John 21 - FINALLY A GOOD SHEPHERD
FINALLY A GOOD SHEPHERD
#21
John 10:1-19
10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. 20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
He Knows the Sheep by Name
Jesus just healed a blind man. Unsurprisingly to the reader of John, the reaction to this amazing moment was not great. In fact, a division arose in the crowds concerning Jesus (John 9:19). There seems to be a pattern here. While some couldn't deny the signs, many of the Pharisees did not believe in Jesus. They kicked the blind man out of the synagogue.
They are seeing the works of God before their very eyes, but they are blind to it. Jesus even says this is why He came, so the blind could have sight but the Pharisees become blind: "that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind" (John 9:39). It is these blind ones Jesus is talking to when John 10 begins.
Jesus makes a contrast between different kinds of leaders. There are some who try to lead sheep without knowing the sheep. Some are thieves and robbers who try to break in and steal the sheep (John 10:1).
And some are strangers who the sheep simply will not follow (John 10:5). Then there is the shepherd--the leader who goes through the door, calls the sheep by name, and leads them out. The sheep follow this shepherd because they know his voice. And he knows his sheep. He knows them by name.
Who are you most likely to follow? The leader you've never met? The one who doesn't even know your name? Or the leader who knows you and cares for you? I think this passage serves as a wonderful reminder to those desiring to be leaders and shepherds. Know and love people.
The Pharisees just threw a man out of a synagogue because Jesus healed him (John 9:30-34). That isn't leadership. They are no shepherds. They try to lead God's people, but they are not going through the door. They try to lead God's people but are unwilling to know God's people. They themselves are blind to the things of God.
Good shepherds and leaders enter through the door. They lead the sheep through the door, and because of their relationship with the sheep, the sheep know and follow them. If the shepherds are not intentionally leading, encouraging, teaching, and guided the church toward Christ, they are failing at their God-given call.
Shepherds, if the church does not feel comfortable going to you with struggles and questions, something is terribly off. Shepherds, if you are better at kicking people out of the synagogue than leading them through sin, darkness, and danger to the arms of the Savior, you have devastatingly missed the mark. Shepherds, know your sheep, be available, communicate, and love. Shepherds, enter through the Door.
I Am The Door
But what does it mean to enter through the door? What door? In one of those famous "I Am" statements, Jesus declares, "I Am the door of the sheep" and "I Am the door" (John 10:7, 9).
A converging of ideas takes place in this passage. On the one hand, the Pharisees, who are supposed to be leaders and shepherds of God's people, are pitiful shepherds. They won't go to the sheep through the door because they reject the Door. Jesus is the way to lead God's people. All spiritual leaders who try to lead without Jesus are thieves and robbers of God's sheep. They are stealing sheep from God. They break in and take the sheep by force.
The only way God wants shepherds to reach His sheep is through Jesus. This lesson is both for shepherds and the sheep. If you want to be God's sheep, you need to enter through the Door. Through Jesus. That is where salvation is found (John 10:9). Both sheep and shepherds must meet through Jesus.
Those shepherds who try to lead while bypassing Jesus, like the blind Pharisees He is talking to, have actually only come "to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10).
They are stealing God's sheep and leading them towards death and destruction, away from eternal life provided through Jesus. Jesus brings life, and Jesus is life (John 11:25; 14:6). This is not some vague, ethereal life for some unknown future day. This is life right now. Jesus is bringing life abundantly, but you must walk through the Door to experience it.
I Am the Good Shepherd
Jesus has just contrasted robbers, thieves, and strangers with the shepherd. The shepherd enters to lead the sheep through Him. As the illustration continues, Jesus switches His role in the metaphor. He was the Door through which shepherds and sheep met. Now He takes up the role of the Shepherd Himself: not just any shepherd but the Good Shepherd. Not every shepherd is good. If you are going to lead God's flock, Jesus is your example of what a good shepherd is all about. He also adds another contrast between the Good Shepherd and the hired hands. Hired hands don't really care for the sheep but are paid to do a job.
What separates the Good Shepherd from the hired hands? The wolf. When the wolf comes, hired hands flee, but the Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The true difference is not just what they do when adversity comes but the reason they do it. The hired hand flees because he "is not concerned about the sheep" (John 10:13). The Good Shepherd stays and lays down His life because "I know My own and My own know Me" (John 10:13-15). He actually knows and loves His sheep. He knows them by name.
The cross was not just about some job Jesus was paid to do. The cross wasn't about bravery or what Jesus was forced to do. It wasn't about what man did to Jesus but what Jesus did for man. "I lay down My life ... No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again" (John 10:17-18). Jesus could have avoided the cross. He could have behaved like a hired hand, but He suffered and bled and died of His own initiative because He loved His sheep. He loves us.
He loves us so much, in fact, He wants more of us. "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16). Jesus, being the Good Shepherd was about love for and the unification of all mankind. That they would be one flock, recognized by love (John 13:34-35), and through unity change the world (John 17:22-23). Jesus died so that through His love, Jews and Gentiles could be reconciled together in one flock.
We think the same is true for any man-made division and social, racial, or national barrier we have concocted. The love of the cross is strong enough to bring enemies together. Let's make sure we are not standing in the way of it through our prejudice attitudes.