I Am the Good Shepherd

I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.

The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.

He calls his own sheep by name and 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.

But they will never follow a stranger.

In fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.

Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.

All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the gate.

Whoever enters through me will be saved.

He will come in and go out and find pasture.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.

I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

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.

I am the good shepherd.

I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the father knows me and I know the father.

And I lay down my life for the 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.

The reason my father loves me is that I lay down my life only to 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 authority to take it up again.

This command I received from my father.

At these words, the Jews were again divided.

Many of them said, he is demon possessed and raving mad.

Why listen to him?

But others said, these are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon.

Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?

Thanks, Chris.

Many of you will have noticed that I am not Johnny.

Johnny is away this weekend.

He is speaking in Dublin at a church weekend for Grosvenor Road Baptist Church,

the church that he served his apprenticeship in.

So we can be praying for Johnny as he is up there speaking to the church.

But in this place, we have Michael Grant.

The name is familiar.

Johnny's father.

It is great to have you with us this morning, Michael.

And if I can invite you up as you share God's word with us this morning.

I knew he wasn't Johnny.

He's got more hair than Johnny.

Anyway, it's good to be with you once again and to be able to share from God's word.

And as you've already heard, we're looking today at the good shepherd.

And I think last week you looked at I am the bread.

And we see in John chapter 10 and verse 11, the same thoughts on I am.

John 10 · chapter mention

I am the bread of life.

And here in verse 11 of chapter 10 of John, we have I am the good shepherd.

Of course, there are lots of descriptions regarding the Lord Jesus Christ.

And all of them describe something of his attributes, something of his character, if you like, something of his beauty.

And it's true of this particular description from the words of the Lord Jesus himself.

It's very beautiful.

I am the Lord's shepherd.

I am the Lord is my shepherd, says the psalmist.

And here it is.

I am the good shepherd.

There was a commentator by the name of John Brown who lived a number of years ago.

And he was studying these words.

And this is what he said about them.

They are at once transparently clear and unfathomably deep.

There is much important truth on the surface.

There is more, much more beneath it.

Much meaning meets the year, but more meets the mind.

The words express much.

They suggest more.

They are replete with emphasis.

And if you want that in everyday English, a child can understand these words.

I am the good shepherd and can gain much from it.

Some of us who were brought up through Sunday school, we heard the story of the good shepherd

and the seeking shepherd who went out to look for the lost sheep.

And we understood it.

And we gained something from it.

And yet there is something here.

If we have studied the scriptures for the whole of our lives, we can still learn more.

And I would suggest to you this morning that as we look at this subject of the Lord Jesus being a good shepherd,

that our minds are open to receive things that perhaps we have not heard before,

that will encourage us, not only now, but in the very day of our death also,

when we shall meet face to face with the good shepherd.

But to interpret this with these words of the Lord Jesus,

we need to see that the idea of the shepherd is firmly rooted in the Old Testament scriptures.

We tend to look at a shepherd through our Western eyes,

and we see, as I did when I was coming over from Killa today,

we look at fields, and we see sheep in them.

And there's all things that can go wrong with sheep.

And the shepherd has to go to the field and look out for things,

particularly this time of the year when there's lambing going on.

And we tend to think of a shepherd in those terms,

but we dare not think of a shepherd in those terms.

We think of an Eastern shepherd, and we think of one who,

in this particular title of the Lord Jesus,

a title that is firmly rooted in the Old Testament.

It reminds me of a story of somebody who was taking a group of young people

over to the Holy Land, so-called,

and he was taking them over,

and he was giving talks each day about various aspects of life in the Holy Land.

And one of the talks this particular morning was on the good shepherd

who goes before and calls his sheep by name,

and they follow him.

If you go out to Israel,

indeed I've seen it in Spain as well,

a shepherd going before,

and the sheep following after the shepherd,

leading them to the good pasture.

And the pastor who was leading this particular group said,

well, it's a good thing to do,

and it's a lovely story of the shepherd leading the sheep.

And he was telling the people about this.

Well, as they were going out on their coach tour that particular day

to one of the sites,

they saw some sheep going along the road,

but the man wasn't in front.

He was behind.

And they were saying,

I thought you said the shepherd goes ahead.

Well, he does, he said.

I can't understand this.

Stop the coach.

Stop the coach.

So he went back and spoke to this man.

And there was nodding and talking going on.

And eventually he comes back to the coach,

and he says,

well, I found out the secret.

That wasn't the shepherd.

That was the butcher.

The butcher drives his sheep.

The shepherd leads his sheep.

And thank God for a shepherd who leads his sheep.

So let's look at this story together.

Let's see that the title suggests the deity of the Lord Jesus.

I am the good shepherd.

Just a few chapters before in chapter 8 and verse 58,

Jesus says to the people,

before Abraham was born, I am.

And the people are ready to stone him because he said that.

They said, you're a man,

and yet you're making yourself equal with God.

That's not correct.

And they're ready to stone him.

I am was a title that spoke of deity.

So when we read these words,

I am the good shepherd,

it's saying that Jesus is truly God.

I am is rooted way back in Exodus chapter 3.

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

Remember that Moses was out in the desert.

He was watching sheep.

And he sees a bush that's burning with fire.

And yet it's not consumed.

And Moses goes over to look at this bush

to see exactly what is happening.

And God speaks to him from the bush.

He tells him to take his shoes off

because he's standing on holy ground.

And then in Exodus 3 and verse 6,

he says,

I am the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac,

the God of Jacob.

And Moses is terrified

because he's face to face with the living God.

And God speaks to Moses and says,

I've chosen you

to lead my people

out of the land of bondage,

out of the land of slavery,

into the land of Egypt.

You're going to be the leader.

Now, Joseph,

Moses rather,

doesn't like the job description.

And he argues with God.

He doesn't want to go.

Let somebody else go.

I can't speak.

And he goes through all the arguments.

And then in verse 13 of that same passage,

he says,

Suppose I go to the Israelites

and say to them,

The God of our fathers has sent me to you.

And they ask me,

What is his name?

What shall I tell them?

And God says to Moses,

This is my name.

I am that I am.

Tell them,

I am has sent me to you.

What does it mean,

I am?

Well, God was making known to Moses

that he was unchanging.

That he was Yahweh, Jehovah,

the one who would be with him.

He would be with Moses.

His presence would go with Moses.

His power would be with Moses.

He would go with him

in order to accomplish the task

of bringing the people

out of the land of slavery

into the land of promise.

I am the ever-present one,

the unchanging one.

We, for ourselves,

are always changing.

We cannot be everywhere present.

I am here today.

I don't expect to be here tomorrow.

Because I'm here today,

I cannot be in my own local church

in Middleton.

And the day will come

when I will pass from the scene of time.

And they will speak of Michael Grant

in the past tense.

He was.

Etc.

But the God that we serve

and the God who reveals Himself to us

in the person of the Lord Jesus

is the I Am.

In the Lord Jesus,

we have One who is eternally present with us.

I am the Good Shepherds.

We have the eternal presence

of the eternal God

in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So when Jesus says this,

I am the Good Shepherd,

He is making it clear

that He is the eternal,

ever-present One.

I am the bread of life,

always there to satisfy us.

I am the resurrection

and the life.

He is the eternal life.

And our life is in Him.

He is the bread.

He is the resurrection and the life.

He is the Good Shepherd,

the I Am.

I am the Good Shepherd.

And that again speaks to us

of the One who is eternal.

If you were listening to Jesus' words

for the first time

over there in the land of Israel

as it is today,

you would immediately go back

to the Old Testament Scriptures.

The New Testament

wouldn't have been available

for these people.

It was yet to be written.

So their Scriptures

were the Old Testament Scriptures.

What were the Scriptures

that they would think of

as Jesus says,

I am the Good Shepherd?

They would think

of Psalm 23 and verse 1.

The Lord, Yahweh, Jehovah,

is my shepherd.

And yet Jesus is saying,

I am the Good Shepherd.

He was saying that that shepherd

that David spoke of

in the 23rd Psalm,

that's me, I manifest in the flesh.

They would think of perhaps

Psalm 95 and verse 6.

Come, let us bow down in worship.

Let us kneel before the Lord,

our Maker,

for He is our God

and we are the people

of His pasture,

the flock under His care,

the concern of a shepherd

who's worthy of worship

and praise.

And the psalmist is thinking

of Him being not only

our Lord and Maker,

but the one who watches

over Him personally

and over His people.

Or maybe they would think

of the prophecy of Ezekiel,

Ezekiel 34 · chapter mention

chapter 34 and verse 15.

I myself will tend my sheep

and make them lie down,

declares the Sovereign Lord.

So thinking of this title

that the Lord Jesus gives to Himself,

He's clearly demonstrating

that He is the eternal I Am,

that He is the Good Shepherd,

that He is the shepherd

who was spoken of

in the New Testament,

who is now being manifest

in the flesh.

My friends,

when we think of this,

it should cause us

to praise and worship.

We are His people.

He has come down

to where we are

to bring deliverance for us,

to deliver us from the,

not only sin,

but the power of sin.

It should thrill our hearts.

It should cause us to wonder,

to stand in awe.

And if we are true Christians today,

we can say with Peter,

as he does in 1 Peter 2 and verse 25,

For you were like sheep

going astray,

but now you have returned

to the shepherd

and overseer of your souls.

You have been brought

into the fold of God

through the One

who was eternally God

who came down

to live among us.

The Lord reveals His deity

in these words.

But also in these words,

the Lord reveals His destiny.

And what was His destiny?

Well again,

if you go back to verse 11,

we see I am the good shepherd.

The good shepherd

lays down His life

for the sheep.

We have the same thought

in the latter part

of verse 14.

I lay down my life,

says the good shepherd.

We have the same thought

in verse 17.

The reason my Father loves me

is that I lay down my life.

Jesus is speaking

to His disciples

amongst others

and He's telling them

what is going to happen.

He will become

even more specific

later on

as He goes to Gethsemane.

And He says to His disciples

in Matthew 26 and verse 31,

This very night

you will all fall away

on account of Me,

for it is written,

I will strike the shepherd

and the sheep of the flock

will be scattered.

Which is a direct reference

to Zechariah 13 and verse 7.

So when we think

of this particular

I am of Jesus,

we have to associate it

with His death.

He is different to others

who came before Him.

Jesus refers to them

in this passage

as hirelings.

What happened

to the hired hand?

Well, Jesus contrasts Himself

with the hired hand.

In verse 12,

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.

He doesn't care

and He doesn't have

an interest

in the flock.

Soon,

not only the wolf

would attack,

but the pack of wolves

would attack

the Lord Jesus.

There would be

the chief priests,

the Pharisees,

Herod,

Pilate.

They would all

attack Him

in one way

or another.

But He doesn't run

because He cares

for the sheep.

The Good Shepherd

knew that He came,

yes,

eternally God,

but He becomes man

in order that He might

die there

upon the cross

of Calvary.

He becomes

obedient to death,

even death

upon the cross.

He lays down

His life

because He's not

the hired hand

and He lays down

His life gladly

and willingly.

Look at verse 18.

No one takes

my life from me,

but I lay it down

of my own accord.

I have authority

to lay it down

and authority

to take it again.

This command

have I received

from the Father.

Oh, there was

ample opportunity

for Jesus

to run away

as hired hands did.

But He didn't run.

He went all the way

to Calvary.

He lays down

His life

as the good shepherd.

No one

took His life

from Him.

He lay it down

of Himself.

Think of this

for a moment.

Jesus goes

to Gethsemane.

We know

that He could

have called

the legions

of angels

to come

to His aid,

but He does not.

He prays,

Father,

if You be willing,

take this cup

from Me,

this cup of suffering,

this cup of death.

Yet,

not My will,

but Yours

be done.

And as He prays,

we are told

His sweat

was as it were

drops of blood

falling to the ground.

He was in agony

as He faced

death

upon the cross

because He was going

to bear the sins

of many

there upon

the cross.

As He's in the garden,

we see Judas

approaching

with the officials

and the chief priests

and the Pharisees.

and they're all

armed to the teeth.

And John,

giving his account

of this particular

happening,

says in John 18

and verse 4

that Jesus

speaks to these

crowds

that are coming

to get Him.

Who is it

you want?

Jesus of Nazareth,

they reply.

And then Jesus

says,

I am He.

And we're told

that they fell

backwards.

Who's in charge

of the situation?

Is it those

that are armed

to the teeth?

No,

they're not in charge

of the situation.

When Jesus said,

I am He,

they drew back

and fell

to the ground.

And only then

does Jesus

allow them

to take Him

away

to be crucified.

He lays

down His

life

as the

Good Shepherd.

And He

lays down

His life

to bring

a people

to Himself.

It's not just

that He dies

a martyr's death

as others

have done

for various

religions

of the world.

But He lays

down His

life,

we are told,

for the sheep.

He says

it in verse 11

that He lays

down His

life for the sheep.

Again,

we have it

in the latter

part of verse 14.

I lay

down My

life

for the sheep.

Who were

these sheep?

Well,

they certainly

included Jews,

but they also

included Gentiles.

It included

people like

you and

I.

Verse 16

says,

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 fold

and one

shepherd.

So here

the Good Shepherd

lays down

for His sheep.

Elsewhere

they're referred

to as His

elect,

His chosen.

But He lays

down His life

and gives His

life a ransom

for many.

How many?

Revelation 7

and verse 9

tells us,

a great

multitude

that no man

could number

from every

nation

and tribe

and people

and language.

And I like

the certainty

of this.

The Good Shepherd

is going

to bring

a people

to Himself.

He came

into the world

to seek

and to save

those that

were lost.

And those

of us who

knew the Good

Shepherd

this morning

could look

back to

a time

when they

heard the

Good Shepherd

calling them

out of

darkness

into light.

perhaps they

were in

a church

service.

Perhaps they

were in

their own

home

reading

their own

scriptures.

But they

heard the

voice,

I not

only died,

but I

died for

You.

And humbly

you said,

Lord,

I'm a

sinner.

I need

the Good

Shepherd

as my

Savior.

He died

for me.

And you

were able

to say

from your

heart,

Hallelujah!

What a

Savior!

The

Great

God,

the

Eternal

Shepherd,

became man

to die

in order

to bring

a people

to Himself.

Do you

know the

Good

Shepherd?

Are you

one of the

sheep today

that has

been brought

into the

fold?

Let's

follow this

up.

Because

there's a

third thing

I want

to bring

before you

this morning

and that

is this,

that the

Lord Jesus

in these

words reveals

His

uniqueness.

I am

the Good

Shepherd.

The Good

Shepherd lays

down His

life for

the sheep.

Go back

to verse

7.

Therefore

Jesus said

to them,

said again,

I tell

you the

truth.

I am

the gate

for the

sheep.

He's

making it

very clear

that there's

only one

way to

enter the

fold and

that is

through

Him.

I

alone

am the

door to

the sheep.

sheep.

There is

no other

entrance

into the

fold of

God's.

In verse

1, I

tell you the

truth, the

man who

does not

enter the

sheep pen

by the

gate but

climbs by

in some

other way

is a

thief and

a robber.

There's only

one way to

enter into

the sheep

fold and

that is

through the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Let's

underline this

truth.

We always

have to

remember the

context of

Scripture.

The chapter

headings and

the verses are

there for

our convenience

and our

help.

But we

remember that

chapter 9

preceded

chapter 10.

And in

chapter 9,

you have

a blind

man who

comes to

know that

the Lord

Jesus Christ

is indeed

the one

who's healed

him, who's

also the

Messiah.

And

eventually this

man, because

he puts his

trust in the

Lord Jesus

Christ, is

thrown out

of the

synagogue.

The Pharisees

were upset.

They didn't

like this

man coming

to the

Lord Jesus.

and putting

his trust

in the

Lord Jesus.

They wanted

to put him

from the

scene, as

it were,

this Jesus.

He's not

God.

He's not

a prophet,

as you're

making him

out to be,

they say.

Why were

the Pharisees

upset?

Well, they

thought that

the way of

salvation was

through the

law, through

what they

had to say.

they were

people who

were encouraging

others to

climb in

some other

way.

And maybe

there are

those here

this morning

who think

that they

can climb

into the

sheepfold

through their

own good

works, and

through their

own efforts,

through what

they do,

through their

supposed

obedience,

through their

own righteousness,

righteousness.

But that is

not the

way into

the

sheepfold.

Jesus says,

you must

come through

me.

You must

come through

my death

there upon

the cross

of Calvary.

I am

the way.

In John

14 and

verse 6,

he says,

I am

the way,

the truth

and the

life.

no one

comes unto

the Father

but by

me.

But if we

come through

the Lord

Jesus,

if we come

to him

acknowledging

our sin

and come

through him,

we're told

in verse 9

that Jesus

says,

I am the

gate.

Whoever

enters

through me

will be

saved.

It's an

old-fashioned

word,

but it's

what needs

to happen,

that you

and I

need to

come to

the Lord

Jesus

Christ

if we

would be

saved.

Some

people say,

and maybe

even thinking

in their own

hearts this

morning,

because I

don't know

what's going

on as you're

listening to

me,

you're very

dogmatic.

You're not

leaving any

other way.

No,

I'm not.

Because the

Bible doesn't

give any

other way.

there's not

so many

ways into

this

sheepfold.

There's only

one way,

and that

is through

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

The Lord

Jesus

Christ

himself

gave a

commission

to his

church

to go

into all

the world

and preach

the gospel,

to go

and make

disciples.

and he

promised to

those who

would go

that he

would be

with them

to the

end of

the age.

It is

Jesus

himself who

says that

there is

no

alternative.

It is

Jesus

himself

who says

there is

no other

way.

And

therefore,

the world

needs to

hear that

there is

only one

good shepherd

shepherd

who can save.

There is

only one

good shepherd

that can

bring people

into the

very fold

of God.

But that

was the

good shepherd

who laid

down his

life for

the sheep.

So if

men and

women would

be saved,

they must

come through

the Lord

Jesus Christ,

the good

shepherd.

The final

thing I want

to say to

you this

morning,

and that

is this,

that this

Lord Jesus

reveals

himself to

us,

not only

as the

eternal

God who

entered

into time,

not ceasing

for a moment

to be God,

but becoming

man and

dying a

death upon

the cross

of Calvary.

Not only

does he

show himself

to be

unique,

but he

shows himself

to us

as being

good.

let's

focus on

the wonderful

fact that

this one

who did

indeed enter

into time

is good.

He is

good in

the three

ways we've

already

mentioned.

He's

good in

the fact

that he,

though he

was eternally

God,

that he was

ready to

enter into

time.

the word

became

flesh.

We think

about that

at Christmas

time,

don't we?

The word,

the eternal

God,

became flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us.

And we

have seen

his glory,

the glorious

of the one

and only

who came

from the

Father,

full of

grace and

truth.

Now isn't

that good?

That the

eternal God

didn't stay

up in

heaven,

as it were,

and look

down upon

us in

all our

sin and

degradation?

No,

he came

to where

we are,

and he

looked upon

us as

sheep

without a

shepherd,

and he

had compassion

upon us,

full of

grace and

truth.

God's

only begotten

Son should

come from

the glory

of heaven

to be

my shepherd.

Is that

good or

isn't it?

It's good

and calls

us to

worship and

to wonder

and to

marvel that

he should

not only be

good,

but good

to me.

Good

not only

in his

deity,

good in

his death.

Through

his death

he purchased

me.

Through

his death,

we who

were dead

in trespasses

and sins

are brought

into the

fold.

Remember those

words of the

apostle Paul

as he writes

to the

Ephesians in

chapter 5

and verse

25.

Christ

loved the

church

and gave

himself

for us.

We're from

various nationalities

this morning,

various

backgrounds,

but we've

been brought

together

to worship

the King

of Kings,

the Lord

of Lords,

the great

shepherd of

the sheep.

We've been

brought

together.

Why?

Because Christ

has died

for us

and risen

again for

us.

We are the

other sheep

that have been

brought into

the fold.

What a

good shepherd

that he should

love miserable

sinners like

ourselves

and bring

us into

his fold.

He's good

in his

uniqueness.

Look at

all the

religions of

the world.

They can

all be put

together.

And all

of them say

something like

this,

oh yes,

you need

faith,

but you

also need

works.

And if you

have done

enough works,

you may

or may

not enter

into salvation

because you'll

never know

how many

works you

have to

do.

But our

good shepherd

went to

the cross

and he

died

and he

cried,

it is

finished.

I've

paid the

price once

and for

all.

He saves

us by

grace.

his free

favor

lavished

upon us.

No other

religion in

the world

says it's

free.

It's

faith plus

works.

But

Christianity

says,

trust in

this Jesus

who's paid

the price

once and

for all

and you

have the

gift of

eternal

life.

And it

will show

itself

in a

life of

good works.

But not

only is he

good in

these ways,

he's

pastorally

good.

He's

pastorally

good.

In order

to get a

reflection of

this, look

at chapter

40 of

Isaiah

and verse

11.

There's a

beautiful

description

of the

good shepherd

there.

Isaiah

40 and

verse 11.

He tends

his flock

like a

shepherd.

He gathers

the lambs

in his

arms and

carries them

close to

his heart.

He gently

leads those

that have

young.

What a

tender

description

of the

good shepherd.

There's a

caring here.

There's a

pastoral

concern

here.

How can

a shepherd

care for

us?

Does he

have that

power?

Does he

have that

authority?

Is he

able to

do it?

Well, look

at the

context of

those words

in Isaiah

and you

will come

to these

words.

Who has

measured the

waters in

the hollow

of his

hand?

Or with

the breadth

of his

hand marked

off the

heavens?

Who has

held the

dust of

the earth

in a

basket or

weighed the

mountains on

the scales

and the

hills in

a balance?

Think of

the creation

of the

world.

That God

flung stars

into space.

That he

measured the

waters in

the hollow

of his

hand.

My friends,

that's the

good shepherd

who holds

you and

I.

He holds

the world,

yes, in

all its

trouble and

all its

anguish,

but he

holds you

and I.

He tends

his flock

like a

shepherd.

He gathers

the lambs in

his arms and

claries them

close to

his heart.

He gently

leads those

that have

young.

And this

good shepherd

that is

described by

Isaiah is

the same

one that is

brought before

us in the

person of the

Lord Jesus

Christ who

speaks to

his sheep.

John 10

and verse

3, the

sheep listen

to his

voice.

Verse 16,

other sheep,

they too

will listen

to my

voice.

He speaks

to his

people

pastorally

through his

word.

He may be

speaking to

you and

reminding you

of the fact

that he is

the good

shepherd this

morning.

He comes

to you.

It may be

through your

private reading.

It may be

through your

friends.

It may be

through the

promptings of

his Holy

Spirit.

But he

comes whether

it be in

the storms

of life.

And he

says to

us, I

am your

good shepherd.

Fear

not.

And as

the good

shepherd,

he speaks

to us

sometimes to

rebuke us

because we're

apt to

stray.

But he

does it

with love

and great

tenderness.

Why?

Because he

is the

good shepherd.

He's

pastorally

good.

He speaks

to us.

But also

this good

shepherd leads

his sheep.

Again,

verse 3,

he calls

his own

sheep by

name and

leads them

out.

When he

has brought

out all

his own,

he goes

on ahead

of them.

Was

Jesus

himself

thinking of

the 23rd

psalm,

he leads

me beside

still waters.

He restores

my soul.

He guides

me in

paths of

righteousness

for his

name's sake.

Even

though I

walk

through the

valley of

the shadow

of death.

And that's

a walk

that all

of us

will have

to take

one day

and we

do not

know when

it will

come.

But he

leads us

through the

valley of

the shadow

of death.

Why?

Because he's

a good

shepherd.

He

pastorally

cares for

us.

Philip

Henry,

who was

the father

of Matthew

Henry,

the great

commentator,

fell in

love with

a young

lady.

And she

came from

a very

aristocratic

family.

And her

family were

objecting to

her going

with this

nobody,

as it

were,

this

nobody

pastor.

But what

did she

say to

her parents

who objected

to the

romance?

She

said,

he knows

where he's

going and

I want

to go

with him.

In other

words, she

was saying

that he

knows that

he's going

to heaven

and I

want to

go with

him.

The Lord

Jesus has

gone to

prepare a

place for

you and

me, our

bridegroom.

We are

his bride.

We want

to go

with him.

He leads

us

because he

is the

good

shepherd.

I am

the good

shepherd.

And the

final thing

is this,

that he

gives us

fullness of

life because

he is the

good shepherd.

I have

come,

the latter

part of

verse 10,

that they

might have

life.

and that

they might

have it

to the

full.

The

Lord Jesus

gives us

security of

life in

the here

and now.

My

sheep,

verse 27,

listen to

my voice.

I know

them and

they follow

me.

I give

them eternal

life and

they shall

never perish.

No one

can snatch

them out

of my

hand.

My

father who

has given

them to

me is

greater than

all.

No one

can snatch

them out

of my

father's

hand.

I and

my father

are one.

I'm not a

carpenter.

I'm not very

good at

do-it-yourself.

But I'm

told that

sometimes

carpenters,

when they're

hammering in

the nail,

maybe in

a roof

joist,

that they

will knock

the nail

through.

And there

may be a

few inches

exposed at

the other

end.

What they

do then is

bang that

nail into

the wood.

They

clinch it.

Jesus

says he's

laying down

his life for

the sheep.

They will

never perish

and no one

is able to

pluck them

out of my

hand.

He clinches

it.

He

clinches it.

You see that?

He holds us

secure and

firm.

But there's

more.

The father

that has given

them to me

is greater

than all.

There's a

nail going

in.

He

clinches it

and no one

is able to

pluck them

out of my

father's hand.

It's though

we're held

in a double

grip.

The father

and the son

who Jesus

says are

one.

He's good

and we

should be

rejoicing.

He's given

us fullness

of life

and that

life that

he gives

us is

resurrection

life.

He lays

down his

life that

he might

take it

again and

he takes

it again

that we

might enjoy

his life

in us.

I am

the good

shepherd.

Do you

know him?

Do you

love him?

Are you

listening to

his voice?

Are you

following him?

Or will

you forget

all about

it tomorrow?

My friends,

I trust

that you

know what

it is

to be

in the

fold.

But I

plead with

you this