Theme of the Gospel: that you may believe

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:31

The Good Shepherd

John 10:1-21
Discuss: How is Jesus like a shepherd and how are we as believers like sheep?

Introduction
There is much in the Old Testament about shepherds and sheep
Psalm 23:1 Psalm 80:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Can you quote the Psalm?) Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. Who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, "You shall be built," And to the temple, "Your foundation shall be laid." '

Isa. 40:11

Isa. 44:28

There are plenty of warnings about false shepherds

Jer. 50:6 My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place. 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

Ezekiel 34

The Egyptians didnt like them!

Gen. 46:34 for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."

Shadow Mountain South Asian Church

17 February 2013 - _______________________

Jesus is the Good, Great and Chief Shepherd. As the good shepherd, Jesus ___________ for the sheep. John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

As the great shepherd, Jesus _______________ the sheep Hebrews 13:19-21 20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

As the chief shepherd, Jesus _______________ for the sheep 1 Peter 5:4 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

In the church there are sheep and there are under-shepherds (who are also sheep!) Acts 20:28 "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 1 Peter 5:1-3 The elders who are among you2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock

The Parable of the Good Shepherd 1-6

John 10:1 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 "But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. The Lord introduced the concept of the Good Shepherd with a parable. (vs. 1-5) The oriental sheepfold was very simple: a stone wall surrounded it, perhaps ten feet high, and an opening served as the door. The shepherds in the village would drive their sheep into the fold at nightfall and leave the porter to stand guard. In the morning each shepherd would call his own sheep, which would recognize their shepherd's voice and come out of the fold. The porter would sleep at the opening and actually become "the door." Nothing could enter or leave the fold without passing over the porter or the shepherd. Christ points out that: 2
17 February 2013 - _______________________

Shadow Mountain South Asian Church

1. The true shepherd comes through the door (v. 1), 2. The true shepherd calls his sheep by name and they recognize him. (v. 3), 3. The true shepherd leads the sheep and they follow (v. 4-5). False shepherds and strangers, who are thieves and robbers, try to get in some subtle way, and the sheep will not recognize or follow them.1

The Explanation of the Parable 7-21

The Door vss. 7-10
7

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you I am the door of the sheep.
One door and only one! An exclusive Statement, I am [Greek: ego eimi a very exclusive statement! i.e. I am and nobody else is] the door He repeats it again in verse nine, I am [ego eimi] the door. This is a clear denial of syncretism. One can call this narrow intolerance, if he will, but it is the narrowness of truth. If Jesus is the Son of God sent to earth for our salvation, he is the only way. 2

"All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
The ones who went before are the leaders of Israel, Pharisees and Sadducees who led the people astray.

"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Sheep need a Savior! First, to better understand the purpose of a shepherd during the ancient times of Jesus, it is helpful to realize that sheep are utterly defenseless and totally dependent upon the Shepherd. Sheep are always subject to danger and must always be under the watchful eye of the shepherd as they graze. Rushing walls of water down the valleys from sudden heavy rainfalls may sweep them away, robbers may steal them, and wolves may attack the flock. David tells how he killed a lion and a bear while defending his father's flock as a shepherd boy (1 Samuel 17:36). Driving snow in the winter, blinding dust and burning sands in summer, long lonely hours each day, all these the shepherd patiently endures for the welfare of the flock. In fact, shepherds were frequently subjected to grave danger, sometimes even giving their lives to protect their sheep.3

1 2

http://www.thebiblestudypage.com/shepherd.shtml Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 5 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1932), 177, quoted by Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John, page 99 3 http://www.gotquestions.org/Good-Shepherd.html
Shadow Mountain South Asian Church

17 February 2013 - _______________________

There is salvation including safety and security in Christ. Going in and out is not a reference to going in and out of salvation. (Dont take a parable/illustration beyond what is intended!) Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

10

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The leaders of Israel were prepared to kill but could not give life. They wanted to kill the woman caught in adultery. John 8 They rejected the man born blind John 9 They wanted to kill Lazarus John 12:10 The leaders were following the lead of their father John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Jesus came to give life by laying down his life. ` John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. It is Gods purpose that those who believe in Christ have ___________ ___________ Does God have a wonderful plan for your life? Yes, if ______________ __________________________

Shadow Mountain South Asian Church

17 February 2013 - _______________________

The Shepherd
11

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. It should be understood that Jesus is the good shepherd, not simply a good shepherd, as others
may be, but He is unique in character (Psalm 23; Zechariah 13:7; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:4). The Greek word kalos translated good describes that which is noble, wholesome, good, and beautiful, in contrast with that which is wicked, mean, foul and unlovely. It signifies not only that which is good inwardlycharacterbut also that which is attractive outwardly. It is an innate goodness. Therefore, in using the phrase the good shepherd, Jesus is referencing His inherent goodness, His righteousness, and His beauty. As shepherd of the sheep, He is the one who protects, guides, and nurtures His flock.4 In this passage, for whom did Christ die? For the _____________________. Who is\ the we and us all in Isaiah 53:6? _________________ Isaiah 53:6 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Who was purchased with Christs blood according to Acts 20:28? ______________________ Acts 20:28 to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. What about false prophets and false teachers who deny the Lord? 2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. Christ is the propitiation (satisfaction of divine justice) for the sins of the __________________________. 1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

12

"But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 "The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. A hireling is a h_____________ h__________ who takes care of the flock for _______________.
4

www.gotquestions.org

Shadow Mountain South Asian Church

17 February 2013 - _______________________

 As He did in declaring that He is the door of the sheep in John 10:7, Jesus is making a contrast
between Himself and the religious leaders, the Pharisees (John 10:12-13). He compares them to a hireling or hired hand who dont really care about the sheep. In John 10:9, Jesus speaks of thieves and robbers who sought to enter the sheepfold stealthily. In that passage the Jewish leaders (Pharisees) were contrasted with Christ who is the Door. Here, in John 10:12, the hireling is contrasted with the true or faithful shepherd who willingly gives up his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling works for wages, which are his main consideration. His concern is not for the sheep but for himself. Interestingly enough, the shepherds of ancient times were not usually the owners of the flock. Nevertheless, they were expected to exercise the same care and concern the owners would. This was characteristic of a true shepherd. However, some of the hirelings thought only of themselves. As a result, when a wolf appearedthe most common threat to sheep in that daythe hireling abandoned the flock and fled, leaving the sheep to be scattered or killed (John 10:12-13).5
14

"I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
Note the intimate relationship between the good shepherd and His sheep and the total commitment of our good shepherd in giving His life of his own volition for us. Four times Jesus spoke of laying down his life for the sheep. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. vs. 11 I lay down My life for the sheep. vs. 15 I lay down My life that I may take it again. vs. 17 No one takes 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. vs. 18 2 Timothy 1:9 Who has saved us and called us to a holy life Not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Good-Shepherd.html

Shadow Mountain South Asian Church

17 February 2013 - _______________________