Lesson 13 - John 10

I. Chapter 10 of John focuses on the image of sheep, sheepfolds and shepherd. Jesus uses these symbols to help us understand who He is and what He wants to do for us.

II. A Shepherd Looks at The Good Shepherd and His Sheep by Phillip Keller. Keller says this about his purpose in writing this book:

"But it should be said at the outset that the approach which I have taken is a very distinct, personal one. It is based not on the concept of the nation of Israel, referred to in the Old Testament as God’s flock, the people of His fold; nor on the New Testament emphasis of the church being Christ’s little flock; but rather on my simply belonging to Him as an individual."

III. In the last several weeks, we have witnessed the storm of controversy that raged around Jesus and the questions presented to Him about who He was? People either hailed Him as the Christ or called for stoning Him for blasphemy or breaking the Law!!!

IV. In chapter 9 Jesus heals a blind man who then is excommunicated from the synagogue because he was healed on the Sabbath and would not deny the one who healed him.

"But to the Pharisees our Lord declared bluntly that they were both blind and steeped in sin and self-righteousness. . . In blazing, bold contrast, Christ had personally touched and entered both the lives of the young adulteress (John 8:1-30) and this supposedly sinful, blind man. He had brought them into an intimate, new relationship of abundant living, with Himself.

Put into the language of the New Testament, these two individuals had discovered what is meant by "Christ in me," and "I in Christ." They had both entered into that dynamic new dimension of living which Christ Himself later referred to as "[Abiding] in me, and I in you.

To depict and dramatize this remarkable relationship with Himself He then proceeded to tell the three parables of the Shepherd and His sheep in the next chapter.

By contrast, in Psalm 23, David the author writes from the standpoint of a sheep speaking about his owner. In John 10 the approach is the opposite. Our Lord, Jesus the Christ, here speaks as the Good Shepherd. He describes His relationship to His sheep; we, the common people, who have come into His ownership and under His care." (Phillip Keller)

V. In this passage Jesus makes three declarations about Himself.

VI. I Am the Door (NKJV)/Gate (NIV) – John 10:1-10

A. To the Jewish mind, a "shepherd" was any kind of leader, spiritual or political. Israel was privileged to be "the flock of the Lord" (Psalm 100:3) Other passages relating to this idea are found in Isaiah 56:9-12; Jeremiah 23:1-4; 25:32-38; Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 11.

B. Jesus opened this passage with a familiar illustration, something that His listeners would understand – a sheepfold.– an enclosure that is not roofed over or covered, making it possible for shepherd to see in at all times.

1. Its walls were usually made of rough-laid, stones, sun-dried bricks, timber, mud, or even tightly packed thorn brush.

2. The main purpose of the sheepfold is to provide protection for the sheep – especially at night from rustlers and predators and during stormy weather.

3. There was an opening for the door or gate and either the shepherd (or a porter) would guard the flock or flocks, at night by lying across the opening.

C. Keller says that "sheepfold" has another meaning. In sheep countries a frequent way speaking is to say "folding" sheep. What this means is that the sheep come under the special management of the owner or shepherd and are under his direct control at all times. "He folds his flock exactly as he sees fit in order that they will flourish and prosper under his care. . . Folding sheep is another way of saying a shepherd is managing his flock with maximum skill . . .moving them from field to field, pasture to pasture, range to range in order to benefit them as much as he can." (Keller)

D. Sheepfold describes a special relationship between the shepherd and sheep. Keller says: "And when our Lord, who referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd spoke these parables, He saw the overall picture of the unique relationship between Himself and His followers – between Himself and those who had come under His good hand for the management of their lives."

E. Jesus begins the parable by saying that anyone who forces a way into the "sheepfold" other than by the proper door is a thief or a robber. Warren Wiersbe says that he feels it is unfortunate that this parable is often used to teach that the sheepfold is heaven and that those who try to get in by any way other than Christ are destined to fail. Wiersbe feels that the reason for this parable was the excommunication of the beggar from the synagogue.

"But Jesus, the Shepherd, came to him and took him in. . . Jesus was referring primarily to the religious leaders of the day (John 10:8) He was not condemning every prophet or servant of God who ever ministered before He came to earth. The statement "are thieves and robbers" (not "were") makes it clear that He had the present religious leaders in mind. They were not true shepherds nor did they have the approval of God on their ministry . They did not love the sheep, but instead exploited them and abused them."

(Warren Wiersbe – Be Alive, Be Transformed)

F. Sheepfolds were not the most delightful & sanitary places!

"Gently the shepherd stands at the gate and calls to his own to come outside. As each animal passes him he calls it by name, examines it with his knowing eye, and, if necessary, searches with knowing hands beneath its coat, to see if all is well. It is a moving interlude at the dawn of each new day: a time of close and intimate contact between the owner and his flock." (Keller)

G. What are the parallels this description has for our own lives – our going "in" and coming "out!"

Wiersbe – "When you go through "the Door," you receive life and you are saved. As you go "in and out," you enjoy abundant life in the rich pastures of the Lord. His sheep enjoy fullness and freedom."

VII. I Am The Good Shepherd (John 10:11-21)

A. Jesus is contrasting himself to the false shepherds, the religious leaders of the day. He has called them "thieves and robbers," and now He would describe them as "hirelings."

B. In this passage Jesus pointed out the special ministries that He performs as the Good Shepherd.

1. He dies for the sheep (vv. 11-13) Under the religious law of the day, the sheep died for the shepherd; but now the Good Shepherd dies for the sheep. Five times Jesus clearly states the sacrificial nature of His death (John 10:11, 15, 17-18). He did this willingly for us. The contrast here is to the hireling who watches over the sheep only because he gets paid and when faced with danger flees, leaving the sheep alone and defenseless.

2. He knows His sheep (vv. 14-15) In the gospel of John, the word know means much more than just intellectual awareness. It speaks of an intimate relationship between God and His people. So how does the Good Shepherd know his sheep.

a. He knows our names.

b. He knows our natures. Jesus knows each one of us personally, with all our flaws and sins, and He died for us, for our sins, because He loves us.

c. He also knows our needs. Sometimes we don’t even know what we need but He does.

C. The Good Shepherd brings other sheep into the flock (v. 16). In John 10:1 – the "fold" is Judaism but there is another fold – the Gentiles who are outside the covenants of Israel (Eph. 2:11ff) Keller states that an owner of sheep, might have more than one "fold" scattered throughout his land but he has only one "flock" and all the "folds" are a part of the "flock."

VIII. I Am The Son of God (John 10:22-42)

A. The last verses of this passage actually take place about 2 months later during the "Feast of Dedication" or Hanukkah. Jesus continues to use the images of Good Shepherd and sheep.

B. In answer to their question: Are You the Messiah? He reminds them that His miracles speak for Him and then He goes on to explain why they do not believe. They are not His sheep because they do not listen to His voice. His sheep respond and follow Him and no one can snatch them out of His hand.

C. He goes on to say that "I and the Father are one." The Good Shepherd is God! We need to remember that this word "one" does not suggest that the Father and Son are identical persons. Rather it means that they are one in essence.

D. As we think about Jesus and his ministry as the Good Shepherd, there are three thoughts to remember about His relationship to His sheep. Wiersbe: He has a loving relationship because he died for the sheep, as well as a living relationship because He cares for the sheep. It is also a lasting relationship, for He keeps His sheep and not a one is lost."

Finally, we need to ask ourselves some questions about these statements. He is the door. Have we entered into a relationship  with Jesus? He is the Good Shepherd. Have we heard His voice and followed Him where He leads us? He is the Son of God. Do we believe that?