Below is the manuscript to this Sunday’s sermon. Chances are, you will encounter grammatical errors. Please be gracious. I pray this will be beneficial to you as you study the Word of God that is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).”
Today we will be looking at John 10:7-21. In last weeks passage we saw Jesus continuing on a conversation that he was having at the end of John 9 with the Pharisees.
In John 9 we saw this remarkable, yet very tragic, reality play out before our eyes. We saw Jesus remarkable and miraculously give sight to a man born blind.
However, tragically, following this miracle, we saw the blind man and the Pharisees going to two completely opposite directions.
For the man who was once blind, his eyes were opened to the truth about who Jesus was, and he eventually responds with belief and worship.He received spiritual sight.
The Pharisees, however, appear to be blind to the truth about Jesus. No matter how clear the evidence is about Jesus being the Son of God, they have shut their eyes to that truth, proving themselves to be blind. As a result, they are seeking to silence, kill, and destroy Jesus.
The Pharisees, the religious leaders, were tasked with shepherding, teaching, and leading God’s people. But, their actions reveal that they are doing the opposite. They have no concern for God’s people because they have no concern for God. Our love for one another is a byproduct of our relationship with God. Their actions are proving that they are enemies to God, and if they’re enemies to God, then they are enemies to God’s people. Where they claim to know the truth and be without fault, Jesus is showing them that they are blind and guilty.
At the conclusion of John 9, Jesus says to the Pharisees, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”
So, the Pharisees remain guilty.
Well, following this rebuke given to the Pharisees, the shepherds of Israel, Jesus begins to use a figure of speech in order to give clarity to how they are guilty (in verses 1-5).
And this was a rather generic, yet very specific, figure of speech that (1) condemned the Pharisees to be thieves and robbers and (2) speaks to who Jesus is.
They are the ones guilty, not Jesus.
So, you have religious leaders who are blind to the truth and who are enemies of God. Because they are enemies of God, they are seeking out selfish gain. Rather than care for and selflessly lead the flock (God’s people), they are trying to harm the flock. They are not shepherds. They are thieves and robbers.
But, there is a shepherd of the flock who personally knows each and every one of his sheep, and the sheep know him. Like the blind man in chapter 9, they hear his voice, and they follow his leading. They do not follow strangers; they follow their shepherd.
Now, we know this shepherd to be none other than Jesus. So, Jesus here is condemning the Pharisees to be thieves and robbers, and he is proclaiming to be the shepherd that knows and cares for his flock.
But, what’s interesting is that Jesus first communicates all of this in a rather vague or hidden manner. He speaks about robbers and thieves, sheeps and shepherds, gatekeepers and strangers. But, he doesn’t connect the dots by specifically identifying who any of these characters are. He doesn’t say, “This is who I am. That’s who you are.” Which leads the Pharisees to prove themselves to be blind once again because, as we see in verse 6, they did not understand what Jesus was saying to them.
Well, in verses 7-18, we see Jesus explain his words in verses 1-5 by connecting the dots. In these verses he specifically identifies who the good shepherd is, and this one specific identification illuminates this whole figure of speech being used.
Jesus makes it abundantly clear in our passage today. He is speaking about himself here.
17 times we will see Jesus use the word “I.”
6 times we will see him use the word “me.”
4 times we will see him use the word “my.”
Jesus is adding color to this vague, black and white, figure of speech used in verses 1-5. Verses 1-18 tell us truths that are exclusive to Jesus, and Jesus alone.
Once the crowd is able to make this connection, they are then able to make connections as to who the sheep, robbers, and thieves are. The Pharisees are not caring for and leading the people of God. They are seeking to silence, kill, and destroy the good shepherd. They are at war with the only one who can protect and care for the people of God.
But, not only does our passage today explain what the crowd didn’t understand in verses 1-5, but Jesus here expands what he previously taught. He doesn’t just identify himself as the shepherd, but he identifies himself as the exclusive door to which one can enter and leave the fold and find life, abundant life.
It’s a magnificent passage that possesses rich truths about Jesus! So, lets begin to unpack this explanation of the figure of speech found in last weeks passage.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Lets stop here for a moment.
Remember, Jesus gives this figure of speech in verses 1-5. But, in verse 6, you see the crowds head is cocked to the side with their right eyebrow raised, with crickets chirping in the background. So, Jesus again says to them, “I am the door of the sheep.”
As Wayne showed us last week, a sheep pen would likely be square-shaped with only one opening as the door. For the safety of the sheep, there wouldn’t be a plurality of entryways. There would be one exclusive entrance to which the sheep can safely leave, enter, and rest.
Now, obviously, these entrances wouldn’t have literal doors with keypads that could be locked or unlock by the shepherds. Rather, in some instances, as we saw in verse 3, there would be a hired gatekeeper who would watch the sheep for the shepherds at night. In other instances, you would have the shepherd, himself, lay down across the entrance of the sheepfold.
So, although there’s no literal door like we would envision today in America, either the shepherd or the gatekeeper would serve as that door. As he lays across this entrance, no sheep can leave and no harm can enter without stepping over him (the door).
The point Jesus is making here is clear: he is not one of many doors; he is the one and only door of the sheep. He is the only entryway into the sheepfold. He is he exclusive protector of the sheep.
As we will see in the next few verses, he is the means to green pastures and he is the means to safety. He is our only hope for provision and protection. He is the door.
Jesus then says in verse 8,
“All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”
This is a verse that was a little difficult for me to understand because I initially thought back to men like JTB or Moses or Abraham or the prophets. Which led me to ask the question: is Jesus saying that literally all who came before him were selfishly seeking to harm the people of God?
I knew the obvious answer to that question was no, but I couldn’t figure out why. I couldn't figure out why until I thought back to verse 1.
What did Jesus say thieves and robbers did in verse 1? They avoided the door and sought to enter the fold another way.
Who is the door? Jesus.
When you look to the message of Moses, Abraham, the prophets, and JTB, you will notice that they all acknowledge, proclaimed, and pointed to the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. They proclaimed the redemptive, hopeful, and exclusive message of Jesus Christ. They did not avoid the door in order to deceive and harm the people of God. Rather, they pointed to this exclusive door.
So, Jesus is referring to those who are avoiding the door (those who are avoiding Jesus). This would be both the religious leaders who are seeking to kill Jesus and those who claimed to be false messiahs in the past. Anyone who is proclaiming another gospel than what Jesus is preaching are thieves and robbers.
Jesus is the exclusive entryway into the kingdom of God. If Jesus is the door, the exclusive entryway into the fold, then the Pharisees rejection of Jesus reveals their true motives. They are thieves and robbers. Their motive is to do harm to the people of God in order to have personal gain.
What Jesus is doing here is presenting a stark contrast between himself and the intruders previously spoken about. Where the thieves and robbers avoid entering through the gate because their intention is to do harm, Jesus is claiming to be the door of the sheep.
Which means that, unlike those who came before him, Jesus’ goal is to protect and provide for his sheep. He is the only one who provides eternal security and safety for those whose faith resides in him.
In verse 9 Jesus repeats himself and says,
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
What a beautiful invitation to the exclusive way into the fold.
The door means the door. Not one of many doors, but the one and only door. And what happens if someone enters by him? He will be saved and will go in and our and find pasture.
Don’t miss this!
Although there is one entryway, this is one entryway that is available to all people.
Who is invited to enter? Anyone…. and anyone means anyone. There’s no prejudices. Whoever, any person.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done, this invitation is available to you. Come and enjoy salvation that can only be found in Jesus. Jesus here is claiming to be the only exclusive means by which someone can be saved. It is exclusive in that there is no other hope for one to be saved. Yet, what we see here is that the exclusive message of the gospel is available to anyone who comes in belief.
Going back to John 9, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been sitting next to a temple begging as a blind man, hearing your whole life that your blindness is because of your sin, come and believe. You will be saved and you will go in and out and find pasture.
Going back to John 4, it doesn’t matter if you’re an ostracized woman from Samaria who has had five husbands and the man you’re living with now isn’t your husband, come and believe. You will be saved and you will go in and out and find pasture.
Going back to John 3, it doesn’t matter if you are a devout, law abiding Pharisee, come and believe, you will be saved and you will go in and out and find pasture.
Jesus is our only hope for salvation, and he is our only hope for finding pasture.
Where the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, Jesus came that they those who enter through him might have life and have it abundantly.
Look at verse 10,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
In dummy terms: abundantly means far better or more than you need. Superior and exceedingly beyond all expectations. These aren’t famished sheep. These are fat sheep!
The provision of the good shepherd far exceeds anything they could ever find on their own. The life we have in Christ Jesus far exceeds anything you could ever imagine.
Now, hopefully we know this not to be a physical abundance, but a spiritual abundance.
The man who was once blind was kicked out of the temple, ostracized and persecuted for his identification with the good shepherd. Yet, he was able to joyfully worship Jesus.
Stephen, in Acts 7, while he was being stoned for his faith, he cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” On the brink of death, his heart was full of forgiveness.
Paul joyfully wrote letter after letter to the church while in prison for his faith.
The abundant life that we have in Christ should never be limited to physical blessing; and the abundant life that we have in Christ can never be diminished by physical suffering.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But Jesus came (meaning the purpose of his coming) was to give his sheep abundant life.
In Christ, there is peace that surpasses all understanding, joy in the midst of hopelessness, love and patience and kindness in the midst of hostility.
Now, lets be clear, only in Jesus can one taste this abundant life. Nothing in this life, apart from Jesus, can satisfy. We will always be left feeling empty and wanting more.
But, I think there are two roads we run down, thinking they lead to abundant life. When, in reality, they leave us empty.
The first road is, as my mom used to put it, fast cars and wild women. There’s a lie that tells us that if we have more stuff, then we will be happy.
“If I could just make more money.”
“If I could just date that girl or that guy.”
“If I could just look like her or him.”
But, what happens is, when you chase after these things, you’re always left empty.
There’s a lie that tells us that an abundance of possessions leads to an abundant life. But, that’s not true. As the Genie warns Aladdin, “Here’s the thing about wishes. The more you have, the more you want.” Meaning: the more you chase after the growth of your possessions, the more empty you will feel.
Abundant life is not found in the things of this earth, it’s found in Jesus.
But, I think we also sometimes believe that abundant life can be found in our devout moral efforts. So, we’re not chasing after worldly possessions, we think we’re chasing after God.
We want God to be pleased with us. Therefore, we develop a checklist of things not to do.
We think, “If I can just stop sinning, then God will be pleased with me and he will bless me with joy and peace.” So, we grit our teeth and we try harder. But, we never reach that standard of perfection that we’re reaching for. Therefore, we’re always left empty. We look good on the outside (which feels good sometimes because it leads to others praising us), but on the inside we’re rotting away.
So, what the gospel does is it takes our eyes off of ourselves and directs them to Jesus and says, “He is your hope!” If your faith resides in Jesus, then God now doesn’t see you as a wretched sinner. He nows sees you as holy and blameless and above reproach. The righteousness of Jesus has been placed on you and your wickedness was placed on him as he went to the cross. It’s the great exchange. You now have an eternal hope in Christ Jesus that far exceeds anything this life could offer.
The gospel offers you freedom. It offers you rest.
You are able to lay your head down at night fully confident and secure in Christ. You know that no physical gift can exceed what you have in Christ. And you know that no moral failure can make you lose what you have in Christ.
Jesus came that you may have life and have it abundantly. This is a free gift that you could never earn; and it’s an abundance that far exceeds anything this life can offer; and it’s an abundance that cannot be diminished by anything this life throw at us.
Now, as you study Scripture, one thing you want to do, in trying to determine the point of the passage, is you want to notice the details of that passage. For example, you want to look for repetition of words or phrases. You want to notice things that are compared or contrasted with one another. You want to look for lists, causes and effects, figures of speech used, conjunctions, verbs, pronouns. You want to closely study the text.
So, similar to verses 7-10, when you look at these next few verses, you will begin to notice Jesus repeats a specific phrase. You’ll notice he begins to compare and contrast things in order to support the point that he is repeating.
What’s that point? That point is that he is the good shepherd that lays down his life for his sheep.
Four different times in verses 11-18 Jesus speaks to his willingness to lay his life down for his sheep. So, in these verses he’s seeking to show us that he, the good shepherd, lays his life down for his sheep.
Look at verse 11,
"11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Alright, lets stop.
So, similar to where he claims to be the door twice in verses 7-10, he is about to claim to be the good shepherd twice. This is the first of those two claims. This isn’t a claim to be a morally good shepherd (although that is true). This is a claim to be the excellent, magnificent, outstanding, noble shepherd, the one that far exceeds all others.
What’s truly remarkable here is the proof that Jesus gives for his incomparable goodness. What sets him apart as the good shepherd is his willingness to lay his life down for his sheep.
So, how do we know that Jesus is a good shepherd that is worthy of being trusted?How do we know that belief in him is enough to save us? We know this by his willingness to lay his life down for his sheep.
Listen, during this time it was understood that, when danger arises, shepherd’s would certainly risk their life for their sheep. David, for example, in leading up to him defeating Goliath, said to Saul,
“Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”
So, we see by David’s example that a shepherd would willingly put his life in danger for the good of his sheep. But, let’s be honest, it would never be the shepherds intention to lay his life down for his sheep for no reason.
D.A. Carson said,
“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; and by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd.”
So, what D.A. Carson is point out here is that the sheep are in danger, and the only way for the sheep to be saved is by the shepherd laying his life down.
HELLO! That’s the gospel! Sin and death are lurking and if it was not for the good shepherd laying his life down, we would die, eternal damnation would be ours. But, because the good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep, we will be saved.
Jesus is saying, before his death on the cross, that the proof of him being a good shepherd is his self-sacrificing love for his sheep. In order to save his sheep, he is going to willingly lay his life down for his sheep. That is why he came.
In order to highlight this truth, Jesus contrasts this declaration with the example of a hired worker. He says in verses 12-13,
“12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”
This hired worker isn’t necessarily wicked like the thieves and robbers. He’s simply someone who is watching after a flock that does not belong to him. He’s there, not because he loves the sheep, but because he needs the paycheck. And when danger comes, he flees because he doesn’t have any concern for the sheep.
What happens when he flees? Death and chaos transpire. Some get snatched while others get scattered.
But, you know what? That’s the direct opposite of who Jesus is.
Jesus describes what a hired hand does whenever danger arises in order to tell us what Jesus does not do whenever danger arises. Jesus isn’t a hired worker (like those who he’s speaking to) who doesn’t care for the sheep that he’s watching after. He’s the good shepherd who cares for his sheep and who lays his life down for his sheep.
Look at verse 14,
“14 I am the good shepherd [there’s that repetition]. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep [more repetition].”
So, Jesus isn’t someone who is seeking harm on the flock. He’s not someone who temporarily watches after a flock in order to earn a certain wage. Jesus isn’t someone who flees whenever danger arises.
As we saw last week (and as we see now) Jesus intimately knows his flock by name, one by one. This isn’t an intellectual knowing. This is an intimate knowing. In the same way that the Father and the Son intimately know one another, Jesus knows his own and his own know him. And it’s those that he intimately knows by name that he sacrificially lays his life down for.
Then, Jesus says something that would have been pretty startling. He says,
“16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
Jesus here is speaking to the Jews. So, him saying that he has sheep that are not of this fold is a reference to the Gentile Christians who would become a part of God’s people in Acts. It’s a reference to us.
Jesus intimately knows, loves, and cares for sheep all over this world. And what Jesus is saying is that— although you have sheep from different backgrounds, mountains, and towns— they will be one flock and they will have one shepherd.
This flock will not be only Jews. You will have Russian sheep, Japanese sheep, Chinese sheep, African sheep, American sheep. You will have sheep from every tribe and tongue that will be brought into this flock.
This is important for us to always remember. Do not let the unfortunate way our church looks today in America tell you otherwise. Where we have small groups, bible studies, and Sunday school divided up by age and gender, there is only one flock and one shepherd. Where here in America, there’s a divide between white churches and black churches, there is one flock and one shepherd. Gender, age, ethnicity… all of these things that divide us, should bear no weight in the kingdom of God. What unites us is not our age, color, or gender. What unites us is our shepherd, Jesus, the one we joyfully follow together.
We would do well as a church to pray for and strategically strategize on how we could better reflect this verse here in the future.
Then Jesus says,
“17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
I really struggled with verse 17. I think every commentary I read had a different explanation for this verse. Some commentaries tried to reverse the wordage, making it say, “Because the Father loves me, for this reason I lay down my life that I may take it up again.” Other commentaries would say that the love of the Father is eternally linked to the unqualified, continual, obedience of the Son to the Father.
Here’s the thing. Rather than get bogged down in all these different interpretations, what I want us to see here in these verses is this: the death of the Son delighted the Father. Jesus did not die because God was mad at him. For this reason the father loves Jesus. The cross was an act of love, not hate.
Which reminds us that the whole purpose of Jesus coming into this world was for him to lay his life down for his sheep. It was God’s plan before the foundation of the world. Jesus’s death was not an accident or fate. It was calculated and planned.
Paul tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Which means that the cross was God’s plan A, not B. The cross was God’s predetermined act of love.
Which means that, as the blind religious leaders are beginning to plan to crucify him, Jesus is saying to them that no one is going to take his life from him. He laid it down willingly.
Now, think about this, if a shepherd laid his life down to save his sheep, then he would save his sheep at that particular moment. But, it would be a matter of time before more danger crept in.
So, here’s the beauty of the gospel: Jesus’s death was not the end of the story. He laid his life down for his sheep, yes. But, three days later he rose from the grave. Verse 18 tells us that he possessed the authority to lay his life down on his own accord, and he possessed the authority to take it up again.
This is the hope of the gospel!
If Christ is not risen, then our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. But, Jesus is risen! Therefore, we have an eternal hope!
And now, as we’re sent out to go make disciples, we don’t go alone.The good shepherd isn’t laying dead in a field somewhere, we’re not wondering around alone as dumb sheep trying to find new grass to eat while trying not to get eaten ourselves.
No, the good shepherd is risen! And, he’s still, to this day, watching over his flock.
Well, following this explanation, we see that (in verses 19-21),
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
There is still great confusion surrounding who Jesus is and what he’s come to accomplish.
So, what does this mean for us, church?
First and foremost, this passage tells us that Jesus is the only one worthy of our trust.
As we read in Psalm 118 in worship,
“Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.”
My prayer for each and every one of us in here is that we confidently trust in Jesus alone for our salvation. He is the good shepherd. He’s not one of many good shepherds. He is the good shepherd that is worth trusting and following.
And, if he’s the good shepherd that’s worth following, then he’s the good shepherd that’s worth imitating.
Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross is our only hope for abundant, eternal, life. But, not only that, it is now the defining picture of what we are called to live out as believers. Those who have received grace, extend grace.
Those who have received love, extend love. Those who have received mercy, extend mercy. Gospel doctrine shapes gospel culture. Those who have experienced the gospel, live out the gospel.
This applies to every aspect of our life.
Do you want to be a good spouse? Look to the gospel. “Husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her…”
Do you want to be a good Christian? Love one another as Christ has loved you.
When your neighbors dog poops all over your yard, don’t cuss them out (this may or may not be a personal example). Continue to love them. Live peaceable with all. Repay no one evil for evil. All throughout the NT you see reminder after reminder of Jesus’s death on the cross. Those reminders are there to remind you of your humble state, your desperate need for Jesus, and they are there to spur you on to faithful Christian living.
Let me close by reading Philippians 2,
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
May we be a church that gives our time to help others, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that sacrifices our resources to serve others, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that does nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that does all things in humility, counting others more significant than ourselves, just like the good shepherd did for us. May we be a church that looks after the interest of others, just like the good shepherd did for us. And just like the blind man who encountered Jesus outside the temple, may we be a church that worships the good shepherd who willingly laid his life down for us on the cross.