Jesus the Good Shepherd

Sermon preached by Pastor C. John Steer

Autumn Ridge Church, Rochester, MN

May 10 & 11, 2008, Mother’s Day Weekend

 

Scripture:          John 10:1-21

No. 14:            John’s Gospel

 

 

What is your favorite description of Jesus?

For many of us it is the picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

That has been true since the first days of the church.

 

In the early centuries the Christians in Rome were facing terrible persecution. As a result they had to hide in the catacombs where they buried their dead. They worshiped in these gloomy underground passages. So what did they do to lift their spirits?  They drew pictures on the walls.

Here is one of them.

It shows Jesus as the good shepherd.

 

Later on Christians were given more freedom but in times of suffering and sorrow they returned to this favorite theme.

In the third century one believer carved this beautiful marble statue of Jesus as the good shepherd.

Art like this reminded them of the character and mission of Christ.

 

This mosaic from Italy lovingly made in the fifth century shows Jesus as the shepherd of his sheep.

And so the practice continued. A family in Wittenberg, Germany commissioned this painting for their local church showing them all kneeling before the good shepherd.

 

Today there are stained glass windows of this theme.

Churches seeking a welcoming name call themselves “Good Shepherd”.  There is a Lutheran fellowship in Rochester with that name.

 

This is very understandable for one of the most comforting and encouraging statements of the Bible is when Jesus announces,

“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11) 

It is appropriate that on Mother’s Day we spend time looking at such a tender subject.  So please turn to John chapter 10 in your Bible and the message outline.

 

Now what makes this picture of Jesus the good shepherd so powerful is its rich biblical background. 

In the Old Testament God is often portrayed as the shepherd.

The best loved Psalm begins, “The Lord is my shepherd.” (Psalm 23:1)

 

If God is our shepherd then we are his sheep.

So the psalmist tells us “We are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” (Psalm 95:7)

And what care we receive. Isaiah tells us that God “Tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.” (Isaiah 40:11)

This rich picture of the shepherd passes into the New Testament, where Jesus is referred to as, “As the shepherd and overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25)  

Hebrews speaks of Jesus as the “great shepherd”, while Peter saw Christ as the “chief shepherd” to whom all under shepherds are responsible.

 

Added to that biblical foundation there was a popular appreciation

for shepherds in Jesus’ day, for the shepherd was the most familiar figure in the Judean countryside.  

There were no fences enclosing the fields and so every flock of sheep had to have a shepherd keeping an eye on them. 

 

George Adam Smith who traveled in Palestine wrote, “On some high moor, across which at night the hyaenas howl, there you meet him. Sleepless, farsighted, weather beaten, leaning on his staff and looking out over his scattered sheep, every one of them on his heart.  Then you understand why the shepherd of Judea sprang to the front of his peoples’ history. Why they gave his name to their king and made him the symbol of providence.  Why Christ took him as the type of self sacrifice.”

 

This picture of Jesus as the good shepherd is so important that it is repeated twice in this passage. But our word “good” doesn’t quite capture the full meaning of what John has in mind.

John’s word “good” conveys the idea of “beautiful”.

 

Beautiful doesn’t refer to what Jesus looked like.

It is rather about the sheer attractiveness of what he is doing.  People are drawn to Jesus because of the compelling power of his love. In this delightful parable we find out exactly why Jesus is good, beautiful, noble and worthy of our trust.

 

As the good shepherd JESUS CALLS HIS SHEEP

Here is a fold of sheep.  In the early morning the shepherd comes and immediately there is a stir in the flock, “For the sheep listen to his voice.

He calls his own sheep by name.” (v 3)

 

Now to appreciate the significance of this we have to get rid of our western ideas of a shepherd and understand what an eastern shepherd does. 

 

My mother was Scottish and when I was a boy I spent my summers at my grandmother’s house in the Scottish Borders.

There we would watch Scottish shepherds on the Cheviot Hills with their border collies.

With a series of whistles and hand signals the shepherd would round up the sheep using his dog.  It is impressive to watch but that is not what a Jewish shepherd did. 

 

The eastern shepherd had no dog. Rather he lived with his sheep and he spoke to his sheep. He had a special language for them. He had descriptive names for each sheep like Brown Leg or Black Ear.

 

H.V. Morton describes the way a shepherd spoke to his sheep. 

“Sometimes he talks to them in a loud singsong voice, using a weird language unlike anything I have ever heard in my life.”

 

So Jesus calls us by name.

This conversation is being addressed to the blind man who had his sight restored in the Pool of Siloam.

When that poor beggar had been thrown out of the temple by the Pharisees Jesus had gone to find him.

 

That is a pattern repeated throughout the gospels.

Jesus called Matthew by name and then Zaccheaus.  

He had commanded Lazarus to come out of his tomb.

On Easter morning he thrilled Mary Magdalene by uttering her name.  When he calls us by name he shows he knows us and he wants us.

 

In Israel it was common for several flocks to be put in the same pen overnight. To the uninitiated they all looked the same but when the shepherd came in the morning he was able to identify his own flock and call them.

They immediately respond to him because they know his voice.

 

The good shepherd not only calls his sheep in the early morning;  he continues to call them throughout the day.  “He leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (v 4)

 

Again this refers to the practice of an eastern shepherd.

He didn’t drive his flock from behind like a western shepherd does.

He led them from the front calling to them constantly.

“Bobtail, come over here.”

 

That is exactly what our good shepherd does for us.

He gives that initial call to follow him and then goes before us guiding us through life.  He never abandons us.

 

As a good shepherd JESUS PROTECTS HIS SHEEP

Jesus now makes an incredible statement, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” (v 7)

 

“I tell you the truth” is that amen, amen expression that we have seen before in John’s gospel. It means that something important is about to follow.  It is another of the “I am” statements of Jesus.

 

Imagine walking on the Judean plateau. 

Suddenly you come to a round structure made of stones.

You wonder what it is. Suddenly a shepherd appears and you ask if he knows the purpose of this building. 

 

He says “Certainly, it is my sheep fold where I put my flock at night.”

You observe, “But there is no door to it.  What keeps the sheep in?”

He replies, “I am the door. At night I lie in that narrow entrance. Nothing can get in or out without walking over me.”

 

In those days thieves used to steal sheep, and wolves and mountain lions were a real problem.

The shepherd protected his flock with his own body.

 

So what does this mean for us?

Jesus explains, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”  (v 9)

Have you been through that gate?

 

Donald Gray Barnhouse used to ask his congregation to picture the cross with a door in it.

He would tell them “as you go through that door on the cross you will find safety and salvation.”

 

On Mother’s Day my thoughts go to my own mum.

 She died nine years ago.

She was raised in a Christian home but had no personal faith.

She went to church on Sundays but she didn’t know the good shepherd.

 

When the Second World War broke out in 1939 she enlisted as a nurse in the army.

She followed the troops over to Normandy after D Day.

She was in Germany when the war ended.

 

But cessation of hostilities didn’t mean that everyone could go home.

Her hospital staff remained in Germany for another year.

My father was in a similar position. He was a Major in the Rifle Brigade and now that the war was won he was determined to get on with the more important work of winning people to Christ.

 

He held Bible studies for the troops and my mother attended one of these. After a few conversations with her he realized she was lost.

So he invited her to walk through that door on the cross and put her trust in Jesus and by God’s grace she did. 

 

At the age of 30 she became a new creation. 

My father thought that now she was saved of her sin she needed to be saved of her singleness and so he asked her to marry him and I am rather glad she said yes or I wouldn’t be here today.

 

But why would we want to follow the good shepherd?

Jesus tells us, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (v 10)

Jesus doesn’t simply protect us, he provides for us.

He doesn’t just keep us from death he gives us life in all its abundance.

 

As the good shepherd JESUS DIES FOR HIS SHEEP

Our good shepherd is willing to put his own life on the line for he

says, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v 11)

 

There were two types of shepherds in Israel.

The first was a commercial shepherd.  When danger came he ran away and left the sheep to their own devices.

 

Jesus is referring to this when he says, “The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.

Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.

The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (v 12-13)

 

The second type was a committed shepherd. 

His father had been a shepherd and taught him the trade.

He was present when the lambs were born.

He thought of them as his family. 

 

If a pack of wolves approached he would stay and defend his flock with his rod and his sling shot.

Sometimes he was outnumbered and there were stories of shepherds being killed by wild animals or gangs of thieves.

 

Jesus here is anticipating his own death and resurrection when he says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life, only to take it up again.” (v 17)

We see that the cross was completely voluntary, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord.” (v 18)

 

We are given a glimpse into the wonder of the cross here.

Let’s consider the question, for whom did Christ die?

One answer is to say that Jesus died for everyone in general.

A second answer is that he died for no one in particular.

A third answer is that he died for certain people whom he had known before the foundation of the world.

We discover here that the death of Jesus was specific.

He died for a certain group of people designated here as “his sheep.”  “I lay down my life for the sheep.”  (v 5)

 

 As the good shepherd JESUS KNOWS HIS SHEEP

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” (v 14)  

Because the shepherd spends most of his time in the company of his sheep he knows their individual characters, markings, likes and dislikes. What’s more they know him.

 

As the good shepherd Jesus has an intimate knowledge of his flock. He knows which one is prone to stray and which one lags behind.  He is aware of the lamb that gets tired and needs to be carried and the ewe that is easily afraid.

 

Jesus has that same knowledge of you and me.

There is nothing he doesn’t know about us and yet he loves us completely.  Each of us have a deep longing down in our heart to be known better.  The good shepherd satisfies that longing.

 

Because Jesus knows us he understands we are different.

He doesn’t demand that we all act the same.

We can be ourselves in his presence.

That is why there is wonderful variety in the family of God.

 

The care of Jesus for his people is in marked contrast to the indifference of many leaders today.

We have watched in horror as the dictators of Burma have refused to allow much needed aid into their country to help the millions who were made homeless by the recent typhoon.

They are hired hands, not shepherds.

 

This is a challenge to those who are pastors.

The word “pastor” is the Latin word for “shepherd.”

One model is Jesus.  We are to know and love his flock.

 

As the good shepherd JESUS UNITES HIS SHEEP

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.

I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice,

and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (v 16)

 

Jesus here is speaking of us. 

At this point in the gospel he is talking to Jews. But we Gentiles can also be part of God’s family through the cross of Christ.

The “other sheep” are the great company from every nation that God intends to save through Jesus.

The Jewish Messiah has become the shepherd of the whole world.

 

There is the lovely truth here that Jesus unites all believers. 

Some have interpreted this verse to mean there should only be one church and if we just got rid of all the denominations all would be well.

 

But there is no mention of denominations here.

Denominations can be a very good thing, even though Autumn Ridge is not part of one. 

It would be a shame to lose the wonderful variety there is in the

church of Jesus Christ.

 

But all Christians are united when we follow the good shepherd.

The Devoted Hearts Women’s Conference recently was an example of this unity as many churches in this community came together.

 

Next month CareFest is another opportunity to display the unity of God’s people as churches all over Rochester work together to demonstrate the love of Christ in this city.

 

And so the important question this Mother’s Day is: do you know the good shepherd? 

Have you experienced his care and protection? 

Do you see that he died for you, and that he knows you and wants to unite you with other parts of his family?

 

 

Our Dear Heavenly Father,

 

On this Mother’s Day we are thankful for the biblical mothers who remind us that we, as women and men, are created in your image.  Thank you for the example of Deborah, who was a mother in Israel but also led her nation, in reflection of your justice and mercy.  Thank you for the example of Hannah, a woman who longed for a child and acknowledged that you, truly, are the giver of life.  Thank you for the examples of Elizabeth and Sarah, who found that age is no barrier to motherhood, for you are a God of miracles.  And thank you for the example of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who showed us how to be willing and acquiescent servants to your will – just as your Son humbled himself and became obedient to your purpose for him.

 

Dear Lord, we thank you for the mothers who raised us, for those who were excellent in all their ways, and for those who intended well but fell short.  May we be thankful for what they put into our lives, both grateful for their goodness and forbearing towards their mistakes. 

 

I pray, too, for the many women who have longed to bear children but cannot.  May they, like Mary and Martha, know what it means to be close to your Son.  May they experience the joy of bringing spiritual children into life.

 

I pray too for mothers whose children are not with them because of death, divorce, adoption or estrangement…for those who have lost children through abortion or miscarriage.  May you comfort them and teach them that you are the true source of all joy regardless of circumstances in this life.

 

For mothers whose sons are in the military, whose lives are in danger on behalf of our country today, I ask a special degree of comfort, knowing that ‘Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.’ 

 

Today we think with empathy of the thousands of mothers and children who have been separated from each other in the Myanmar cyclone.  May the government of that nation permit aid to reach its stricken people quickly.  May you comfort those broken families.

 

We offer our gifts to you now, knowing that they go to further your work around the world.  We thank you that part of this offering goes to support the women’s ministries of Autumn Ridge Church.

 

We praise you now for all your great gifts to us, and for that greatest gift of all, the Child born to an earthly mother who took up our infirmities, carried our sorrows, and opened the way to you through his broken body on the cross.    It is in his name that we pray, Amen.

 

(Gretchen Steer, May 11, 2008)