Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD John 10:1-21 Jesus often used illustrations that people would understand and they were of course very familiar with shepherds.

At night because of wild animals or robbers the sheep were rounded up into sheep pens and the shepherd would act like the gate.

He kept the sheep in but kept robbers and wild animals out.

Jesus is the gate to God’s salvation for all people, it is only He who can offer access to real safety and security. There is no other way but through Him.

Some people don't like this but Jesus is God’s Son, nobody else can claim this so why should people seek any other way or come up with a different way to approach God.

If there were other ways why would Jesus tell us to go into all the World proclaiming the Gospel message making disciples and baptising all people.

In Verse 10 we have a contrast, a thief comes to rob, to take life and to make people's lives miserable.

By contrast Jesus comes to give life and to give it in abundance, many people think being a Christian is all about do's and dont's but it's not that at all. Living the Christian life is not easy but it's a life that is fuller and richer than any other.

We also have the promise of eternal life yet as soon as you accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour you start to live that life. Life in Christ means we have so much more, we have forgiveness, love and guidance. The amazing thing is it is a free gift, it cannot be earned but God gave everything in His only son so that we could be set free and have this amazing gift.

Verses 11 & 12 tells us about a hired hand this person does things for money as soon as the money stops they stop, if danger comes along they run off and leave it. In this context the sheep either get killed or they scatter.

This is not how it is with Jesus, He is not merely doing a job He is doing it because He owns and loves the sheep and that's how it is with us.

He is committed to us to the point where He was prepared to lay down His life for us and He wants a relationship with us.

While we were still far off He died for us.

There are false teachers out there and false prophets, we must be aware if we do not hear our Shepherd’s voice then it is probably false.

In the Middle East and Ethiopia the shepherd operates differently to here, our shepherds drive the sheep in front of them. In Israel they go in front of the sheep and the sheep follow them, the one reason they follow is that they know the shepherd. Trust has built up and they have faith in their shepherd they would not follow someone else.

Is that a bit like us we trust is Jesus and our faith in Him builds up as we journey with Him. Verse 16 is just for us, Jesus says this, "I have other sheep not of this sheep pen I must bring them to, they too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

Now why would Jesus say this if there could be lots of routes and lots of different shepherds, He simply would not. This refers to the Gentiles, the non Jews. God’s chosen people, the Jews, who He has not unchosen, we are grafted in to that true vine.

This is a glimpse into the worldwide mission of Jesus, He died for the sins of the whole world.

People sometimes act as if God only blesses their group but Jesus is not limited by the fences people build.

In Jerusalem is the Golden Gate through which Jesus will return, now our Muslim cousins know this and know the Jews will not cross buried tombs so have placed a cemetery outside the gate to stop Him.

I have a feeling it's not going to work. Jesus death and resurrection as part of God’s plan for the salvation of the World were under God’s full control no one could kill Jesus without His consent.

Jesus tells His listeners I can choose to lay down my life and to pick it up again, quite simply because He has the Father’s authority to do so.

I always enjoy the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The powers of hell think they have killed Aslan and are attacking the good people and the battle is going badly, then just at the right moment Aslan reappears. He lets out a mighty roar jumps on top of the witch and it is game, over the good guys win.

Now I am not a great reader unless it is a really good book but I often look at the end and toss it to one side because the last chapter is often the best bit.

The Bible is the best book there is but the final bit is really good because in the book of Revelation it tells you how things will finish.

And it's really good because we win, the powers of darkness are beaten and things are back as they should be.

Church leaders I talk to from around the world are all saying the same thing, something is happening we are seeing great things happening.

Aslan has entered the field I really believe this.