João 10

João 10

Ironside - The shepherd character of our Lord Jesus suggests loving care for His own. He is Jehovah Ra’ah, “the Lord my Shepherd,” who takes complete charge of His sheep, and undertakes to provide for their every need. He has given us many pictures of His shepherd service. As the Good Shepherd He died for us (John 10). As the great Shepherd He is ever watching over us. As the chief Shepherd He will gather us all about Himself when He comes again (1 Peter 5). His promises are sufficient for every difficulty. Yet in times of stress we forget them all, and worry and fret as though we had to deal with all our problems ourselves, instead of trusting to His love and wisdom to undertake for us. He has promised to see us through. When the Lord has the supreme place in our hearts—not simply the first place—we will not fear all the power of the enemy, for He to whom we have committed the keeping of our souls is more than a match for all that may rise up against us. In all His ways with us He is the unfailing Shepherd, having our best interests in view. His glory and our blessing are indissolubly linked together. O Thou great all-gracious Shepherd, Shedding for us Thy life’s blood, Unto shame and death delivered, All to bring us nigh to God! Now our willing hearts adore Thee, Now we taste Thy dying love, While by faith we come before Thee— Faith which lifts our souls above. —Mrs. Wellesley Norman Geisler - JOHN 10:11—Is Jesus the shepherd or a sheep? (Borrow When critics ask : a popular handbook on Bible difficulties see page 416) PROBLEM: John presents Christ here as the “Good Shepherd.” Yet elsewhere He is a sheep (lamb) that dies for our sins (John 1:29, 36). Which is He? SOLUTION: Christ is appropriately presented by both figures of speech. He died as our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), and He leads and guides His people as a Good Shepherd. In one context, believers are like the people of Israel who need the passover lamb to die for them. In the other, we are like wandering sheep who need a shepherd to lead us. Both are true. Norman Geisler - JOHN 10:11—Did Jesus die just for His friends or for His enemies too? (Borrow When critics ask : a popular handbook on Bible difficulties see page 416) PROBLEM: John quotes Jesus as claiming that He laid down His “life for the sheep” (cf. 15:13). But Paul claims “Christ died for the ungodly” while they were still “enemies” (Rom. 5:6, 10). How can both be true? SOLUTION: Jesus died for both His friends (disciples) and His enemies. In fact, His “friends” were enemies when He died for them. There is no contradiction here, since the text does not say that Christ died only for His friends. He did die for those who would become His friends, but He also died for those who would remain His enemies. Peter refers to the apostates who were “denying the Lord who bought them” (2 Peter 2:1). QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the good Shepherd?” ANSWER - “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11) is the fourth of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique, divine identity and purpose. Immediately after declaring that He is “the door” in John 10:7, Jesus declares “I am the good shepherd.” He describes Himself as not only “the shepherd” but the “good shepherd.” What does this mean? 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 to that which is wicked, mean, foul, and unlovely. It signifies not only that which is good inwardly—character—but 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. 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 doesn’t 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) are 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 appeared—the most common threat to sheep in that day—the hireling abandoned the flock and fled, leaving the sheep to be scattered or killed (John 10:12–13). First, to better understand the purpose of a shepherd during the 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 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. Likewise, Jesus gave His life on the cross as “the Good Shepherd” for his own. He who would save others, though He had the power, did not choose to save Himself. “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Through His willing sacrifice, the Lord made salvation possible for all who come to Him in faith. In proclaiming that He is the Good Shepherd, Jesus speaks of “laying down” His life for His sheep (John 10:15, 17–18). Jesus’ death was divinely appointed. It is only through Him that we receive salvation. “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14). Furthermore, Jesus makes it clear that it wasn’t just for the Jews that he laid down His life, but also for the “other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). The “other sheep” clearly refers to the Gentiles. As a result, Jesus is the Good Shepherd over all, both Jew and Gentile, who come to believe upon Him (John 3:16). GotQuestions.org James Smith - THE GOOD SHEPHERD JOHN 10:11–18 The Lord Jesus Christ is the good or perfect Shepherd. All that ever came before Him—in His stead—or that shall yet so come, are thieves and robbers. There is only one Good Shepherd who can lay down His life for the sheep and take it again (v. 18). There is perhaps no image of Christ that has so powerfully appealed to the imaginations of men in all ages as the “Good Shepherd.” Let not the familiarity of the term rob us of the great sweetness and depth of precious teaching that it reveals. I. “He Giveth His Life for the Sheep” (v. 11). This is the outstanding characteristic of the Good Shepherd. He is not only ready to sacrifice His life in defence of the sheep, but has a command from the Father to lay down His life for the sheep (v. 18), that the sheep might have life through Him in abundance (v. 10). The scope of the teaching cannot be limited to the mere metaphor. The metaphor is used to help us to grasp the fullness of the truth. That Christ taught redemption here is surely beyond doubt, when He said, “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again” (v. 17; Heb. 13:20). The Father loved the Son because He willingly obeyed this command to lay down His life for the salvation of all who would enter in at this door into the sheepfold (1 Peter 2:25). II. His Sheep Hear His Voice. “They shall hear My voice” (v. 16). Every soul who would follow Christ must individually hear His voice. That voice may be heard through the written Word, or in the preaching of the Gospel, but it will be recognised as His voice and His call to a new and separate life. Christ’s first message was to the Jewish flock, but He had other sheep—multitudes of them—which were not of that flock, but which belonged to every kindred and tongue, and people, and nation, “them also,” He said, “I must bring,” for the death that He was about to die was to be “the propitiation, not only for our sins (Jews), but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). This present dispensation is the time of the bringing in of the “other sheep” which He has, as the gift of the Father, and they are hearing His voice, through the preaching of the Word, and following Him. To Him is the gathering of the people to be. III. He Knows His Sheep. “I know My sheep” (v. 14). As to the extent or limit of this knowledge, it is impossible, except by sheer presumption, to define. He knows their name, their nature, and their need. The Lord does not judge as man judgeth, by outward appearance; He judgeth the heart. He discerns the hidden spirits of men, whether they are merely carnal or Christ-like. All His sheep have a love for, and a disposition like the Shepherd Himself. “If any man love God, the same is known of Him” (1 Cor. 8:3). The Good Shepherd does not judge His sheep by their cry, for many will say on that day, “Lord, Lord,” to whom He will say, “I never knew you.” IV. His Sheep Know Him. “And am known of Mine” (v. 14). This knowledge is akin to that which exists between the Father and the Son (v. 15). This affinity is the deepest and most sacred of all relationships. We may know Him as we know the sun that shines in the Heavens, and yet know but little of Him. The sheep know the Shepherd because He has manifested Himself to them, so we “know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true” (1 John 5:20). “I know whom I have believed” (2 Tim. 1:12). This is eternal life, to know Him and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. V. His Sheep are Owned by Him. “He who is an hireling, whose own the sheep are not” (v. 12), is here contrasted with Him who laid down His life for the sheep, as an evidence that they are His own. The flock of God hath been purchased by His own blood (Acts 20:28). Jesus was speaking as the Good Shepherd when He said to Peter, “Feed My lambs … Feed My sheep” (John 21). “Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price.” VI. He Cares for His Sheep. “The hireling fleeth because he careth not for the sheep,” but the true Shepherd is very careful over His sheep (v. 13). The wolf-like Satan finds his greatest enemy in the Shepherd of our souls. It is the privilege of the sheep to be without carefulness, for “He careth for you,” therefore cast all your care upon Him (1 Peter 1:7). The Shepherd is most careful about the safety and supply of the sheep—about their defence and their food. His wisdom and His power are being continually exercised on their behalf. “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the close of the age.” VII. His Sheep shall all be Gathered into one Flock. “There shall be one flock and one Shepherd” (v. 16). Meanwhile, His sheep are in every clime and country, speaking almost every language under Heaven, and divided by many sectarian folds, but all have heard His voice, and know Him, and are known by Him, having by one Spirit been baptised into one body. But when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, those who are still living on the earth shall be caught up with those who have gone to sleep, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words (1 Thess. 4:16–18). In the evergreen pastures of the Heavenly Kingdom He shall lead His flock, and they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. “The Lord is my Shepherd … and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psa. 23:1 and 6). Charles Stanley - SNARES OF THE WORLD - JOHN 10:11–18, KEY VERSES: HEBREWS 13:20–21 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, 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. Cattle ranchers know all too well that the barbed-wire fences designed to protect their livestock can become dangerous traps for curious animals. In an effort to reach grass that is just outside of the fence, cows often poke their heads between the twisted wires and become entangled in their razor-sharp snares. At this point of entrapment, the cow is generally helpless. Though it may pull and thrash, the barbs only dig deeper into its flesh. It must now cry out for help. A seasoned rancher will be able to quiet the animal and carefully release it from its place of bondage. Though it may not be quite as obvious, we, too, can become deeply entangled in the world’s snares. Many times traps can exist deep within the hearts of those around us. Inner struggles can often prove to be more painful and destructive than external trials. How wonderful it is to know that we have a “seasoned rancher” in our lives! Jesus is often referred to as the Good Shepherd, and for good reason. Throughout the Bible, we are likened to sheep in need of direction and rescue. Jesus came to earth to physically, spiritually, and emotionally experience our trials firsthand. He came to answer our cries of help and to release us from the barbs of the evil one. When the devil tries to ensnare you, there is no need to fight, struggle, and thrash. Instead, be still and call out to the attentive Good Shepherd. He tends to His flock faithfully and will be there for you in your time of need. Lord, keep me from the snares of the world. Give me direction so I will not be entrapped by the barbs of the evil one. Oswald Chambers - Divine Sacrifice and Dedication of the Saints - in God's Workmanship I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep. . . . I lay it down of Myself. John 10:11, 18 (rv) There is an unfamiliar element in the sacrifice of Jesus compared with the sacrifices made amongst men. A man may perform a mighty act in a moment of heroism—but there is the possibility that he may escape. Our Lord pictures here the issue He is facing, “the good shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep”: He deliberately laid down His life without any possibility of deliverance. There was no compulsion, it was a sacrifice made with a free mind; nor was there anything of the impulsive about it, He laid down His life with a clear knowledge of what He was doing. Jesus understood what was coming, it was not a foreboding, but a certainty; not a catastrophe which might happen, but an ordained certainty in the decrees of God, and He knew it. Have we begun to let the Spirit of God interpret the sacrifice of Jesus to us? We have too pathetic an idea of it because we take our ideas from martyrdom, but Jesus Christ was not a martyr. There is no room for the pathetic in our Lord’s attitude; it is we who take the pathetic view and look at His sacrifice from a point of view the Spirit of God never once uses. The Spirit of God never bewitches men with the strange pathos of the sacrifice of Jesus: the Spirit of God keeps us at the passion of the sacrifice of Jesus. The great passion at the back of His heart and mind in all Jesus did was devotion to His Father. “I lay it down of Myself”; It was the sacrifice of a free personality. Jesus had the power in His own Person to prevent every evil thing that came against Him, but He never used that power. He could have performed miracles at will, but He did not. He could have asked His Father to send Him more than twelve legions of angels, but He refused to (see Matthew 26:53). The angels must have stood around Him at the end, unseen, amazed that they could not come through and minister to Him as they had done after the temptation in the wilderness, and in the Garden of Gethsemane. Finally, our Lord gave Himself up into the hands of those who tried to seize Him, yet could not (see John 18:6): “He was crucified through weakness.” How does our dedication as saints compare with the dedication of our Lord and Master? When we are identified with Jesus Christ the Spirit of God would have us sacrifice ourselves for Him, point for point, as He did for His Father. We pray and wait, and need urging, and want the thrilling vision; but Jesus wants us to narrow and limit ourselves to one thing—clearly and intelligently knowing what we are doing, we deliberately lay down our lives for Him as He laid down His life for us in the purpose of God. This is the underlying meaning of Paul’s passionate pleading in Romans 12:1—“I beseech you, . . . present your bodies a living sacrifice.” We want to do it in an ecstasy; Jesus Christ wants us to do it without the ecstasy. Brood on what Jesus Christ came to do, and then in the full possession of your mind, not in the excitement of a revival moment, nor in the enthusiasm of a great spiritual ecstasy, but in the calm quiet knowledge of what you are doing, say—“My life to Thee, my King, I humbly dedicate.” Jesus Christ never blinds us into devotion to Himself, never startles and staggers us. Satan as an angel of light uses the things that captivate men against their will, he uses ecstasies, visions, excitement, the things that make for unholiness, for the aggrandisement of self, for insanity; but Jesus never does. He comes to us along the line of His own dedication—“I have power to lay it down.”Are we hindering the purpose of God in our life by seeking spiritual ecstasies in our devotions, seeking great manifestations of God’s Spirit? God wants us to dedicate ourselves to Him with quiet calm intelligence, with the deep fervent passion behind of knowing what we are doing. Have we the self-dedication of that moral passion? There are a great many passions that are not moral, enthusiasms that never sprang from God. We have to hold our emotions in check and let the Spirit of God bring us into one master-worship. The one love in the Bible is that of the Father and the Son; the one passion in the Bible is the passion of Jesus to bring men into the relationship of sons to the Father, and the one great passion of the saint is that the life of the Lord Jesus might be manifested in his mortal flesh. “This commandment received I [rv] of My Father.”The great centre around which the life of Jesus moved was the will of His Father and devotion to Him. It is easy to work ourselves up into a passion of sacrifice, but that is not the true element in dedication. As a saint I have power to refuse to give my sanctification to God; I can use that sanctification for my own selfish ends, with unutterable ruin to my own soul and to others. Our only guide is our Lord Himself: “For their sakes I sanctify Myself.” In full possession of His powers Jesus dedicated Himself to God, and His call to those of us who are His disciples is to dedicate ourselves to Him with a clear knowledge of what we are doing, free from the plaintive, the sad, and the emotional. Can we only serve God when He thrills us? Can we only speak for Him when we feel His conscious touch? Cannot we have all the deep passion of our heart and spirit ablaze for God, our whole personality under control for one purpose only—to dedicate ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ as He dedicated Himself to His Father? Let Him make our lives narrow; let Him make them intense; let Him make them absolutely His! UNDERSHEPHERDS - Eric Hayden in Decisive Sermon Outlines John 10:11a I am the good shepherd. Some clergymen refer to themselves as minister and others as pastor. The latter was favored by such men as C. H. Spurgeon and it seems more scriptural. His famous college in London was first called “The Pastor’s College.” Pastor comes from the Greek word meaning “shepherd.” Christ was the Good Shepherd and ministers or pastors of churches are His under-shepherds. By studying the characteristics of the Good Shepherd in John 10 we will see what kind of undershepherds we should be. There are five such characteristics. I. The good undershepherd LEADS the sheep: “they follow me” (v. 27) The Greek word for pastor can also be translated “supervisor.” The Eastern shepherd led his sheep; he did not drive them. He supervises in the sense of a captain supervising or leading his crew. Spurgeon was affectionately known as “the Gov’nor” by his elders and deacons. The true undershepherd is entrusted with leadership in worship and witness. He leads his congregation in such worship as will bring them into God’s presence, and he leads them in witness so that the witnessing fellowship takes Christ to the unsaved. If the undershepherd is a leader, then the truth of Paul’s injunction to the flock is clear: “Obey them that have the rule over you.” II. The undershepherd KNOWS his sheep: “I know my sheep” (vv. 14, 27) To do this properly the pastor must do more than shake hands with his departing congregation on Sundays. He must visit them in their homes and in the hospital. Thus there are two kinds of visitation: emergency and systematic. Emergency means that the sick have priority. Systematic means going through the church roll visiting every member in his or her own home. Only by seeing the people’s needs firsthand can he preach relevantly. Again it means a response on the congregation’s part—they must want to be visited and be willing to share their joys and sorrows with their pastor. III. The undershepherd FEEDS his sheep: “find pasture,” (v. 9) “Feed the flock of God” wrote the apostle Peter. Dr. Scroggie used to say that a congregation could have his head or his feet (he would either preach or visit, but could not be expected to do both properly). It is not a question of head or feet but of heart as the heart must govern both head and feet. Preaching must be of two kinds: experimental and evangelistic. Experimental preaching has to do with experience. It is a teaching ministry that builds up the believer, fitting him for the eventualities of his workaday week. It enables him to “give a reason for the hope that is within him.” Evangelistic preaching means that the flock can bring their unsaved friends under the sound of the gospel in the expectation that they may be saved. The responsibility of the flock is that they become regular attenders and good listeners. IV. The undershepherd GUARDS his sheep: “I am the door,” (v. 9) The sheepfold in Palestine had no door. The shepherd himself lay across the door at nighttime to keep away intruders, man or beast. There is no physical guarding for the modern-day pastor. Instead, there is a twofold spiritual guarding: he must guard against false teachings and against wrong emphases. The false cults are active today. The pastor must train and teach his flock to combat their pernicious doctrines. The undershepherd is called upon to announce and to denounce: announce the Good News and denounce all false teachings and false teachers. He must also preach the “whole counsel of God,” not emphasizing in his preaching ministry any one particular theological bee in the bonnet. He must defend the truth and declare the truth, earnestly contending “for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.” The responsibility of the congregation is to pray for grace to receive correction, admonition, and instruction, putting aside all prejudice and preconceived ideas, all traditionalism that may be torn down. V. Finally the true undershepherd SEEKS his sheep: “Them also I must bring,” (v. 16)* “I am come to seek and to save” said Jesus. This means an intense love of souls that keeps the pastor going even when things are going against him—an intense love of souls he imparts, with the Spirit’s help, to his fellow church members. He takes as his motto text: “He that winneth souls is wise,” knowing it to be one of the “reversible” texts of the Bible: “He that is wise wins souls.” Like General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, he believes the injunction: “Go for souls, and go for the worst.” Thus he makes the way of salvation plain at every meeting and service of the church, even if he only outlines it in one of his prayers. May it be said of all of us who are undershepherds as was said at the funeral service of James Smith (an eminent Baptist pastor in England in the nineteenth century): “His was a converting ministry” (C. H. Spurgeon). New Testament Words for Today - Warren