Jesus is the Good Shepherd
Read the Text: John 10
Memorize the Text: Jesus spoke to them again, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Consider the Text: John 10:11-18
Jesus used the “I am” statements as illustrative teachings that pointed to his character and work. Each statement revealed a deeper truth about the person of Jesus and the work he came to accomplish on the cross, in the burial, and in the resurrection. Jesus’ declaration as the “Good Shepherd” distinguished Jesus from individuals who acted more like a deceptive wolf or a mere hireling who only cared for their life. Jesus revealed a deeper understanding of his goodness and care in this statement.
We need to recognize the TRICKINESS OF THE WOLF. The wolf is the evil one. He comes against us as a predator who seeks to destroy and devour followers of Christ. His entire motivation centers on stopping the flock of Jesus Christ and as a result, he comes against the Lord’s sheep. The evil one attempt to snatch the sheep. The goal of the evil one exists as the attempt to disenfranchise the sheep so much that the wolf defeats them and snatches them away from the flock.
Satan attempts to attack the fold with fear and cause a great scattering. The evil one knows that strength exists in the body of believers. The strength and encouragement that comes through fellowship and unity aid the protection of the sheep. Satan attempts to destroy this by separating believers from one another. When believers disengage from the local body of believers, they become weakened and vulnerable to the stalking of the evil one.
One of the main instruments used by the evil one to disenfranchise and scatter is the use of shame. He tries to shame the sheep through the declaration of lies. He whispers to them concerning their mistakes and causes guilt and embarrassment to form. The accusations form a situation where the sheep feel unworthy and unable to come in the presence of the Good Shepherd. As a result, the evil one uses shame to cause scattering and disenfranchisement.
We need to know the SELF-PRESERVING NATURE OF THE HIRELING. Far too often, the sheep become too dependent on the hireling instead of the Good Shepherd. The hireling is an earthly individual who attempts to help and watch over the flock to the best of their ability. A hireling holds the position because the shepherd has “hired” them to stand guard in the absence of the shepherd. The issue comes that the hireling does not have the same closeness to the sheep as the shepherd does. The hirelings watch over the sheep with limitations that come from a lack of deep genuine closeness to the sheep. This lack of closeness forms a dynamic where the hireling does not understand the usefulness or importance of each sheep. Thus when the battle begins the hireling often flees.
Unlike a shepherd, the hireling does not tend to the flock with conviction. The purpose of the hireling centers on completing a task to receive payment. The shepherd has a deep conviction to stay with the sheep, protect the sheep, and provide for the sheep. The hireling normally bails out when the situation gets tough or dangerous while a shepherd would stay the course of responsibility.
We need to trust the TRUE GOOD SHEPHERD. The Good Shepherd is Christ. He is the only true Shepherd who will never abandon us or fail us. What separates him from other shepherds is his willfulness to lay down his life. The Good Shepherd is willing to pay the ultimate price of death for the safety of the sheep. Christ did just this with his death on the cross. His death came because of his desire to protect the sheep who needed protecting.
The Good Shepherd is the one who leads the sheep. He leads them to the destination they do not know, but to the destination that they desperately need. The shepherd guides with the knowledge of what lies ahead and with the understanding that the sheep will not travel to the needed destination on their own. Thus, the sheep must follow with the trust that the shepherd leads to the perfect, needed destination. This occurs because of the love that the shepherd displays for the sheep. He knows them by name and cares deeply for them. As a result, the Good Shepherd gives life to the sheep that would not be possible if the shepherd was absent.
Jesus identified himself as the Good Shepherd. The analogy made sense to the listeners because they would have known and understood what it meant to be a shepherd. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, cares for his own. He leads his followers where they need to be and offers them life and love. He cares for them and knows them intimately. He calls them by name. Are you part of the flock of God? Is Jesus your Good Shepherd or are you being fooled by the evil one?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
