Studies in John's Gospel. Pt. 56 "I Am the Good Shepherd" and what it means for us!

 Good morning to all of our Readers.

 

Jesus continued to teach the people that He was Jehovah, the Good Shepherd. He wanted to display the love of God in sending His own Son to earth to die as the perfect Lamb of God on the cross. He wanted to tell them that mercy was available to all who trusted in Christ. 

Jesus the Good Shepherd loves His sheep.

John 10:14-15  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. 

Jesus continued speaking to the same audience composed of common people, Pharisees, scribes along with priests and Sadducees. Make no mistake about this. When Jesus said "I Am the good shepherd" the Jewish people knew He was saying that He was Jehovah, the good shepherd that David wrote about in Psalm 23. Since the book of Psalms is the Hebrew hymnal the Jewish people would readily recognize the picture from Psalm 23 where David wrote so beautifully about Jehovah his Savior. The Jews would also have known that the name Jesus meant Jehovah was savior. 

Thus, when Jesus declared unto them that He was the good shepherd the Jews who heard Christ say this knew He was claiming to be God in the flesh.Those who believed on Christ did so believing that He was the Son of God who came to earth as the prophets foretold. Those who rejected His claims viewed Jesus as a blasphemer who made Himself equal with God. 

In this text, Jesus connected Himself with His Father in heaven. Each time that Jesus told the people that the Father sent Him to speak the words Christ spoke and to do the works Christ did, the leaders were incensed and people's opinions were polarized. 

(See also John 2:15; 3:35; 5:17-23; 5:26; 5:30; 5:36-37; 5:43; 5:45; 11 times in John 6; and 11 times in John 8).

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ  desired intimacy with His sheep and had a personal interest for each one who believed on Him. The religious leaders did not care about them at all. They were grasping after civil and religious power while seeking wealth and status. Jesus guarded and protected His sheep and they knew Him. They listened to His voice.

Jesus spoke of the intimate union between the Father and the Son to to illustrate that He knows and loves the lost sheep in the world enough to lay down His life to pay for our sins.  The sheep in God's pasture know Him and He knows them. Such wonderful hope we have when we know Christ through the new birth.

Jesus taught that there are other sheep to be saved. 

John 10:16  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. 

This text is a picture of something unthinkable to most Jews living in the time of Christ. The other sheep refers to non Jewish people (the Gentiles) being included in the preaching of the gospel for salvation. Jews and Gentiles had varying degrees of prejudice against each other. Sometimes the animosity would break  out in physical attacks and you can see this throughout the book of Acts and in Paul's letters to the churches.

Isaiah 42:6-7  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7) To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. 

Jesus cited Isaiah's prophecy regarding the Messiah's ministry in Luke 4:16-21. Jehovah planned to include Gentiles in offering salvation to the Jews. 

Isaiah 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 

This text is also indicated that the Gentiles are included in God's plan of redemption. Thus, God so loved the "world" in John 3:16 means Jews and Gentiles. This is why Paul wrote in Romans 10:13 that "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." 

This is great news because the Word of God and the true worship of God was intended to bless all the nations of the world through the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gentiles were cut off from the promises of God and only knew about the One, True God if they happened to become converted to Judaism. Read Ephesians 2:11-22 where Paul tells us what God is doing since the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached in the world. It will fill your heart with Joy!

The Good Shepherd will die to save His sheep. 

John 10:17-18  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. 

Jesus said that He would lay down His life to save the sheep four times in the chapter (John 10:11; 15;17-18). Jesus came to lay down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of all humanity. The Son of God volunteered to do this in eternity past. 

Think about this. God was born in a human body so that He could die to pay for our sins. This same God who gives life to all things and who rules the galaxies by the word of His power came to die for us, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. 

Jesus makes it very clear. No man took His life from Him. He hung on the cross until all the sins of all humanity were paid for and the Father's wrath for our sins was satisfied by Jesus's sacrifice on the cross. The cross did not kill Jesus. The spear thrust into His side did not kill Him. Jesus laid His life down in love for fallen mankind as the perfect sacrifice for sin. 

Jesus said He had "power" to lay His life down and to take it up again at His resurrection. The word "power" means that Jesus had all the right, authority and liberty to do as He pleased because He is God. It is a universal power over mankind, over the earth, over all created things, over all heaven. It is an irresistible power that nothing can oppose. It is a righteous power that is legally binding. It is the Holy King's power that is sovereignly exercised. 

When Jesus said He had power to lay His life down and to take it up again, this is what He meant. 

The Mighty Power of God behind Christ's sacrifice.

Acts 2:22-24  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23) Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24)  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 

See how Peter described this power in his first sermon. He was speaking to the same religious leaders that caused Christ to be crucified. First, Jesus was approved by God the Father in an unparalleled display of power. He did many marvelous miracles including healing lepers, raising the dead, casting out devils and giving sight to the blind. It was undeniable power. 

The Pharisees, scribes, and Saduccees thought they got what they wanted when Pilate delivered Jesus to be crucified. Yet, Peter tells them this was the fulfillment of God's plan established before the world was created and put in motion before man ever sinned! (See 1 Peter 1:18-23; Revelation 13:8; Isaiah 53, Hebrews 10:4-14.

This Divine Power raised up the Son of God on the third day because He never sinned. Therefore death and the grave could not hold Him (1 Corinthians 15:20-28; 42-58). The foreknowledge of God hid all these things from Satan and they too, thought that they gained the victory by inciting the death of Christ. Yet, Jesus paid for our sins, rose from the dead to grant eternal life to all who believe and He granted us full justification before the throne of God. No more condemnation for sin. It is gone, because Christ destroyed it! He made an open show of triumph over the devil when He rose from the dead. Satan is the defeated foe and we can shout glory, Hallelujah for our great salvation!

Salvation causes division.

John 10:19-21  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? 

Controversy, dissension and divisions cropped up again among the Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes. Some of them kept insisting as they previously had that Jesus was a madman, mentally deranged. Others said that Jesus was demon possessed. Yet some referred back to the blind man Jesus healed in John 9 and said that a devil cannot do such things. 

The Good Shepherd died for us. You must be born again. 

Luk 12:49-53  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? 50) But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!  51) Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52) For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53) The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 

Jesus warned His disciples that as they preached the gospel divisions would arise. He gave the example of fathers divided against the son, sons against fathers and the same for mothers and daughters. The gospel of Christ, the cross, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is a dividing line. Those who hear it and respond to the gospel with repentant faith are born again into the family of God. Those who hear and reject the gospel remain in their spiritually darkened condition. 

Thus, a son that is born again is now at odds with his unsaved father. The son belongs to the kingdom of light but his father is still a slave in the kingdom of darkness. Salvation and regeneration is a dividing line between saved and unsaved, between light and darkness, between heaven and hell. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Back in the prologue to his gospel, John introduced Jesus as the Lamb of God. His gospel continues to show what it meant for Christ to be the Lamb of God. It meant that animal sacrifices required under the law were done. God's perfect Lamb hung on the cross as the once for all sacrifice for all humanities sin debt. It means that all religious systems are null and void. There is only one way to heaven, one way to the Father and one name for salvation: Jesus Christ. 

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus was willing and able to lay His life down in order to spare the sheep from death and eternal condemnation. As our Good Shepherd, Jesus cares for each one of His sheep and seeks a lifelong intimate relationship with Him, that grows as we know Him more and listen to His voice in the Word.

The Good Shepherd came to die for us. However, this was the culmination of God's perfect plan of redemption and all the power of God was put into executing the plan of salvation.

Have you been born again after turning to Jesus Christ in repentant faith? Are you praising God for saving your soul from hell? Are you rejoicing in the mighty victory God achieved at the cross of His Son? Are you listening to the voice of our Good Shepherd? Are you growing in your knowledge of Him and your love for Him?

I pray that we are making progress and that we are sharing our faith with others. May God in heaven be honored with our response to His word this day and may He continue to show us all the excellencies of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Bob