Follow the Good Shepherd

There are a lot of competing voices in the world vying for your attention, but there is one voice you must listen to. There is only one true Shepherd- listen and follow His voice!

The Voice of the Shepherd

“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. John 10:1-6

The book of John highlights a conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees- a very contentious and frank conversation. In chapter 10, He begins a parable dealing with a sheep pen, sheep, a shepherd, a gatekeeper, and a door.

The hearers would have understood the basic structure of the sheep pen and that there was only one legitimate way to enter it. 

Just like the sheepfold, there is only one way for people to enter God’s kingdom. There is only one door! 

Don’t try to get into the kingdom another way.

If you follow any other way, Jesus promises that you are not following the ONE and ONLY WAY, the ONE and ONLY shepherd of your souls, Jesus. If you follow the ways of the thief and the robber, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Christian, you have a responsibility to walk, keep, seek, follow, fully and steadfastly obey, consider, live out, be taught by, recount, rejoice, and meditate on the VOICE of our Savior!

We don’t need to listen to our inner voice. That voice has gotten me into trouble more times than I care to admit! We don’t need to listen to the competing voices of the world. There is no hope in those voices. We need to listen to the voice of the Shepherd who is leading us on the long journey home. 

There is only one true Shepherd. Are you following His voice?

The Door of the Shepherd

Did you know God is concerned about your security? He is! And that is why He sent the ultimate door that can never be broken down...Jesus.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came 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. John 10:7-10

Quite literally the shepherd would act as the door to the sheep pen. At night he would lie in the gap between the stone walls protecting the sheep inside the pen from animals, robbers, or thieves. 

What makes Jesus the Door so unique? The Good Shepherd is a divine door that opens to eternal life. There are all kinds of doors that make all kinds of promises but only open to lies and hopelessness. 

The Divine Door- Jesus- opens to HOPE!

The word saved in this passage is best understood safe. Jesus is saying that a good shepherd will provide safety for his sheep. There is eternal significance here as well. His sheep are eternally safe from eternal death! 

As if there is something better than the promise and hope of eternal life, look at the last part of verse 10. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

The abundant life is the full and overflowing life! Full and overflowing with what? It is a full and overflowing spiritual life! This is the abundant life God’s door opens to. A life that is contrary to the life the world offers. 

I look at the life that most Americans are running after- the “American Dream”- and yet I read that there are higher rates of stress, depression, and hopelessness than ever before. Why? Because this isn’t Heaven. 

It makes sense that the unbeliever would pursue this “dream” here and now. Riches, comfort, and happiness in this life is all they have to hope for. 

CHRISTIAN! DO YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE MORE TO HOPE FOR THAN THESE THINGS?

You will have more riches, comfort, and happiness than you will know what to do with in Heaven?

But until then, are you living in light of who you are in Christ? Are you living the abundant life now? 

Satan wants God’s sheep to feel and act fearful, anxious, and timid. But God’s sheep are no ordinary sheep because God’s sheep are in Christ. We are secure! We are bold because we are empowered by the Holy Spirit and we are capable through Christ to accomplish great things for Christ. 

The Life of the Shepherd

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 is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. John 10:11-13

The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Jesus values His sheep that much! He is willing to face personal harm in order to ensure the safety of His precious sheep. Jesus would not only die, but He would do so willingly. 

This is the gospel. We are not all automatically His sheep. We must be purchased so that He might be our shepherd. The life of the Good shepherd appeases the wrath of God so that the sheep are not destroyed by it. Jesus took God’s wrath for you. 

Why? Because of His great love for you. 

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. John 10:14-18

In verse 14 John points out that the Good Shepherd not only lays His life down for His sheep, but He knows them. 

If you are in Christ, the Good Shepherd knows you! He has an intimate and extensive knowledge of who you are. He knows the very number of the hairs on your head. He knows every cell in your body. He knows your thoughts before you think them and He knows your actions before you do them. The astounding thing is, He still loves you with an everlasting love!

Oh, and by the way, you know Him, too! From the day you became a follower of Jesus Christ you have been given the capacity to KNOW God! He has given you a hunger and thirst for righteousness. And He who began that good work will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus!

The Deity of the Shepherd

In John 10, we have seen different facets of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Now we’re going to look at perhaps the most important aspect of our Good Shepherd- His deity. 

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.” John 10:22-26

God had long testified about the coming of the Messiah and so this scene is a bit mind-boggling. Why?

The One this people had longed for over the centuries had finally arrived and they didn’t like what they had been given. 

The Pharisees asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Why would they say this?

The Jewish leaders wanted to pin Jesus down and thus have cause to get rid of Him, discredit Him, or even kill Him. What they wanted was a clear testimony from Jesus about who He claimed to be so that they could use it against Him!

Jesus looks them square in the face and says, “I have told you this over and over. The problem isn’t my telling; it is your hearing.” 

The Jewish leadership had a hearing problem. Their ears were stopped up with sin and so they couldn’t hear the testimony of the Messiah!

Again, He speaks to their main issue. It is not because He has not told them, it is rather because of their hard-hearted unbelief. Unbelievers do not believe all that Jesus has to say. Simply stated, they are not His sheep. 

Do you believe what Jesus says about Himself?

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. John 10:27-30

Sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd. They are His. The genuine sheep hears the voice of the Good Shepherd. We hear and we know the truth that comes from God, our Heavenly Shepherd.

Sheep are known intimately by the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep! He knows each one with all their imperfections, idiosyncrasies, and sinful desires, as well as talents, abilities, and personalities. If you are His sheep, rest assured, your shepherd knows you from top to bottom and back around again. He knows the good, the bad, and the ugly. And guess what? He loves you!

Sheep follow the Good Shepherd. Jesus says His sheep not only hear His voice and are intimately known by Him, but they follow Him. In other words, the sheep do what the Good Shepherd wants- they obey!

The Good Shepherd gives eternal life. The Jews listening to Jesus must have been flabbergasted for they knew eternal life came through a strict adherence to the Law. But here, Jesus claims to be the one who gives eternal life! What an amazing proclamation!

The Good Shepherd is God, very God!

Do you hear His voice? Does His Word resonate with your soul? Do you praise Him that you are known by the omnipotent God of the universe? Do you follow the Savior? This is the crux of the Christian life. The Good Shepherd, Jesus, has led the way and expects His sheep to follow. Are you following Him?