John 10:1-6

Well, amen and good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 10.

John 10 · chapter mention

It's good to be back with you this morning. Last week we were wrapping up a trip to Memphis to see my niece graduate.

And I think about this time when I would have preferred to be opening God's Word with you.

So, I was in a minivan on Highway 22 in northern Alabama, which is just a mind-numbing stretch of road.

I would have really liked to have been doing this instead, so I'm glad that I'm here with you today.

Our text for today is John chapter 10, verses 1 through 6.

John 10:1–6

The Bible uses many titles to refer to Jesus Christ.

I propose to you that none is more precious than the title, Good Shepherd.

Lord willing, we're going to spend the next five weeks in John's Gospel in this chapter where Jesus refers to himself in this way.

Now, we covered all of chapter 9 in a single week, a couple of weeks ago.

So, you may go, why suddenly are we going to pump the brakes so much and slow down?

And the reason is the chiastic structure.

The literary structure of this chapter presses it in that direction.

So, really quickly, if you're unfamiliar with chiasms, it's a literary structure that allows you to take a text and fold it upon itself.

So, the first thing in the text corresponding with the last thing in the text and stepping toward a center of the text.

So, just quickly and broadly, I want to walk you through chapter 10 so you'll get why we're doing this.

And then we'll do a little bit of background and then read our text together.

So, firstly, the first section, today's text, verses 1 through 6.

The sheep hear the shepherd's voice.

So, kind of thematically, we're picking that up.

Then the corresponding part of it is the substantive part of the text, which is verses 19 through 42.

So, Lord willing, a month from now, we'll look at those verses together.

And there, we see Jesus saying again that his sheep hear his voice.

Next, verses 7 through 10, Jesus talks about him being the door for the sheep.

And correspondingly, verses 15 through 18, he talks about laying down his life for the sheep.

And then the central piece of it is Jesus declaring himself the good shepherd in verse 11 and in verse 14.

So, we'll take a look at each of those, and I won't talk about it at all today, past this, but verses 1 through 6, also chiastic.

And each of those breaks down in that way.

As we spend this time in John chapter 10, it has been my prayer that God would profit us greatly as we take it up.

John 10 · chapter mention

So, before we read, allow me just a moment to connect the end of chapter 9 to the discourse that is before us.

In chapter 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind.

As you have come to expect, this causes confusion and commotion.

So, the man is brought before the Pharisees and put through a series of examinations.

First him, then his parents, and then back to him again.

At the conclusion of this series of examinations, the man says, this is chapter 9 in verse 33,

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

If this man, referring to Jesus, were not from God, he could do nothing.

And they answered him.

This is a group of Pharisees he's brought before.

You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?

And they cast him out.

Verse 35, Jesus heard they had cast him out.

And having found him, he said,

Do you believe in the Son of Man?

He answered, And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?

Jesus said to him,

You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.

He said, Lord, I believe.

And he worshipped him.

So, Jesus welcomes the man that was born blind, that he had healed.

Verse 39, Jesus said,

For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.

Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him,

Are we also blind?

Jesus said to them,

If you were blind, you would have no guilt.

But now that you say, we see, your guilt remains.

So, we spent a minute of time talking about this text,

And noted that Jesus, having healed a blind man of his physical disability,

And then, much more importantly, of his spiritual disability,

Uses this sight language to expose the prideful Pharisees.

He's speaking here with a great deal of irony.

Similarly, in Mark chapter 2, verse 16 and 17,

Mark 2:16

We read,

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors,

Said to his disciples,

Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?

And when Jesus heard it, he said to them,

Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

So, it's these men that think they're righteous because of their careful observance of the law,

Which was not a perfect observance of the law.

See no need of a savior that Jesus is talking about here.

And so, it's in this context that Jesus goes on to speak in chapter 10.

He is speaking to these Pharisees.

Blind men who have been thrown out of the synagogue a seeing man.

So, John chapter 10, verses 1 through 6.

John 10:1–6

And I'm actually going to read all the way through verse 18,

Just to get our heads set into the discourse.

But before I do, I'll pray.

Father, would you help us as we take up your word together this morning?

Would you bless my feeble preparation and I'm sure my feeble delivery?

We want to rightly understand it.

We want to behold Jesus by it.

We want to be changed from one degree of glory to another for the sake of your name.

And so, it's in that name that we pray.

Amen.

Alright, John 10, beginning in verse 1.

Jesus says,

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.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the gatekeeper opens.

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.

This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus again said to them,

Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

All who come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the door.

If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

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.

He flees because he has a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd.

I know my own, and my own know me.

Just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.

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.

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

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.

So Jesus, in chapter 10, employs a rich metaphor.

We have very little cultural context to enliven what is happening in this moment.

First century Jews were agrarian people.

The whole economy was based on livestock and fields and harvest.

First, the average person among us can see a cow eating grass in a field

and then order a burger in a drive-thru and make no mental connection between the two.

How does one get from there to there?

But not so with them.

Livestock were part of their daily experience.

Sheep being taken out to pasture and brought back into safety at night

would have happened regularly, happened right in front of them.

So this picture of sheep being called out and led would have been vivid in their minds.

This is strategic language that Jesus is employing here.

Further, and I would suggest more importantly,

it's a rich metaphor because of its biblical foundation.

I hope that we are a bit less lost at this point.

Perhaps you know your Old Testament well.

I hope so.

The men that Jesus is addressing most certainly would have known their Old Testament well.

Does anything leap into your mind when Jesus presents himself as a shepherd?

I hope something, something jumps up in your mind.

We read together Psalm 23 not that long ago.

Perhaps at least that text for you.

But if not, some time in the Old Testament is going to serve us well at this point.

So leave John 10 behind for just a moment

and join me in some quick sweeping Bible background

by joining me in Ezekiel chapter 34.

Ezekiel 34 · chapter mention

The blessed sound of turning pages.

Ezekiel 34.

I'm going to hop through this text a little bit just for the sake of time.

Listen to the words that Ezekiel recorded.

Verse 1.

The word of the Lord came to me.

Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel.

Prophesy and say to them, even to the shepherds,

thus says the Lord God.

Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves.

Should not shepherds feed the sheep?

You eat the fat.

You clothe yourselves with wool.

You slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep.

The weak you have not strengthened.

The sick you have not healed.

The injured you have not bound up.

The strayed you have not brought back.

The lost you have not sought.

And with force and harshness you have ruled them.

So they were scattered.

Because there was no shepherd,

and they became food for all the wild beasts,

my sheep were scattered.

Skip to verse 11.

For thus says the Lord God,

Behold, I myself will search for my sheep,

and will seek them out.

As a shepherd seeks out his flock,

when he is among his sheep that have been scattered,

so will I seek out my sheep,

and I will rescue them from all places

where they have been scattered,

on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

And I will bring them out from the peoples,

and gather them from the countries,

and will bring them into their own land,

and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel,

by the ravines,

and in all the inhabited places of the country.

I will feed them with good pasture,

and on the mountain heights of Israel

shall be their grazing land.

There they shall lie down in good grazing land,

and on rich pasture they shall feed

on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep,

and I myself will make them lie down,

declares the Lord God.

Skip to verse 22.

I will rescue my flock.

They shall no longer be a prey,

and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

And I will set up over them one shepherd,

my servant David,

and he shall feed them.

He shall feed them and be their shepherd.

And I, the Lord, will be their God,

and my servant David shall be prince among them.

I am the Lord.

I have spoken.

I will make with them a covenant of peace

and banish wild beasts from the land

so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness

and sleep in the woods.

Shepherds who are taking advantage of the sheep,

we see in Ezekiel 34.

Sheep who are scattered.

A prince who protects and feeds.

The men Jesus is speaking to,

were they not blind,

should be perceiving all of this

as Jesus presents this metaphor.

This text should be alive in their minds.

However, this is not the only Old Testament text.

These men declared themselves disciples of Moses

in John chapter 9 and verse 28.

John 9 · chapter mention

One might think they would recall the prayer of Moses

for a successor.

Numbers 27, verse 15 and following,

Numbers 27:15

Moses spoke to the Lord saying,

Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh,

appoint a man over the congregation

who shall go out before them

and come in before them,

who shall lead them out and bring them in.

Language sound familiar?

That the congregation of the Lord

may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.

The next verse in Numbers 27

names Joshua as Moses' successor.

So we've got David as a type for Christ

and Ezekiel.

We've got Joshua now.

Jesus is the transliteration of the name Joshua

from Hebrew to Greek to English.

These connections ought to be being made.

Other Old Testament passages indict the priests

for not shepherding as they should.

Isaiah 56, verse 9 through 12.

Isaiah 56:9–12

Jeremiah 23, verse 1 through 4.

Jeremiah 23:1–4

Chapter 25, verse 32 to 38.

Zechariah 11.

I'm just showing you that it's replete.

It's all throughout the text.

And the Old Testament presents God

as the ultimate shepherd of his people.

Psalm 23, Psalm 80, verse 1,

Psalms 80:1

Isaiah 40, and verse 11.

Do you see how rich this metaphor is?

It's not random.

It's not offhanded.

Jesus is not shooting from the hip here at all.

He's saying some very, very clear things

to this group of men.

This is a metaphor.

It's laden with Old Testament teaching.

In a few short words,

he's bringing all of this up

to say to them that they are false shepherds

and that he is the true God

who will call out his people.

Now, in the back of your bulletin,

adults, it's not really for you,

but you might like to color too.

There's a cartoon.

And it's a quote from John Calvin.

This is in his preface

to Olivier Tannes' New Testament.

I hope I pronounced that correctly.

He said this quote,

So,

you rightly take up,

rightly study the Old Testament,

you will arrive at the conclusion

that Jesus is the Christ.

And that is the very point

that Jesus is making here.

He's not being cryptic in John 10.

He's indicting false religion

and false teachers.

They know exactly what's going on.

We'll see as we progress

through chapter 10.

But verse 6 records,

back in John 10,

this figure of speech

Jesus used with them,

but they did not understand

what he was saying to them.

And understanding all of that background,

John means for this to be striking to us.

How could these men not understand

the thing that he is saying

as he speaks of himself

as the shepherd?

This is how he begins the dialogue,

verse 1.

Truly, truly,

it's to say,

really, really,

listen, pay attention,

this is true,

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.

He's expounding on

what he has said at the end,

of chapter 9.

Now, the sheepfold

was a place

where a group of families

would bring their flocks

in at night

for protection.

Right?

Smaller flocks,

a group of people

partnering together

to put them into

a common pen

or perhaps a courtyard,

and a man,

often referred to

as an under-shepherd,

would be hired

to watch over them

throughout the night.

Now, the sheep

would be safe

from predators

in the sheepfold.

It was a structure

designed to keep wolves

out,

but not safe

from a thief

and a robber.

So,

somebody would be hired

to look over

the space

and make sure

somebody didn't come in

and take out

what was not theirs.

Now,

these words,

thief and robber,

are too similar

in English

to ascertain

much of any

variance in them.

Isn't a thief

and a robber

just the very same thing?

But they could be

translated from the original

a thief

and an insurrectionist.

I don't pretend

to know exactly

what Jesus means

by these two words,

but perhaps he is suggesting

that the leader

who is not the shepherd

doesn't belong

among the sheep

as he gets in

and he stirs up,

but he means harm

and he causes rebellion.

Well,

whatever is meant here,

they are presented

as being harmful

and being entirely

unconcerned

about entering

the proper way.

Now,

I don't believe

that anybody

in my hearing,

I could be wrong,

but falls into this category

of false religion,

false teacher.

My assumption this morning

is that none of you

are presently

in the works

of trying to form

a cult of some kind.

At least I certainly hope

that that's not the case.

The strong indictment

of this text

really doesn't demand

a lot of our time,

but what does require

attention

is the juxtaposition

of the metaphor

which then infers

some warning

for us.

not this,

but this,

and here we have

such opportunity

to look

to Christ.

Verse 2 says,

but he who enters

by the door

is the shepherd

of the sheep.

Jesus

is the shepherd

of the sheep.

verse 1-6

might leave that

unclear,

but we know

this is the case

because he tells us

so in verse 11

and verse 14.

There he says,

I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd

lays down his life

for the sheep.

Verse 14,

I am the good shepherd.

I know my own

and my own

know me.

It's the shepherd

that is granted

access

to the sheep

because he has

the authority

to come into the sheep.

He is the shepherd

and so it is to him

the gatekeeper,

this under-shepherd

opens.

He comes and knocks

and the gate

is opened

for the shepherd.

At once,

the gate is opened.

And what is it

that the shepherd

does

when the gate

is opened?

He calls his sheep.

What the shepherd

does is he gathers

to himself

his sheep.

The job of a shepherd

is to lead

sheep.

But notice,

not every sheep

in the sheepfold.

Therein lies

the inferred

warning.

Jesus calls

his

sheep.

Verse 3 goes on,

the sheep

hear his voice

and he calls

his own sheep

by name

and leads

them

out.

sheep.

Now,

sheep are

not the brightest

of animals.

They desperately

need shepherding

as they will not

stay alive long

without someone

watching over them.

I challenge you,

and you may know

of one,

I've never heard

of wild sheep.

I don't think

they exist.

I think they will

get eaten

and wiped out.

However,

to the sheep's

credit,

sheep can

and do

learn the voice

of their shepherd

and will loyally

follow

his voice.

This is still

a Near East

shepherding

practice,

to gather

small flocks

into larger

flocks

for protection

at night.

Shepherds will

team up together

to help

protect one

another's

sheep.

And in the morning,

each shepherd

calls to their

sheep,

and as they

go their

separate ways,

the sheep

will follow

their shepherd.

There is

not confusion

about which

sheep belong

to whom.

They don't have

to brand them

and figure out

how to sort

them out.

Again,

the sheep

know who

they are

to follow.

The Bible,

as we have

already noted,

uses this

sheep metaphor

for God's

people.

I think

it's very

healthy for

us to push

against a

highly

individualized

version of

Christianity.

We get that

me and

Jesus type

of culture.

Most of you

here are

members of

our church

and we've

pressed upon

you the

need for

that.

It's a

biblical

command that

you be

joined to

a group

of Christians.

This is

part of

God's

design for

healthy

Christian

living.

I want

you,

when you

think of

your salvation,

to be

caught up

into thoughts

that are

much grander

than just

you.

I want

you to

think of

peoples saved

for the

glory of

God.

Peoples from

all over the

world called

into local

assemblies to

love and

serve one

another.

But,

when the

Bible

individualizes

our salvation,

we should

pause,

just for a

moment,

to do the

very same.

people,

I find

these words

just

incredible.

The sheep

hear his

voice,

and he

calls his

own sheep

by name

and leads

them out.

This is a

variance on

the picture

of a

shepherd.

In reality,

he would say

something.

I don't know

what shepherds

say to sheep.

He'd give

some kind of

a command

or a

noise or

something,

and they

would hear

him and

they would

know it's

time to

move.

But here,

Jesus presents

himself as

calling them

individually by

name.

His sheep,

drawing them

together into

a flock and

leading them

out.

Now,

if at this

point the

question enters

your mind,

am I one

of his

sheep?

I want you

to know that

I do not

think that

question

unfair,

but I do

think that

it is the

wrong

question.

I would

say to

you rather,

if you're

unsure,

has Jesus

called me

by name,

you should

ask the

question,

do I

hear him

calling?

If so,

follow.

Don't ask

the other

question.

Do you

hear him

calling?

Follow.

You may

find that

you are

sitting here

this morning

as a

means of

Jesus

calling your

name.

I'm not

asking you

to audibly

hear him

call your

name.

You're in

church this

morning,

hearing the

gospel and

our prayers

and our

singing,

read,

preached.

You may

have been

born into a

family with

Christian parents

as a means

of Jesus

calling your

name.

Jesus

delights in

using ordinary

means for

extraordinary

ends.

do you

hear him

calling your

name?

Do you

find yourself

hearing the

gospel of

Jesus Christ?

Repent and

believe.

Follow.

Follow.

He goes

on in

verse 4,

when he

has brought

out all

his own,

he goes

before them

and the

sheep follow

him for

they know

his voice.

sheep.

Now I

learned

something this

week about

shepherding that

I was unaware

of.

I thought I

had my head

wrapped around

it.

This is what I

learned.

Sheep that

are led

back and

forth from

familiar pasture

to familiar

pins or

enclosures

back to the

barn are

typically led

from behind.

Kind of the

normal picture,

at least in my

head, that we

have of shepherds

walking along

behind with the

staff, right,

giving little

corrections as

they go, but

from behind.

That's the

picture that

comes into

your mind

or not.

The shepherd's

concern is for

that occasional

straggler,

right, that

wanders off,

is distracted

by something.

But the

sheep generally

know the way

they are to

go.

Some of them

get out in

front and

lead, they

know the

place they're

going to,

and so off

places are

led from

the front.

Sheep don't

naturally

trust a

pathway.

You can't

put them

on a

road and

just expect

them to

walk down

the road,

or can

they comprehend

a destination?

You can't

tell them,

hey, we're

going over

there.

They don't

understand what

you might be

saying.

So the

shepherd sets

the example

and goes

before them,

leads out

ahead of

them.

this is

so

astoundingly

tender

and

merciful.

Jesus

says this

with

purpose.

He leads

them to a

place that

they have

not been,

and he

goes there

first.

My mind

leapt to

Hebrews

Hebrews 6:19

chapter 6,

verse 19

and following.

There the

author says,

we have

this as a

sure and

steadfast

anchor of

the soul,

a hope

that enters

into the

inner place

behind the

curtain,

where Jesus

has gone

as a

forerunner

on our

behalf.

Jesus goes

before us

into the

presence of

God that

we might

also go

there.

Jesus does

not lead

his people

anywhere

that he

has not

first

gone.

suffered,

died,

was raised.

What a

savior.

What a

shepherd.

This

reflection,

this little

piece so

far has

been worth

all the

time I

have spent

on these

brief

verses.

This was

the moment

that I

went,

oh,

this is

a good

text.

What a

blessing it

is that I

get to

open this

text and

talk about

it.

This

morning,

Jesus goes

before his

sheep.

He doesn't

prod us

from behind,

he leads

from the

front.

And what

do the

sheep do?

Notice,

the sheep

follow him

for they

know his

voice.

This is a

picture of

deep

trust.

The sheep

say,

this shepherd

has always

led us,

will we

will gladly

go wherever

he leads.

Spurgeon

once said,

this is also

in your

bulletin if

you care,

Jesus is

the good

shepherd going

before his

sheep,

bidding them

follow him,

and ever

leading them

onwards with

the sweet

word,

come.

The

obedience of

Jesus'

sheep

trusts

that wherever

he leads,

it will be

for their

ultimate

good.

We read

earlier,

Psalm 23,

as I've

already

mentioned.

Jesus is

the Lord

of Psalm

23.

Listen again

to these

words of

David.

The Lord

is my

shepherd,

I shall

not want.

He makes

me lie

down in

green

pastures.

He leads

me beside

still waters.

He restores

my soul.

He leads

me in

paths of

righteousness

for his

name's

sake.

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.

You prepare

a table

before me

in the

presence of

my enemies.

You anoint

my head

with oil.

My cup

overflows.

Surely

goodness

and mercy

shall follow

me all the

days of my

life,

and I

shall dwell

in the

house of

the Lord

forever.

Satisfaction,

good provision

and safe

waters,

proper paths,

but notice

that the

way is

not always

easy.

However,

comfort,

goodness,

mercy,

and God's

presence belong

to those

who belong

to him.

This is

why the

sheep

follow him

for they

know

his voice.

It bears

saying that

this is a

text about

belonging.

Remember my

reference earlier

to the man

who was cast

out of the

synagogue,

and Jesus

comes and

finds him

and welcomes

him.

It's a text

about belonging,

not a text

about discerning

God's will.

not at all

what Jesus

is trying

to communicate

here.

He's saying

you either

are my

sheep

or you

are not

my

sheep.

I think

we should

be careful

at this

point

to not

spin the

metaphor

off in

a direction

that is

not

meant.

Some,

in an

effort to

discern

the voice

of Jesus,

have become

a thief

and a

robber,

thinking they

hear a

voice,

something

that,

some truth

that exists

outside the

text of

the Bible

and the

list is

endless,

it would

seem,

these days.

False

teachers,

false

religion.

That's not

what Jesus

is communicating.

He's talking

about belonging.

Knowing the

voice of the

shepherd in

this context

is about

hearing and

responding to

the call

of the

gospel.

Recognizing

our great

need of

a Savior

and him

presenting

himself to

us and

us following

him because

we know

his voice.

Be careful

not to make

it more

than that

or to

make it

any less

than that.

Verse

five,

a stranger,

Jesus says,

they will

not follow

but they

will flee

from him

for they

do not

know the

voice

of strangers.

Verse

five brings

me as a

minister of

the gospel

great comfort.

I hope it

does the

same for

you as

you seek

to share

the good

news with

others.

God's

people will

heed the

call of

the gospel.

God's

people will

not follow

the voice

of strangers

but as

the gospel

call is

made,

God's

people will

respond

in obedience.

And so

what are we

to do?

Be the

voice of

Jesus.

Open up

the text,

explain the

word,

share the

good news

with people

and trust

God's

saving

purpose.

This is why

I'm grateful

things like

this bolster

our confidence

that when we

gather together

as a

church,

we should

just open

and preach

the word.

Sing the

word,

pray the

word,

see the

word in

the ordinances

and just do

that week

in and

week out.

The

blessed

thing that

God is

about the

work of

saving

his people.

He has

sent to

us the

good

shepherd

and God's

people will

hear his

voice and

they will

respond

in obedience.

No need

to fly me

into this

room on

cables to

impress you

all,

land me

on the

stage,

jump dirt

bikes across

the stage,

or give

away a

car on

Easter Sunday.

He's going

to gather

and preach

the word

and send

you out

to do

the very

same

thing.

He's

calling people

by name

and those

sheep

will know

his voice

and they

will follow.

So whether

you have

confidence

this morning

that you

have been

called by

name and

are following

the good

shepherd or

you don't

have confidence

that this

is true

of you,

I want

you to

hear my

plea in

closing.

He is

a good

shepherd.

He has

gone before

us.

In him

there is

satisfaction

and good

provision

and safe

waters,

proper paths

that are not

always easy

but comfort

and goodness

and mercy

and his

presence.

So listen

and follow.

Let's pray.