and have it to the full, even at the cost of his own life. And any true shepherd will shepherd like this.
John 10:16–21 (NIV), “16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” 19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. 20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” 21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” This is God’s word. So Jesus finishes his teaching on being the good shepherd by saying that he will bring in sheep that are not of this sheep pen into his flock. This is a reference to the inclusion of the Gentiles or non-Jewish people along with the Jewish believers into one flock with one shepherd. As Paul says, the gospel is “the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Ro 1:16). But how would this be accomplished? Jesus immediately starts talking again about his death and resurrection from the dead. He says he will lay down his life only to take it up again and that he has the authority to do so. As we’ve seen several times already, the people just didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking literally, not figuratively, because no one expected a dying messiah. So, the people were divided again. Some thought he was crazy or demon-possessed. But others thought the miracle of giving sight to the blind meant he might be who he was claiming to be, even if they didn’t fully understand the language about laying down his life only to take it up again. Of course, after the death of Jesus on the cross, for the sins of the world, and his resurrection from the dead, many people would finally be able to see, as our brother was enabled to see by Jesus last week. What does it mean to be a Christian? It doesn’t matter how you were raised or how good of a person you are. To this day, it’s the people who truly see Jesus and believe in him, and trust him with their lives who have come in through the gate, have been welcomed into the flock of God, and know/follow Jesus as the good shepherd.
But what does this mean for us today? And how might we apply these “I AM” statements to our lives? For our remaining time, I’d like to give you two thoughts, one related to how God feels about you, and the other related to being a pastor and the ministry of an under-shepherd. First, let’s consider pastoral ministry. In the OT, God’s people were led at various times by prophets, priests, kings, and judges. In the NT, the language changes to Apostles, assisted by deacons, and elders/overseers. The Twelve Apostles were chosen by Jesus to be eye witnesses of his life and ministry. After the death of Judas, they selected Matthias to replace him, and then Paul was selected to be the Apostle to the Gentiles. After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus back into heaven, the church relied on the verbal and written testimony of the Apostles, which is what we have today in the NT of the bible. As the generation of people who could be eye-witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus passed away, the leadership of God’s people moved away from the Apostles directly to the teaching of the Apostles, which was to be led by the elders or overseers in the local church. The Apostle Peter wrote about this in 1 Peter 5:1–4 (NIV), “1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” According to Peter, the elders of the church were to pastor/shepherd the people in a way that sounds a lot like Jesus describing his work as the good shepherd over and against the thieves and robbers. There should be a willingness to serve, not a compulsion. And the leadership given ought to be for the benefit of the flock, not for the benefit of the pastor. This is such a radically different view of leadership or power compared to the way of the world. There are many people today who believe that any power, whether it be by position or by influence, is inherently oppressive. But power and authority in God’s kingdom is completely upside down compared to the world. In God’s kingdom, and for God’s shepherds, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first, and power is given to serve the needs of others, not for selfish gain. Authority is not to be a tool of oppression but one of liberation/freedom, of life and peace. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, but think of the cross: the Chief Shepherd was willing to lay down his life for the sheep. Compare this to what Jesus says about illegitimate shepherds, the ones who don’t come in through the gate. These people might have the title or authority of a pastor, but according to Jesus, they are robbers and thieves. They’re only there for their personal advancement or gain. And they’ll run away at the first sign of danger or difficulty. Or worse, they’re wolves who attack and divide, who kill and destroy. Now, this is a warning for you, the flock of God. If the pastors or elders of this church ever remain in violation of these instructions from Jesus and his apostles about the nature of pastoral ministry, we need to be corrected or perhaps removed from position. No one is above accountability because the only authority church leaders have is the authority given by our Chief Shepherd. I know some of you have had experiences at other churches where a pastor said something that wounded you or used you or even abused you in some way. This is a grave sin, and you have to know that God will hold them accountable. Read Ezekiel 34. The whole thing is a blazing indictment by God of the so-called shepherds of his people. But it ends with a promise of God that he himself will be the shepherd that the people need — a promise clearly fulfilled by Jesus. And this leads me to my final thought. God cares so much for his people, for the flock of his pasture. How do you think God feels about you? The answer of the gospel, in fact, the answer of the whole Bible, is that God cares so much for you that he was willing to send his one and only Son into the world to lay down his life for you, to rescue/redeem/save you. So Jesus is both the entry point into the flock, into a relationship with God and his kingdom, and also, he is the good shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects us because of his great love for us. So today, do you hear the voice of your shepherd? Do you hear him calling you by name? Are you willing to listen to him and be led by him, even when you don’t know where he is leading or when you don’t understand why he is allowing certain things to take place in your life? Do you trust your shepherd? You can trust him. He goes out ahead of you. There is no place he will send you where he has not been first. There is no trial/temptation you might face that he hasn’t already defeated. He will not leave you nor forsake you. He will stay with you through every danger. He will defend you against every attack of the wolf. He offers you life because he was willing to lay down his life for you. Jesus is both the way in (gate) and the way forward (shepherd). He offers both protection (gate) and provision, guidance, and companionship (shepherd). Let us pray.