Will the Real Shepherd Please Stand Up
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ENGAGE
Good morning Church!
Have you ever had to come up with a way to either keep an animal out of something, or tried to keep an animal in something?
We have a small storage building behind our house, and we were temporarily keeping some groceries for a friend in there until we could meet up with them.
Well, one night we went out and the door had been left open, and a raccoon had walked through the door and ate about half of everything it could get into.
There were several boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes and some of those super soft lofthouse cookies, he really liked those.
So after that, we had to really be careful about what we put in there, and we had to make sure that the door stayed closed when we weren't going in and out.
So that was keeping an animal out, but I also had an incident a few years ago, where I was trying to keep my dog Ashton, in her cage while we were at work during the day.
I had made absolutely sure that she was locked in her cage, but what I apparently failed to do, was realize that there was a second door on the back side of the crate, that she had figured out was unlocked, and just barely staying shut by the pressure of the wires pushing against it.
We came home to toilet paper shredded all over the kitchen, a $20 bill shredded on my wife’s nightstand, and a pair of my wife’s expensive sewing scissors that looked like JAWS had gotten a hold of the handles.
TENSION
Doors and gates are important. They help keep things in, keep things out,and keep things safe.
Today, we are going to flashback to just before Easter, and look at another incident right before Easter week.
We talked about the event that sparked the Pharisees and religious leaders to being to hunt and kill Jesus.
That event was the healing of the man born blind, Micheal Bailey Brighton in John chapter 9.
He was born completely blind, but Jesus put mud on his eyes, and then spoke to him, telling him to go wash his eyes, and he obeyed.
When he returned, he could see.
The Pharisee began questioning him about the healing, as you remember it was on the Sabbath, which is a big Pharisee no no.
Micheal kept answering their questions, but he finally said “You ask about him so much, do you want to become his disciples?
OF course, they didn't not take kindly to this, and came back with a statement that “he was Jesus’ disciple, but they were disciples of Moses.”
Indicating that they valued the LAW and put all their value on following the rules they made up.
Now the Pharisee obviously thought that there was no way that this Jesus guy was the Messiah, or that the things he had been doing were significant enough to prove that he was really the Messiah.
So they silenced his voice.
They kicked Micheal Bailey Brighton out of the temple, and they began their conspiracy to kill Jesus.
TRUTH
Turn with me to John chapter 10 starting at verse 1.
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Today’s verses start off with the main idea that we want to talk about.
Jesus is THE shepherd of the sheep. The prophets of the Old Testament, and even earlier books pointed to the Messiah being a shepherd of God’s people.
He is the one who enters the sheepfold or the cave or pen outside the shepherds home, that the sheep stayed in at night.
He enters through the door, the normal way, the way you are supposed to enter it.
If you were not the true shepherd, if you were trying to steal the sheep, you would try to climb over, or dig your way in, or any way you could try to get around the shepherd.
But he is the true shepherd. HE comes and goes as he pleases through the only legitimate entrance to the sheepfold.
We are the Sheep, but this story is about the shepherd, not the sheep.
The Pharisee have shown that they are ungodly leaders, most specifically in kicking Micheal Bailey Brighton out of the temple.
They denied him entry into the “spiritual sheepfold” because they had based their ideas of appropriate religious activity on the LAWS of Moses and the 613 laws that the Pharisee and other religious leaders came up with and prided themselves in keeping better than anyone else.
Jesus goes immediately from the story of Micheal Bailey Brighton in chapter 9 to this story in chapter 10.
Remember that there were no chapter breaks in the first copies of the Bible - those weren't added until much later on.
This is the same setting, with the same people present, and Jesus continues to expand on his statements at the end of chapter 9, with chapter 10, where he compares the Pharisee, and probably some others who were claiming to be the Messiah, to thieves and robbers.
But Jesus is the true, rightful shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
The gatekeeper would stand outside the gate early in the morning, and each shepherd would come to the sheepfold and the gatekeeper will confirm that they are supposed to be there, and allow them to enter the gate.
The gatekeeper authorizes the shepherd. He confirms that he is the rightful caretaker of the sheep.
This reminds me of God’s validation of Jesus at his baptism, where he says “this is my son, in whom I am well pleased”.( LUKE 3:22 and Mark 1:11)
The shepherd will then call to his sheep, and only his sheep will recognize his voice, and come to him, and follow him out of the sheepfold, and to the green pastures that wait for them.
When Jesus met Micheal Bailey Brighton, he heard Jesus’ voice, recognized it as the shepherd who cares for him, and he obeyed him.
The Pharisee were listening, but they did not recognize the shepherd’s voice and authority, and they didn't understand what he had said.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Jesus again reminds the Pharisee that he is the only way to get into the flock.
You can almost see him standing face to face with a pharisee and saying “IF you want to take one of my sheep, you have to go through me!”
He also brings up the thieves and robbers again. It is possible that along with the Pharisee he is talking to, Jesus may also be referring to “fake messiahs” or “revolutionaries” who had started popping up and causing problems by claiming that they were the one the Old Testament pointed to.
36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.
37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.
The sheep did not recognize these false messiah’s voices, so they ignored them.
Again, we have a statement that Jesus is the door.
Often times, the shepherds were literally the door to the sheepfold. They would lay across the opening to make sure that no predators or thieves tried to get in.
He is the one that every one has to go through to get to the sheep.
Once you get through Jesus, you are welcomed into the sheepfold.
You enter into life, with safety and provision. This is very different from the thief who only brings loss, death and destruction.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
So Jesus is the Door, but now we find out he is also the Good Shepherd, the owner of the sheep.
He has compassion for the sheep.
He knows how valuable each one is.
He knows them, with all their quirks and unique differences.
They know him, they have heard his voice, they will follow him wherever he says, because he has taken care of them, and provided for them, and they trust him, they can sens that he would do anything for them, including laying down his own life for them.
16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
The sheepfold is not to keep sheep out.
IT is open to all sheep who hear his voice and obey and follow him.
They are all one flock, following the leading of one shepherd.
This is God’s church- both Jew and Gentile, first century to today and beyond- God’s worldwide family of believers who have heard the call to follow the good shepherd.
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus has control of life and death.
This is pre-resurrection and pre-Lazarus, but Jesus is foreshadowing his abilities to bring the dead back to life, and his ultimate victory of death’s finality.
God gives him the power and authority to do this.
Its important to note that Jesus gave himself of his own free will.
In the garden right before his arrest, he could have stopped it all, but he know what that would have meant for humanity, for creation.
He willingly gave up his life to bring about the new creation and eternal life.
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.
20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?”
21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
The pharisee are divided now.
Some say that he is possessed by a demon.
Others say he is just flat out crazy.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
But others have listened to him, and they remembered the works that he has done, and they cant image him being crazy or possessed.
APPLICATION
Jesus’ words divided the legalist Pharisee much like Peter pierced the hearts of the 3000 with the message of the Christ and his resurrection.
It was also like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Their hearts were strangely warmed when the met Jesus and opened scripture with them.
These pharisee had found their entry to the sheepfold through the door of Jesus Christ, the only acceptable entrance.
Some were not convinced. They chose not to listen to the shepherds voice.
They deiced not to obey him.
They decided not to follow him.
They were not welcome in the sheepfold.
They had decided to find another way to the sheepfold.
They were relying on the laws of Moses and the pharisee, instead of listening to the Shepherd.
INSPIRATION/REFLECTION
Are we choosing to tune out Jesus’ voice?
Are we trying to “work” our way into salvation and Eternal life?
Are we relying on our “goodness”?
Or do we not care enough to pay attention to what Jesus is saying?
ACTION/NEXT STEPS
Sheep are in the running for the absolute dumbest animals on earth.
They would starve or die of thirst if they did not have a shepherd to lead them to fields with available food for them, or streams where they can drink.
They dont know to stay away from predetors, or environmental hazards like, big holes in the road.
but once a sheep enters the sheepfold after going through the good shepherd, they enter into Eternal Life, both here and now, but also in the future, coming kingdom of God.
The eternal life and life more abundant that John refers to here, is the same Eternal life he refers to with Nick in John 3, to Samantha in John 4, and to Marry, Martha and Lazarus in John 11.
We need to be like the Samaritans when they said:
42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
This savior has brought eternal life through the victory over death and the grave.
But along with that, he has brought protection, guidance, provision and compassion to his sheep, to us.
Inside the sheepfold, life is very much like Psalm 23.
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Have you entered the sheepfold through Jesus, the Good Shepherd?
IF not, today is the day.
IF you have entered through him, have you been a sheep listening to his voice, obeying it, and following his commands?