The Good Shepherd

We turn again to John's Gospel, chapter 10, the Good Shepherd.

! Our Savior, when he taught the people, would use figures of speech, objects, practices

! with which they were familiar, and the people of Jesus' day were most familiar

with the picture of a shepherd and his sheep.

And I guess that we too, in the islands, have got an advantage in that this is a familiar

figure for us also, from their importance to the local economy, to the influence they

have on driving on our roads, they are familiar.

And we're also very familiar with the ways in which people treat them, the fact of being

either good or bad shepherds in relation to the flock. There are those that are regarded

simply as sheep owners who are looking after sheep for the sake of the grants that are connected

with them. And there are those who have a passionate connection with sheep, and the sheep in turn

display trust and confidence in the shepherd as they mill around him, as the shepherd fills

the trough with feed in the springtime.

So there's that connection, that human connection that Jesus is teaching in regard to him being a shepherd

made with his culture and with our own.

There's also a spiritual context into which Jesus is speaking.

The figure of a shepherd is used in the Old Testament in regard to those who had a responsibility to lead

and to care for the people of God.

And so in Ezekiel 34, the Lord chastises the spiritual shepherds of Ezekiel's day and says,

you have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured.

You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost.

You have ruled them harshly and brutally.

And so the shepherds, the priests, the kings, they had failed in their responsibility to shepherd the people.

And the Lord, in response, says that he himself will come and he will shepherd them.

I will rescue my flock.

I myself will tend my sheep.

I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.

And in the chapter preceding Jesus' words about being a shepherd,

this has actually come to life in the treatment of the man who was born blind.

The so-called leaders of this man, the Jews, the Pharisees, had paid little attention to him.

They certainly could not have given him sight,

but they did owe to him a duty of care.

They ought to have given him guidance.

They ought to have given him encouragement.

And instead of that, when the man refuses to respond to their words,

they tie him up in abstruse arguments.

And eventually, they expel him from the synagogue.

And it's Jesus, the good shepherd, who comes to him and who gives to him physical sight,

but also comes and encourages him.

He seeks him out in his isolation and in his loneliness.

He comes with compassion after his excommunication

and shows not only physical care, but brings to him spiritual sight.

In a world that is lost, in a world which is oppressed by false leaders,

the Lord Jesus Christ comes and offers himself as the true leader,

the one who can be relied upon.

I am the good shepherd, Jesus says.

And as we consider these verses in John 10 this evening,

I want us to think in terms of the call of the shepherd

and then secondly, the credibility of the shepherd

and then thirdly and briefly, the cross of the shepherd.

The call of the shepherd, the credibility of the shepherd

and the cross of the shepherd.

There are some memories which stick with you.

And I can remember quite clearly still one day in the summertime,

being down in Glasgow and being in Central Station, Glasgow

and just being impressed, almost overwhelmed,

by the teeming mass of humanity.

People going hither and thither in different directions.

Some treading purposefully to the train that they knew they had to get.

Others looking up anxiously at the board.

Others seeming just to wander about aimlessly,

passing the time, filling in the minutes.

But all around, in different media,

messages bombarding this great mass of humanity.

Messages that were coming in neon or messages coming from the billboards.

Messages which were being handed out in leaflets.

And in different ways, the messages were offering prizes of different kinds.

They were offering information, beauty, success of different kinds.

One voice after another, calling out,

Listen to me.

I have what you need.

I can give you direction.

Heed my voice.

And I wondered, especially in regard to young people,

how does one discern the voice that has your interest at heart?

The voice that is not there simply to manipulate and destroy and tread you down,

but the voice that will do you good.

How hard it is for young people, especially in our day,

with all of the confusing messages about identity and purpose,

to discern what is good and true.

And Jesus comes and declares that he is the one

who will give the guidance that we need.

And his voice is the one that we need to hear.

Jesus speaks also of a sheepfold

and of a gate to this sheepfold.

And we're familiar again, are we not,

with these kind of stone enclosures.

The back of our house in Linerco in Skye,

there is a very substantial stone flank.

I think it probably encloses about 20 acres of pasture.

And there is, as in the Jesus figure,

one entrance to it,

one entrance in which the sheep make their way.

And Jesus speaks of a watchman

who will watch over the entrance to the fold

because there would be different flocks would be coming in

and he is making sure

that only those who are the rightful owners enter.

But there's always the possibility

that a robber will come in

and will avoid the gate

and will come in over the wall itself

and will seek to go off with sheep

with which he has no right.

So Jesus is speaking of two voices here

in the parable.

There is the voice of the robber

whose intention is negative,

is evil,

who is there to exploit

and to draw away.

And then there is his own voice.

There's the voice of Jesus

and there is the voice of the robber.

We have robber personalities

in all different kinds of walks of life, don't we?

They occur in politics.

There are those who simply are wooing you,

not necessarily for your own interest,

but because they want your vote.

Salesmen who want your money.

But most seriously of all,

it can occur in the realm of religion.

All kinds of movements,

different sects,

different religious personalities,

promising healing,

promising wealth,

or prestige.

And like the Pharisees in Jesus' day,

many of the individuals

who set themselves up in the visible church

are ultimately in it

for their own good.

Sadly, many people in ministry positions

are not there

because they have had a genuine call

to shepherd a flock,

but are there because of an inner hunger.

There are issues in their lives

that have never been resolved

and as a consequence,

they have an inner compulsion

to lord it over other people.

They want a name.

They want to influence

the direction of people's lives

and so be thought to be significant

in their eyes,

to be looked up to.

And in their hunger,

they devour the flock,

which is a terrible thing

when you think of it.

The shepherd's work there

is to defend

and to prosper his flock.

And the false shepherd,

or the robber,

does the very opposite,

devours the flock.

Jesus warned against those

who are inwardly hungry wolves,

driven by an appetite

for their own prestige,

which results in the flock

being hurt.

So there is this voice.

There's the voice of the robber

and then there is the voice

of the good shepherd,

the voice of Jesus.

His sheep follow him

because they know his voice.

What is the voice of Jesus

saying to us?

What is it calling us to?

Well, it's a voice, first of all,

that calls us to come under

his leadership.

It doesn't take much

of an acquaintance with sheep

to realize that they have

no organizational acumen.

If you leave them to themselves,

they'll scatter to the winds.

They'll generally make a mess of things.

A shepherd is needed

to come along

with a note of authority

to bring them under his rule,

his direction,

to send them to where

they are supposed to be going

by the proper route.

And first of all,

we stress that the voice of Jesus

sounds out to call us

under his leadership

or under his lordship,

we would say.

The gospel never is a declaration

of some facts

that we can be disinterested listeners to.

It always calls for

a response of obedience,

of submission

to the Lord Jesus Christ.

It's a summons to enlist.

It's a call to leave off

going our own way,

to abandon

what is

a determined impulse

within us

to be independent

and to rule our own lives

and to set our own direction

and to submit instead

to the direction

of the good shepherd.

So the voice of Jesus

is first of all

a call

to follow.

He comes as the Lord

who has a right

over our lives.

The new Christian

is someone

who has come under

a new regime.

He has given his allegiance

to a new leader.

And so the Lord himself,

when he comes,

Mark gives us

the summary of his gospel.

Jesus came

preaching

the good news.

The kingdom of God

is near.

Repent.

Turn around

and believe

the good news.

A summons

to obedience.

Second,

the voice of Jesus

not only calls us

to come under

his leadership,

but it calls us

to new purpose.

New purpose.

Sheep need direction.

The shepherd

gives them direction

as he leads them

out of the fold.

Going back

to this picture

of the crowd

milling around

in the great train station

or maybe

the concourse

of an airport.

And you look at

and you wonder

what is going on

in the lives

of all of these

different people.

And you wonder

how many of them

are actually

inwardly aching

for some purpose

in their lives.

They're following

maybe a career path.

Because that's

what everybody

else has done.

Or they're chasing

their own pleasures,

their own desires,

but it's ultimately

satisfaction

is eluding them

and they're looking

for purpose

in their lives.

And Jesus calls us

to a new direction.

Jesus calls us

and he claims

that he will give us

a new purpose

to our lives.

And so he comes

to men

who are fishing.

Peter, James,

and John.

and he says

I will make you

fishers in the

truest sense.

I will make you

fishers of men.

Jesus calls us

to new purpose.

Jesus calls us

thirdly

to life

in its fullness

to the life

that is ultimately

the life

that fulfills.

the life

of the evil

one,

Satan,

is a siren

voice that will

lure us

onto the rocks

which will be

destructive.

The thief

has only

self-interest

at heart,

never has the

good of

the sheep

at heart,

but Jesus

comes and

his desire

is to enrich

our lives,

to bless us.

maybe someone

is here

in church

this evening

and you're

not yet a

Christian

and you're

doing a wise

thing,

you're counting

the cost.

Jesus always

said that we

should count

the cost

before following

him.

Jesus never

made it

possible to

opt in

via easy

believism.

He challenged

people to

consider what

it would cost.

but we

must never

buy into

the lie

that

the

Christian

life is

a life

in which

we are

robbed

of the

good that

we may

have.

That is

Satan's

lie.

Satan

from the

very beginning

accused God

of being a

killjoy,

of being

one who

would withhold

from Adam

and Eve

that which

was for

their own

good.

And Satan

consistently

tries to

deceive in

that way.

So don't

let anybody

tell you that

if you become

a Christian

you will be

the poorer

for it.

Jesus

candidly

tells us

that we

will have

to take

up our

cross,

that we

will experience

criticism,

that there

will be

the abandonment

of some

fair-weather

friends who

no longer

are interested

in going

with us

when we

follow Jesus.

but the

ultimate

reality is

that Jesus

is calling

us to

life in

its

fullness.

I have

come that

we may

have

life and

have it

in all

of its

fullness,

an abundant

life,

not simply

scraping along

until at the

very end

we slide

into heaven,

but a life

of love

of love

and joy

and peace.

These are

the three

essential

ingredients

of the

Christian walk.

Jesus has

promised

that we

will have

life

with his

great

daily

provisions.

Moreover,

it's a

life that

we prove

as Christians

to be,

a life

which brings

joy at

every turn,

in which

there is

an adventure

in following

the Lord

Jesus.

Many of

you here

will testify

to that

fact,

that following

Jesus brings

us into

opportunities

that we

would never

have dreamed

would be

possible,

of meeting

people from

different

cultures who

have shared

the same

love for

the Savior

that we

have,

and we're

knit together

with a

kindred

spirit.

How different

it is from

the fantasies

that are

chased by

those who

are listening

to the

robber's

voice.

Here many

people say

today,

you can

have it

all.

You know,

you can

have the

high-flying

career,

you can

work 14

days and

still have

that flourishing

marriage and

family life.

And usually

the people

who claim

that you

can have

it all

in that

sense

are

miserable

advertisements

for the

have-it-all

lifestyle

because they

looked dried

up,

burned out.

But Jesus

offers not

a life made

up of

material things,

but this

life of

love and

joy and

peace,

of self-control,

wisdom,

gentleness,

a consciousness

in our hearts

that God

is real.

And moreover,

he has a

purpose for

our lives.

Our lives are

not meaningless.

They count

for something.

He promises

that we

may have

mastery over

the things

that can

potentially

enslave

us.

Greed,

envy,

sexual

immorality,

alcoholism,

lying.

Jesus is

offering

to his

sheep

life in

all its

foods.

I have

come that

they might

have life

abundantly.

So the

shepherd is

calling

in all of

the myriad

voices that

call to us

in different

directions.

There's the

voice of

Jesus

calling

distinctively.

how can

we trust

this voice?

How do

we know

that Jesus

is telling

the truth?

This is a

vital question

again,

especially at

the threshold

of believing

as we

consider the

cost,

as we

think of

whether we

will go

forward and

be a

follower of

Jesus Christ.

Can he be

trusted?

Are his

claims trustworthy?

And Jesus

himself tells

us here why

we can

trust his

claims.

And first

of all he

tells us that

he is the

one who

has come

through the

gate.

I tell you

the truth,

the man who

does not

enter the

sheep pen

by the

gate but

climbs in

some other

way is a

thief and a

robber.

The man who

enters by

the gate is

the shepherd

of his

sheep.

What Jesus

is saying

here is that

there is an

appointed way

to enter

the sheep

fold and

he has

entered via

the proper

way.

That's the

case, isn't

it, in

life?

There's a

proper way

to come

into church

this evening.

I don't

think anybody

came through

a window or

climbed under

pews to

get to their

seat.

There was a

proper way

and we

entered via

the proper

way.

And the

Old Testament

scriptures

had said

that there

would be a

way by

which the

Messiah would

come.

they predicted

where he

would be

born,

to whom

he would

be born

to,

the unusual

character of

his birth,

how he would

appear to

the nation,

how he'd be

introduced,

where he

would live,

what he

would say,

what he

would do

when he

came,

the manner

of his

death,

his

resurrection.

This is

what Jesus

means.

He came

the predicted,

the prophesied

way.

He's

credentialed.

No other

person in

all of the

history of

Israel ever

came to the

people of

Israel this

way.

This is how

we can know

that Jesus

is the true

shepherd and

his words are

to be trusted.

He entered

by the

door.

He was

born in

Bethlehem,

prophesied

by the

prophet

Micah.

He was

born of

a virgin.

Isaiah

7,

4,

a virgin

shall be

with

child.

It was

said his

name would

be called

Wonderful

Counselor,

the Mighty

God,

the Everlasting

Father,

the Prince

of Peace.

He's the

one who

was presented

in the

temple as

an infant,

circumcised

on the

eighth day

according to

the law.

He was

owned by

God at

his

baptism.

He came

the accepted

way.

And on

the other

hand,

false

shepherds,

those who

come to

manipulate and

to prey upon

the flock,

they are

recognized by

their craftiness

and their

cunning.

There's a

lack of

openness in

their dealings.

They're not

credentialed.

One of the

hallmarks of

all Christian

converse and

dealings should

be the

openness with

which we

deal with

one another.

everything

conducted in

daylight.

But the

thief and

the robber

dwells in

the shade

and the

darkness.

Jesus came

through the

gate.

His way

was prophesied.

And

interestingly,

Jesus says

that he

can be

trusted because

the watchman

opens the

gate for

the good

shepherd.

What does

this mean?

Probably this

is referring to

John the

Baptist who

was looking

out for

the coming

of the

Savior.

John pointed

to Jesus.

Behold the

Lamb of

God who

takes away

the sin

of the

world.

He's

credentialed by

John's

testimony.

And

thirdly,

he's known

by the

care he

has for

the sheep.

sheep.

What a

wonderful way

of knowing

that Jesus

is all

he says

he is

because he

loves his

sheep.

And in

Jesus'

earthly ministry

there is

this tenderness

towards all

with whom

he comes

in contact.

He knows

your name.

he knows

your personal

circumstances

all about

you.

In all of

his dealings

with people

in his

earthly ministry

there is

this personal

loving

nature.

In his

dealings with

Zacchaeus,

the woman

at the

well,

the Roman

centurion,

the woman

with the

issue of

blood,

blood,

Jesus knew

their

circumstances,

dealt

with them

with

tenderness,

with

gentleness,

and he

comes close

to us.

The shepherd

is the

good shepherd

and because

the sheep

trust him

he comes

close to

them.

There is

an intimacy

in his

dealings

with us.

And that

is such

a contrast

with the

way that

people who

try to

big up

their

position

deal with

those.

In fact,

by creating

a distance

from others

they seek

to make

themselves

seem more

important in

all kinds

of different

ways,

in ways

that we

recognize

sometimes as

simply being

normal.

The business

desk that

separates the

interviewer from

the person

being interviewed.

The way that

the secretary

shields her

boss from

others.

The military

uniform that

sets somebody

off from

the common

rank.

But Jesus

is with

his sheep.

He goes

ahead of

them.

He never

abandons

them.

He never

allows them

to go

through some

circumstance

which is

darker or

harder than

any he has

experienced

himself.

And

fourthly,

we know

Jesus can

be trusted

because of

our

experience

of him,

of his

voice.

It rings

true

deep within

us.

Doctrinally,

we would

say that

that is the

Holy Spirit

testifying in

our hearts

the truth

of Jesus'

words.

voice.

And so

we read

the Bible

and we're

gripped by

the Bible

because Jesus

speaks to

us.

His voice

comes to

us through

the word

written.

God's

people,

those he is

calling by

name,

recognize in

the words

of the

Old and

the New

Testament

the authentic

voice of

Jesus.

us.

We know

his voice.

J.B.

Phillips,

who was

the great

New Testament

translator,

when he

wrote his

autobiography,

he entitled

it Rings

of Truth

after the

way in

which he

had been

repeatedly

convinced

by the

truth of

the New

Testament

as he

worked

closely

with it.

It

simply

rang

true

deep

within

us.

And

friends,

when we

read our

Bibles,

when we

come to

be drawn

by Jesus

and we

encounter

him in

his word,

there's

something

that simply

rings

true

deep

within.

Holy

Spirit

applying

the

truthfulness

of the

word

to us.

And by

the same

token,

Jesus'

sheep

learn to

recognize

the

imposter.

They

become

discerning.

man.

So the

experience

in ministry

often has

been people

will come

and they

will say,

what do

you think

of this

booklet,

this

leaflet?

There's

something in

it that

seems a

bit dodgy,

doesn't

seem quite

right.

That's a

huge

encouragement

because it's

saying that

somebody has

begun to

discern the

difference

between the

voice of

the shepherd

and the

voice of

the imposter,

the one who

was there to

manipulate and

to exploit.

So Jesus

is saying

that he

wants us

to lead

us into

a new

world in

which there

is a

new life,

a life that

is marked

by truth,

by satisfaction,

and he

is the

door,

and he

is the

only door,

the only

way to

this life

in all

its fullness

is by

Jesus.

Thirdly,

and then

very briefly,

the cross

of the

shepherd.

The shepherd

shows that

he is the

good shepherd

by his

love to

the very

end.

Jesus is

willing to

lay down

his life

for his

sheep,

and he

contrasts

his own

commitment

to the

sheep

by the

passing

interest

that the

hired

hand has.

The hired

hand is

paid for

the hours

he's with

the sheep,

but at the

first whiff

of trouble

he's off,

but Jesus

lays down

his life

for his

sheep.

And

verses

17 and

18

stress the

purposeful

nature of

Jesus'

death.

death.

Jesus

didn't

die on

the cross

of Calvary

because his

mission had

gone badly

wrong.

Jesus

could never

have secured

salvation by

an accidental

death.

His death

wasn't an

accident,

it wasn't a

tragedy,

it was a

purposeful

laying down

of his

life for

his sheep.

One

commentator,

Don Carson,

writes,

the shepherd

does not die

for his

sheep to

serve as an

example,

throwing himself

off a

cliff in

a grotesque

and futile

display while

bellowing,

see how much

I love you.

No,

the assumption

is that the

sheep are in

mortal danger,

that in

their defense

the shepherd

loses his

life,

that by his

death they

are saved,

and that

that alone

is what

makes him

the good

shepherd.

I am the

good shepherd,

good shepherd

lays down

his life

for the

sheep.

What a

wonderful,

wonderful truth

that is.

And it's a

truth that the

writers of the

New Testament

could never

get over,

that Jesus

had loved

them to

the extent

of laying

down his

life.

And so we

have these

awestruck

references in

the pages of

our New

Testament to

this.

John writes

in Revelation,

unto him

who loved

us and

washed us

from our

sins in

his own

blood.

Paul in

Romans,

why we

were yet

sinners,

Christ

died for

us.

Peter,

he bore

our sins

in his

own body

on the

tree.

The writer

to the

Hebrews,

who through

the eternal

spirit,

offered

himself

without

spot

unto

God.

He is

the good

shepherd.

He laid

down his

life for

his sheep.

Then we

come to

the end

of Jesus'

discourse,

and we

have a

very familiar

outcome.

There is

a division

of opinion.

There are

those who

dismiss Jesus

as being

demon

possessed,

but others

said,

these are

not the

words of

a man

possessed

by a

demon.

And the

question we

finish with

is,

what about

you?

What is

your response

to the

voice of

Jesus?

He is the

good shepherd,

and he calls

us to

himself,

and he

offers to

us life

in all

its

fullness,

true life

with meaning,

filled with

love and

joy and

purpose,

love and

the

fellowship

with the

other

members of

his flock.

He will

never leave

us nor

forsake us,

but he

calls us to

enter by

the gate.

I am the

gate,

says Jesus.

Will you

enter that

gate

this evening,

if you have

not done

already,

hearing the

voice of

Jesus,

responding in

faith,

Lord,

I believe,

help me to

overcome my

unbelief.

Let's pray

together.

Father, we

thank you for

this beautiful

picture of

our blessed

Savior,

this picture

of the

shepherd,

at the

same time

strong and

yet gentle,

approachable,

and yet

majestic.

Thank you

that his

voice speaks

to us in

the innermost

parts of

our soul.

Lord, grant

that by your

Holy Spirit

we may know

with certainty

that he is

ours and we

are his,

for now and

forever.

In Jesus'

name we

pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Psalm 67,

Psalm 67,

and we are

singing from

the Scottish

Psalter,

the second

part of

our

psalm

book.

Psalm 67,

Psalm 67,

Page 300, verses 1 to 7.

Lord, bless and pity us, shine on us with thy face,

that the earth, thy way, and nations all may know thy saving grace.

The tune is Zurich, and we may stand and sing.

Let the earth, thy way, and nations all may know thy saving grace.

Let people praise thee, Lord.

Let people all thee praise.

O let the nations be glad, and songs their voices raise.

Thou justly people judge, on our true nations all.

Let people praise thee, Lord.

Let them praise thee, both great and small.

The earth, our fruit shall yield, our God shall blessings send.

God shall as blessed men shall in fear, and to earth at most end.

Amen.

Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

rest upon you now and forevermore.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

We had an incident during the service where our lady took unwell.

She's come round.

She's talking.

But we're just waiting on the ambulance to arrive to take her to the hospital.

So if I could ask everyone downstairs to use the two side exits here

and those upstairs to use the main door.

There may be an ambulance outside as you're going out.

So just be aware of that.

We will still go ahead with the fellowship.

So if you are staying for the fellowship, just make your way through to the halls.

If you're downstairs, you can just go out this door through to the hall.

So just take your time and just be aware that there's things going on outside.

Thank you.

I should say myself and Ivor will just leave you to disperse.

We won't go to a door either.

So just make your way out.