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let’s pray together Lord God it is so wonderful to sing these truths about you and to you yeah God we confess that it’s sometimes so hard to shake the feeling of unreality when it comes to your word we know these things are true but the flesh the devil the world system they make us feel like it’s kind of imaginary kind of unreal but bring us back to reality true reality which is you are God you are our God you are here in this place you are in your people your temple and you now Lord will speak your word to your people give us ears to hear and help us to be transformed by your spirit in Jesus name amen amen if you’ve been paying attention to the maab decorations popping up lately in different stores and on the FR of people’s houses and Lawns then you know a certain holiday is coming up Halloween October 31st but October 31st is also the date of another holiday celebrated more in Europe than it is in the US what holiday is that Reformation day yeah all right Reformation day commemorates the start of the Protestant Reformation because apparently it was on October 31st 1517 that a certain augustinian Monk and and professor of theology named Martin Luther he nailed his 95 thesis on the door of the castle Church in Wittenberg Germany now this document many historians agree ignited the Protestant Reformation since Luther Luther’s theses were translated copied and disseminated all throughout Europe what were these 95 thesis contrary to popular thought they were not a Manifesto of the five Solas they were not a repudiation of papal Authority and they were not even a proclamation of the biblical Gospel of salvation by faith alone rather the 95 Theses were a set of assertions or debate points contending that the sale of indulgences was unjustified and harmful to the people of God you say well what’s an Indulgence basically in the Roman Catholic Church an Indulgence is a written guarantee from a Catholic priest that a person has received reduced or even eliminated punishment in purgatory for sin now that is wrong for all sorts of reasons we can’t get into right now the sale of indulgences is forbidden by the Catholic church today the pope or others can give them out under certain special circumstances but they can’t sell them but the sale of indulgences was allowed and frequently practiced in the time of mar Luther even in 1517 you see the pope at that time was looking for more funds to build and beautify a new church in Rome St Peter’s Basilica and so he commissioned an Archbishop to sell indulgences on the Pope’s behalf in Germany as for Martin Luther though his understanding of the true gospel was still developing in 1517 he could easily see that the sale of indulgences went against the Bible and it merely prayed on the hopes and fears of the Catholic la especially the poor so Luther felt moved to write his 95 thesis and nail them in a public place to invite debate here are a few excerpts from those thesis thesis 27 they preach only human doctrines who say that they that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest the soul flies out of purgatory thesis 32 those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have Indulgence letters will be eternally damned together with their teachers thesis 36 any truly repentant Christian has a right to full remission of penalty and guilt even without Indulgence letters thesis 50 Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the Indulgence preachers he would rather that the Basilica of St Peter were burned to ashes than built up with the skin Flesh and Bones of his sheep thesis thesis 81 and 82 this unbridled preaching of indulgences makes it difficult even for learned men to rescue the reverence which is due the pope from slander or from the shrewd questions of the lady such as why does not the pope empty Purgatory for the sake of Holy Love and the dire need of the souls that are there if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a church the former reason would be most just the latter is most trivial and then thesis 94 and 95 Christians should be exhorted to be diligent in following Christ their head through penalties death and hell and thus be confident of entering into heaven through many tribulations rather than through the false security of peace now the Luther originally published these points and others in Latin and meant to have the discussion about indulgences just with the Archbishop and his fellow theologians Luther’s inadvertent exposure to the common people of the greed and spiritual bankruptcy of Roman Catholicism was the spark that Lit the ready tnder and kidling of full Reformation in Europe and though Luther never had intended to break away from the Catholic church he was eventually hauled before the Catholic leadership and warned that he had to recant of everything he had written and everything he had preached or face EXC commun communication and even arrest and execution essentially Luther was presented with the choice you can either follow Jesus Christ and his word and suffer and maybe die as a condemned Outsider or you can safely continue to follow your ungodly leaders as an accepted and respected member of the religious community what was Luther’s ultimate decision ision by God’s grace it was to put his thesis 94 and 95 into practice and essentially to declare with his life I will follow the voice of my good shepherd even out of the fold of false religion and into suffering if need be for to remain behind under the false Shepherds is only to be fleeced ruined and eternally destroyed by thieves and robbers you see Brethren Martin Luther’s Choice was the same choice that many of the early reformers and their followers faced it’s the same choice that the Apostle John’s original audience in the Gospel of John faced these helenistic Jews these god-fearers these Gentile god-fearers and going after Christ they were facing this choice and it’s is the choice really that each one of us faces today when God’s word confronts our false religion and our sin whom will you follow as your spiritual head whom will you trust in whom will you trust to save you from your sins and lead you to Salvation as we return to John 10 today Jesus himself will command and invite each one of us follow me and find true life for I alone am God’s Good Shepherd take your Bibles and turn to John 10 1-21 that’s the title of our message today Jesus is God’s Good Shepherd Jesus is God’s Good Shepherd John 10 1-21 is on page 172 if you’re using the Bibles that we’ve provided page 1072 we’re focusing on verses 11 to 21 today but let’s read the whole section again so that we may then review John 10 1-21 Jesus speaking truly truly I say to you he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep but climbs up some other way he is a thief and a robber but he who enters by the door is a Shepherd of the sheep to him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own Sheep by name and leads them out when he puts forth all his own he goes ahead of them and the Sheep follow him because they know his voice a stranger they simply will not follow but but will flee from him because they do not know the voice of strangers this figure of speech Jesus spoke to them but they did not understand what those things were which he had been saying to them so Jesus said to them again 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 hear them I am the door if anyone enters through 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 I am the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the Sheep he was a Hired Hand and not a Shepherd who is not the owner of 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 is not concerned about the Sheep I am the Good Shepherd and I know my own and my own know me even as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep I have other sheep which are not of this fold I must bring them also and they will hear my voice and they will become one flock with one Shepherd for this reason the father loves me because I lay down my life so that I may take it again no one has taken it away from me but I lay it down on my own initiative I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again this commandment I received from my father a division occurred again among the Jews because of these words many of them were saying he has a demon and is insane why do you listen to him others were saying these are not the sayings of one demon possessed a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind can he as I explained to you last time this famous Good Shepherd discourse is essentially a Divine commentary on and application of what took place in John 9 what happened again in John N to answer using the language of the passage we just read the false Shepherds of Israel the Pharisees they drove out from their fold a healed man a man formerly born blind who wouldn’t tow the Pharisees line about keeping man-made religious traditions and therefore for condemning Jesus and when Jesus himself found and spoke to this expelled man the man recognized the voice of his true Shepherd and immediately believed in and worshiped Jesus and John 10 1-21 then Jesus uses the figure of a sheep of Shepherds and sheep to demonstrate how the experience of this one healed man will be the essential experience of all those chosen by salvation chosen for salvation God’s true sheep will recognize the difference between God’s Good Shepherd and all false Shepherds and consequently the true sheep will choose to leave all false teachers and false religions to Believe In Christ and receive eternal life a more concise way to say what I just tried to say what is the passage’s main idea is the following our author John records Jesus words in John 10 to 10 1-21 so that you like the healed blind man will recognize God’s Good Shepherd and go out through God’s only door away from false religion and into eternal life as I also told you last time John 10 1-21 divides into four parts we looked at the beginning two parts last time and we’ll look at the final two parts today review with the first two parts in verses 1 to six Jesus begins with an introductory Point number one how to recognize God’s Shepherd how to recognize God’s Shepherd many people back then and today claim to be God’s Shepherds but how do you really know Jesus gives two simple criteria first in verses 1 to two Jesus explains that 1 a god Shepherd uses God’s only door God’s Shepherd uses God’s only door that is God’s Shepherd ministers to God’s sheep through God’s only ordained and legitimate means second Jesus says in verses 3 to 5 God Shepherd has a recognizable voice 1 B God Shepherd has a recognizable voice God Shepherd speaks in such a way that his true sheep know him and will follow him when they are called out or even thrown out of the common Sheepfold now though in verse six the crowd does not understand what Jesus is getting at we can match up what Jesus declares in these opening verses about recognizing God’s shepherd with the experience of the formerly blind man and the F and the Pharisees the Pharisees by their demonstrated disregard for the truth and their demonstrated commitment to their own gain prove that they are not God’s Shepherds they do not have legitimate access to the Sheep but are just thieves and robbers therefore for the healed blind man who is one of God’s sheep he did not recognize the voice of God’s Shepherd in them but resisted them and fled from them and while the Pharisees excommunication of the man from synagogue seemed like a victory for false religion their action actually suited the purposes of God’s Shepherd for God’s true Shepherd Jesus is Calling out and Gathering his sheep from the common flock of Israel to con constitute a new flock destined for salvation thus when Jesus finds and only has a short conversation with the healed man about Jesus being the Messiah the man recognizes the voice of God’s Shepherd and believes now because most of the crowd do not see the meaning of Jesus figur of speech as I’ve just explained it Jesus clarifies and then expands the shepherd figure in the rest of his discourse in vers 78 this is where we see two main points two main points of Jesus speech and we saw the first of these main points so there’s the introductory point and then the main point we saw the first of these main points last time in verses 7 to 10 this is the second part of the passage main point Jesus is God’s only door Jesus is God’s only door now this was a surprising shift of the introductory figure Jesus reveals that he not only is God’s Shepherd who uses God’s only door but that Jesus himself is that door he is God’s only door that is to say first a Jesus is the only way to God’s sheep Jesus is the only way to God’s sheep he’s the only one with legitimate access to God’s people and consequently the only one through whom anyone including Jesus himself May minister to God’s sheep there have been many false teachers and leaders across time and if anyone does not come to God’s sheep through the person and teaching of Jesus that one also is not a true Shepherd but only a thief and a robber second to be Jesus is the only way for God’s sheep he the only way to God sheep he’s also the only way for God’s sheep Jesus says that any person who enters through him by repentance and Faith Like a sheep through the door of a fold will be saved and will experience the abundance life of God no other religion no other teacher no other Shepherd can give what Jesus gives he’s the only door for do for God’s sheep if you seek entrance into eternal life even into God’s kingdom through another door besides Jesus not only Will you fail but you will be left fleeced killed and destroyed by spiritual Bandits false Shepherds now already this word which we’ve already seen this word from Jesus is a powerful invitation to come believe and find life in him but Jesus provides further encouragement for this kind of action with his next main point in which he contrasts his shepherding with the shepherding of everyone else outside of him we now begin to examine our new text for today and the third part of the passage this is verses 11- 18 main point Jesus is God’s Good Shepherd Jesus is God’s only door Jesus also is God’s Good Shepherd look at our text starting at just the beginning of verse 11 Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd here we see the fourth of seven Majestic and emphatic I am declarations from Jesus in this gospel now with these I am statements while there is no explicit claim to deity these statements nevertheless have overtones of divine self declaration they fundamentally reveal who Jesus is and thus who God is here we learned that God in Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd now what does it mean to be a good shepherd interestingly there is more than one word in Greek for good good and these words have overlapping meanings but also slightly different emphases there is agathos which means good especially in a moral or righteous sense we might have expected that to be the sense of good here Jesus saying in contrast to all those evil Shepherds I myself am the righteous Shepherd but that’s not the word for good that Jesus uses and that John records instead Jesus uses the word coloss which means good especially in the sense of meeting a high standard of quality usefulness or beauty therefore we could translate Jesus declaration here as I am the excellent Shepherd or I am the blameless Shepherd thus Jesus is not simply saying that he is morally good when all their shepherds are morally evil but that Jesus excels and succeeds far above what any other Shepherd could be or do he’s a Shepherd so excellent that he is in his own category he himself is the Good Shepherd that’s what he’s saying I myself am the Good Shepherd no other Shepherd is as excellent as I am now that’s quite a pronouncement what are the implications of such a declaration well on the one hand and I did raise this last time Jesus words here are a validation that he is God’s promised Messiah remember there are various passages in the Old Testament we looked at one especially in Ezekiel 34 that promis that unlike all the false Shepherds that God hates and judges God himself will one day come as a Shepherd for his people even through a new David that is through one promise from David’s seed Jesus is proclaiming himself to be the Fulfillment of that promise I am the Good Shepherd the one God promised the one that God is I have come to Shepherd my people God’s people but on the other hand more basically in John 1011 Jesus is fundamentally contrasting himself with all the evil the self selfish and inept Shepherds in all the false religions of the world he is declaring he’s the Fulfillment of Messianic promise but he’s also just contrasting himself with the Shepherds of the world and he highlights this contrast so that the original audience and we ourselves might ask which Shepherd should I follow should I follow the world’s failing Shepherds or should I follow the only good shepherd God’s truly excellent Shepherd of course that question should be a no-brainer but to emphasize again what makes Jesus Superior to all other would be Shepherds you could follow Jesus explains four ways in verses 11 to 18 in which Jesus shows himself to be the Good Shepherd God’s excellent Shepherd and I’ll show you each of these ways again as sub points so for number three Jesus is God’s Good Shepherd we see first in verses 11 to 13 how he demonstrates himself to be that in 3A Jesus courageously and sacrificially cares for God’s sheep Jesus shows himself to be the Good Shepherd because he courageously and sacrificially cares for God’s sheep let’s now read the rest of verse 11 down to verse 13 the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the Sheep he who is a Hired Hand and not a Shepherd who is not the owner of the sheep sees the Wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees and the Wolf snatches them and scatters them he flees because he a Hired Hand and is not concerned about the Sheep notice Jesus building on the figure speech he uses in introduction he now expands the figure with another contrast familiar to his listeners that of a Shepherd risking his life to save sheep Jesus audience would have readily recognized that a good and faithful Shepherd does this for his sheep after all sheep have ways of getting themselves in trouble they sometimes find themselves in lifethreatening situations even a sheep May wander off by itself or lag behind the flock due to an injury or illness and suddenly find itself pre for a Hungry Wolf or lion or bear these are dangerous creatures and the sheep have virtually no defenses against them so without the defense and rescue of a Shepherd an isolated sheep will be caught and killed but defending a sheep from a pack of wolves or a hungry bear or a lion that was no small task a Shepherd would be taking his life in his hands to use the biblical idiom to do so if the shepherd is unskilled in animal combat or unlucky he could die defending his sheep just a little sheep he could die trying to defend it understandably then those with little stake in the well-being of the sheep who do not care much for the Sheep they could judge the job of protecting the Sheep to not be worth the risk thus as Jesus says a mere Hired Hand if he’s tasked with watching The Flock leading the flock but he doesn’t really own the Sheep a mere Hired Hand he sees a wolf coming what does he do Hired Hand flees runs away he leaves the wolf to wreak havoc on the flock while the desperate sheep scatter of course he would get in trouble for that back in those days but it’s understandable he doesn’t care about the Sheep now of course with this comparison Jesus is not ultimately talking about animals but people Jesus is asserting just as we and many of Jesus original listeners would readily acknowledge that there are many leaders in the world especially in the world religions and yes even in so-called Christianity who do not really care for God’s flock and are not willing to take risks for them not substantial risks these leaders are just like Hired Hands they’re in it for the money they’ll enjoy the job as long as the work isn’t too dangerous or too laborious but these Lings don’t really care for the Sheep as soon as the shepherding becomes too costly or too unsafe that Shepherd is gone and the Sheep the poor flock is left uncared for and vulnerable but Jesus Jesus says I am God’s Good Shepherd and I am not like those hirelings I myself and the owner of the sheep and their well-being is my deep concern I I am willing to fight The Wolf on their behalf I will never leave any of my sheep unprotected or uncared for because an excellent Shepherd genuinely loves his sheep and you know what Jesus says I am that excellent Shepherd I will lay down my life for the Sheep actually that phrase in verse 11 lays down his life is more literally lays down his soul life is not a wrong translation of the word for soul psuk but I like the translation of Soul because such to my mind better emphasizes what Jesus is ready to lay down and what Jesus says he will lay down for his sheep not merely his physical life but his entire self Jesus says that as the Good Shepherd he pours out his soul he spends his whole life his whole self for the life and salvation of his sheep whatever other Shepherds may do God’s Good Shepherd Jesus he goes to the extreme to protect his sheep he will die for them he will give up his entire self for them you know what that is that’s love that’s courage that’s care that is beautiful self-sacrifice taking the interest of the sheep far above his own but that’s also a little bit concerning because of how much used to A Flock is a dead Shepherd I mean consider if a Good Shepherd died while protecting his sheep in the wilderness maybe he takes down the attacking wolf in the process are his sheep still well and safe no they are not why not because their Shepherds dead a Shepherd laying down his life for the Sheep that’s an amazing Act of love and all but it’s about the worst thing that could happen to a flock there’s no more guide there’s no more protection there’s no more leading to the food and drink and security that the flock needs the Sheep are now lost they’re defenseless without their Shepherd so Jesus if you’re if you’re God’s Good Shepherd and you say you lay down your life for the Sheep how are your sheep going to go on well hang on to that question because Jesus Will Reveal God’s Good Shepherd is more excellent than anyone expected but we see first Jesus says God’s Good Shepherd courageously and sacrificially cares for God’s sheep we see second in verses 14- 15 three Jesus knows and fellowships intimately with God’s sheep Jesus knows and fellowships intimately with God’s sheep let’s look at those verses again verses 14- 15 I am the Good Shepherd and I know my own and my own know me even as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the Sheep here we see some repetition from the previous verses Jesus again declared that he himself is the Good Shepherd who even lays down his soul for the Sheep notice it’s in the first person now versus the third person earlier why this repetition well certainly the repetition makes these amazing declarations more emphatic he sang it more than once he really wants you to get that point but also by repeating the truths here Jesus connects them with the fact of Jesus intimate relationship with his sheep he’s not just doing his duty he has an intimate relationship he fellowships intimately with his sheep you know one of the Striking aspects of humanity as God made us is that we all want to know and be known we all want to connect with and understand other people and we also want people to connect with and understand us I mean really what greater frustration is there than feeling like you aren’t understood people don’t know you they don’t understand you you that’s one of the great frustrations this desire even extends to leadership we want to not only know our leaders that they are the real deal but we want them to know us we want to be sure that they care about us and understand our desires and concerns of course no person no leader can be completely known or can completely know us completely understand us except one the truly excellent Shepherd God’s Good Shepherd Jesus Jesus he can do that he does that actually he can be the perfect Shepherd for you he’s ready to lay down his soul for you why because he knows you and in revealing himself to you he is made you to know him now the statement of 14 it draws again upon the shepherd sheep figure that the Jews would have been so familiar with sheep as everybody knew at that time sheep grew to know their Shepherd they recognized his voice they learned to trust him and the shepherd grew to know his sheep I mean even down to the intricate details he would know the details of their bodies he’d know he’s got a scar here that one’s got a mole there he would know their personalities he would know their dietary preferences their particular rambunctiousness he knew the shepherd would grow to know his sheep intimately and Jesus says As the Good Shepherd as God’s Good Shepherd I know my sheep and my sheep know me okay Shepherds at that time knew their sheep the Sheep knew their Shepherd but how intimate is Jesus relationship with his sheep how deep is the mutual knowledge of God’s Good Shepherd and all his sheep well according to Jesus in verse 15 it’s only as deep as the intimacy between God the father and God the son sorry what yes hear that again Jesus says that as the Good Shepherd the type of knowledge and fellowship that he shares with his sheep is similar to the type of knowledge and fellowship that God the father and God the son share with one another wait a second but they are the Eternal God they have known and fellowshipped with each other from eternity their Fellowship is so deep as Jesus will say later in the chapter the father is in the Son and the son is in the father they are one yes that’s right and Jesus says his relationship with his sheep is similar how can that be it’s not just because God is omniscient and Jesus as God is omniscient peeking ahead a little listen to what Jesus says in his high Priestly prayer in John 17 John 17: 22-23 Jesus prays to the Father the glory which you have given me I have given to them that they may be one just as we are one i in them and you in me that they may be perfected in unity so that that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you have loved me you see what Jesus is revealing and what he will continue to reveal in this gospel if you’re in Christ oh Jesus knows you he gets you he understands you he knows and enjoys the most intimate fellowship with you and he has opened himself up for you to know and enjoy the most intimate fellowship with him how does he do this by his Holy Spirit by his salvation work on the cross by opening up his word to you the amazing reality for those in Christ is Jesus even as Greg was saying earlier Jesus is now in his people and his people are in him that’s a level of knowledge and intimacy that can only be compared to the triing God and yet that’s what Jesus has done for his sheep what does that mean for you if you believe in Jesus it means that Jesus loves you and is able to care for you in the deepest way because he knows you and he will never fail to care he will would never fail to care for you or any of his sheep as the Good Shepherd he understands you your relationship is deep and precious to him like Jesus own relationship to the father not just that he understands you but he also wants you to come to know him and he’s made that possible that’s actually what we experience can other can any other worldly Shepherd compare in this way who then wouldn’t want Jesus as his or her Good Shepherd it’s amazing that’s just the second way we see a third way that Jesus shows himself to be God’s Good Shepherd in verse 16 verse 16 3C Jesus gathers and unites together God’s different sheep Jesus gathers and unites together God’s different sheep verse 16 again I have other sheep which are not of this fold I must bring them also and they will hear my voice and they will become one flock with one Shepherd now here again we see Jesus building on the shepherd figure that he had used earlier but we also see the figure beginning to fall away because what Jesus describes here is something unusual for Shepherds normally Shepherds only had one flock and all their sheep were in that flock and stayed in one fold after all it’s hard to be a Shepherd to sheep that you don’t know and that are not with you all the time so while Jesus audience could appreciate that a good shepherd would be sure to gather all his sheep what’s this about having sheep not in this fold but apparently in another fold or folds who still know the shepherd and will heed his voice what’s that about well Jesus is once again pointing out a way that he excels all other Shepherds namely that he gathers into one new flock those who could have never been one flock before not merely scattered Jews but Jews and Gentiles after all what does Isaiah 49:6 prophesy about God’s Messiah Isaiah 49:6 God says it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel I will also make you a light to the Nations so that my salvation May reach to the end of the Earth rather than this is glorious this touches each of us right what Jesus describes in verse 16 is what the Good Shepherd has done with his gospel to all of us whether you like the healed blind man you were called out of the common flock of Israel and out of their religion of Judaism or whether you like Jesus alludes here and then the book of Acts also testifies you are called out from the common flock of the Nations and from various false religions of the Gentiles the result in Jesus is the same you come out from your old fold to join a new flock under one new Shepherd God’s Good Shepherd Jesus Christ you are thereby United with your fellow sheep not by cultural or ethnic tradition not by national citizenship not by political affiliation not by socioeconomic status not by your hobbies and entertainment preferences but by what instead oh listen to the way that Paul describes it in Ephesians 4 Ephesians 4: 4-6 one body and one Spirit just as also you were called in one hope of your calling one Lord One Faith one baptism one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all no other Shepherd not even in the Old Testament was able or could ever be able to to accomplish the feat that Jesus says he will accomplish here he breaks down the dividing wall between All Peoples between Jew and Gentile and makes them into one flock Jesus truly is the excellent Shepherd no one like him truly amazing however as amazing as the three ways we’ve already seen in the this passage for how Jesus is God’s Good Shepherd the most amazing the almost unbelievable way is what we see in vers 17 18 and that’s 3D Jesus dies and rises again for God’s sheep Jesus dies and rises again for God’s sheep look at those verses for this reason the father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again no one has taken it away from me but I lay it down on my own initiative I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again this commandment I received from my father notice here that there are no more direct references to the shepherd figure Jesus has dropped that analogy because what he’s what he’s describing is unlike any Earthly Shepherd instead notice several incredible pieces of new information about God’s Good Shepherd Jesus declares at the end of verse 17 that Jesus has a purpose in laying down his life or his soul even for his sheep not simply so that the Sheep may be saved that is a purpose but what in addition that Jesus may take it that is his life or his soul up again that is to say Jesus lays down his life or gives up his life for the sheep with the express purpose that Jesus may take that life up again that Jesus May may come back to life rise from the dead whoa furthermore Jesus declares in verse 18 that no one simply takes away Jesus life from him on the contrary Jesus voluntarily and according to his own timing and purpose lays down his life no one can kill Jesus or Force Jesus to die he dies only when he himself chooses to do so again wo No Ordinary human has that kind of power how is Jesus able to do that well he tells us at the end of Verse 18 he says he received this Authority as a command from God the Father actually I skipped something here in the middle of Verse 18 he says he has authority to give up and take back his life he has Sovereign power to decide when and how he dies when and how he comes back to life and he received this as a command from the father in other words it was the father’s Express order that Jesus should both die and rise from the dead to provide a saving sacrifice for God’s sheep and as the perfectly faithful Son of God Jesus is fully committed to obeying his father’s commands thus Jesus will only lay down down his life at the right time but then again at the right time will’ll take it up again and what would Jesus keeping this incredible command manifest about God the father and God the son well what we’ve already seen in this gospel that they have the deepest love relationship possible circling back to the beginning of verse 17 there’s a statement there that you really don’t get until you get to the end of Verse 18 Jesus says for this reason the father loves me because I lay down my life so that I may take it again in other words in obeying the father’s command to die and rise for God’s sheep Jesus shows himself to be the perfect son who lovingly obeys his father and the father therefore loves the son for manifesting that love and goodness that the son is by his selfless obedience so with this series of Revelation in verses 17 to 18 brethren we realize we are not in Kansas anymore I mean based on what Jesus just said compare him to the world’s Shepherds few shepherds in the world are actually willing or able to die for their sheep but absolutely no Shepherds have the power or authority to lay down their lives and then take them up again but Jesus Does He exercises this Authority for his sheep out of loving obedience to the father here then is revealed the astounding answer to the problem that was raised in verse 11 what good is even the most excellent Shepherd to his flock when that Shepherd is dead truly a dead Shepherd is no good to his flock at all which by the way immediately shows the lameness of all other world religions and their Shepherds but God’s Good Shepherd is so excellent of such rare and high quality that he does not stay dead but actually raises himself from the dead for his flock so that he may lead them to eternal life amen this is amazing this is I’m sure something that absolutely blew the disciples Minds when they heard it these verses again prove we’ve seen this throughout the gospel we’ll see it again the Cross of Christ is no tragic accident it’s not a dismal failure of a wouldbe messiah it’s not some Inglorious defeat no the cross was a glorious I’ll say it this way it was an act glorious say one more time an act of obedience that was glorious and flock saving and how do we know this by the Victorious and Powerful resurrection that followed soon after this was all God’s plan all along that not only should the shepherd die for his sheep give himself up for his sheep be the sacrifice for them but that he would rise again and show that the sacrifice was accepted and his sheep they still got their Shepherd and he will lead them to eternal life again brethren we have to ask who is like this shepherd He courageously and sacrificially cares for God’s sheep he knows and fellowships intimately with God’s sheep he gathers and unites together God’s different sheep and he dies and rises again for God’s sheep if you’re going to follow any shepher in this world wow the choice is obvious should it really be the Jewish leaders the money grubbing priests and the self-righteous rabbis should it be the supposedly Pious religious and political leaders of our world and of our world religions who on the whole just as Jesus says they just a bunch of Hired Hands thieves and robbers or should it be God’s Good Shepherd who lays down and takes up his life again for the Sheep should be the easiest question in the history of mankind you should go with God’s Good Shepherd how could anyone who has heard the Good Shepherd reveal himself in this way respond in any other way well actually hold that thought because this is where Jesus speech ends and in the final part of part of our passage we see the reaction of the crowd the ones who heard this amazing Revelation and implicit imitation and what is their reaction is it repentance and faith is it Revival is it sheep coming to their Shepherd actually no verses 19 to 21 we see number four epilogue God’s Shepherd causes division again God’s Shepherd causes division again verses 19 to 21 a division occurs again among the Jews because of these words many of them were saying he has a demon and is insane why do you listen to him others were saying these are not the sayings of one demon possessed a demon cannot open the eyes of the blind can he huh What a Sad response to Jesus Revelation and invitation Good Shepherd presents himself says come follow me but the crowd says no thank you or I’m not sure yet Jesus as sad as this is this kind of reaction has been what we’ve seen increasingly in this gospel isn’t it Jesus reveals himself gives amazing unfolds amazing Mysteries Divine Mysteries and the people don’t understand it don’t want it don’t want him according to verse 20 many go back to the unbelieving Blasphemous stance that we saw earlier in the Feast of booths remember this is still part of that kind of long event they accused him of being a Samaritan and being demon possessed before well they do it again this guy is clearly demon possessed and that’s why he’s spouting this nonsense stop giving him in ear why are you listening to him many it says said this but not all of them others according to verse 21 they exhibit a more reasoned reaction they explain that well Jesus is speaking wondrously for sure but hey that’s not insane doesn’t sound insane and they remind the mockers that Jesus has just miraculously opened a Blind Man’s eyes that cannot be the work of demons therefore his words cannot be from demons yeah notice what is missing from this description of the second group no indication of belief no indication that they are now following Jesus just listening thinking like many others in this gospel this latter group seems to still be on the fence about Jesus maybe acknowledging that yeah he must be from God but not yet willing to go all in on him to believe in Jesus not willing to leave their false religion not willing to follow the Good Shepherd wherever he goes with his new redeemed flock not willing to suffer persecution for him and sad news friends and Brethren is that if this is where it ends with these people without a radical change of heart the people of both these groups would find themselves condemned and suffering the wrath of God forever outright hostility to Jesus is just as damning as respectful unbelief you can come up to God’s only door and say all sorts of nice things about it if you don’t actually go in you’ll never be saved I can’t help but think that this ends here as a provocation to the original readers this is where you’re going to leave this amazing revelation of God’s Good Shepherd no you got to respond you got to act you got to come right that’s true for us too so what about you how are you going to respond to this text do you dismiss it as demonic ravings you say well that’s interesting that’s worth considering but I don’t know are you going to prove yourself a true sheep of God and follow your Shepherd say yeah that’s the one I’ve been looking for all along I’ve been hearing the voice of all these false Shepherds and I knew they weren’t it this is God’s Good Shepherd just as Jesus proclaims himself to be that’s what this passage is meant to do it’s to move you it’s to invite you it’s to provoke you so that you will make Jesus your Good Shepherd if you’re God’s sheep you will if you’re not God’s sheep well you’ll have one of these other reactions again what does it mean to follow the Good Shepherd to go through God’s only door it means to repent and believe it means to turn from your sins it means to turn from whatever religiously self-righteous thing you’re doing to try and make yourself acceptable to God say that’s never going to work it’s only going to offend God more I need my good shepherd to save me he’s the only one who can lay down his life for the sheep and take it up again his life death and Resurrection can save me he can save me I can’t save myself I turn from my efforts to bring my own salvation or to live my own way all my sins and I’m following the shepherd I’ll trust him to save me and I’ll follow him wherever he wants me to go in my life to bring back the main idea I said earlier this passage is meant to cause you to recognize God’s Good Shepherd and go out through God’s only door away from false religion and into eternal life you got to come out you got to leave that old fold got to leave behind your selfmade religion to follow the shepherd are you willing to do that don’t say to yourself well I don’t know if I’m God’s sheep you have a responsibility to go to come and don’t you want to who wouldn’t want a Shepherd like this and if you are God’s sheep he will bring you you will come maybe that’s what God’s doing right now he’s drawing you drawing you after the shepherd with the voice of the Shepherd in this text or maybe you say I do follow the shepherd but I haven’t been following him very well especially not lately well then take this as an opportunity to come back and following your shepherd He knows how to take care of you he’s in you and you are in him you think he doesn’t know what’s best for you your own way you are trying to secure your own desires outside of God’s will that’s never going to work it’s time to come back to the shepherd it’s time time to let him again lead you to bring you in an out to bring you to those pastures those Quiet Waters yes it will be through the valley sometimes of the shadow of death just like the blind man just like Martin Luther just like many of you here in Christians throughout time it’s going to cost you to follow this Shepherd you’re going to suffer you’re going to suffer persecution from others you’re going to suffer the the pain of striving for Holiness and serving God’s people but is it worth it it is worth it because you get the shepherd you get his Tender Care you get an inheritance in his house you get his life forever he’s not going to leave you he’s not going to forsake you even as you go through this life sojourn he’s going to guide you all the way he’s gone before you he’s blazed the trail before you as the shepherd does for a sheep but now he’s walking with you even as he waits for you there’s no other Shepherd like this come return or come for the first time to follow God’s Good Shepherd as God’s true sheep there’s no other Shepherd like him don’t settle for thieves and robbers man they are not going to help you come out from false religion come out from your own way follow God’s Good Shepherd and you will have Abundant Life That’s the promise of this passage let’s take the Lord up on his promise let me close in prayer Jesus I cannot help but feel that each one of these little points that we looked at In this passage they deserve so much more time in meditation Jesus it’s incredible that you care so much and are so courageous on behalf of your sheep it’s incredible Jesus that you know us so intimately and have made us to know you so intimately it’s incredible God that you have brought all these sheep Lord from all different kinds of backgrounds and have made them into one to follow you and it’s incredible God that you have been in control from the beginning to bring about salvation for your sheep you laid down your life at the right time and in the right way and then you took it up again I think even of that statement Lord from your Bible on the cross that you gave up your spirit it wasn’t taken from you you chose to give it up at the right time to save us and to please the father Jesus I pray that if there’s any reason that the people who’ve heard this message today are hesitating about you whether to follow you or whether to return to you that you’d clear out that hesitation that you would make it so apparent to them God that it’s a choice between following the Good Shepherd who loves them or following themselves which is completely unreliable or following false Shepherds who will only use and abuse them oh Jesus Lord thank you for being Our Shepherd for calling us out as sheep if we must suffer with you outside the camp Oh Lord so be it you are worth it and even in that suffering Lord we bring you glory we actually get to see how valuable you are you actually increase our joy when we view our suffering through the lens of your word word so God I pray that we would not grow weary in suffering but continue to entrust ourselves to our Good Shepherd and we would continue to follow you Lord until you bring us to our home thank you that you are our home even as we sung earlier but thank you that you’re also bringing us to the home that you have prepared for us in Jesus