Jesus had healed a man born blind – an unprecedented miracle – and in doing so, revealed the willful blindness of Pharisees. John 9: 41 says they bear tremendous guilt for refusing to recognize heir blindness. Now Jesus introduces two more major “I AM” statements that expand on the nature of their unwillingness to follow Jesus. These describe salvation through Christ and the sacrificial love of Jesus.

Encounter Jesus – John Week 13

I AM…the Good Shepherd

John 10: 1-21

AUDIO

Lecture Handout

John Week 13 – I AM… The Good Shepherd Handout

Lesson Notes

I AM the Door (John 10: 1-9)

  • Verses 1-6 – Sheepfolds – walled enclosures to hold and protect one or more flocks of sheep
    • Usually a hired undershepherd mans the gate, letting shepherds in and out
    • Thieves and robbers must try to climb the wall
    • Only those passing through the gate actually belong
    • Verse 3- the gatekeeper lets the shepherd in and the shepherd calls out his flock
      • Sheep hear his voice and will follow based on that – Near Eastern shepherding relies on leading by voice rather than driving with dogs
      • Calls them by name – a personal leadership and care
      • Even with commingled flocks, each flock only follows their shepherd
    • This is the Pharisee’s problem – they hear Jesus’ voice, ,but aren’t part of His flock, so refuse to follow
    • Those who belong to Jesus are excited to hear His voice – follow readily
      • They will flee a stranger’s voice, but not their shepherd’s
      • For Christians, we cultivate a life of devotion to God’s Word and time with Him to know His voice from another’s (false teachers)
    • Verse 6 – Emphasizes they don’t understand – they aren’t part of His flock
  • Verses 7-9 – I AM the Door
    • Jesus is the door itself – the only way for a sheep to get in or out of the sheepfold (the Kingdom of God, heaven) is through Jesus
    • Verse 9 – Enter through Jesus – by faith in Him – and be saved
      • Will then go in and out, doing life of a disciple, and find pasture – receive sustenance through Christ
      • In and out – alludes to Numbers 27: 15-17 – the successor of Moses
      • Speaks to the fact that following Christ involves going places – it involves truly following, rather than sitting around the sheepfold talking about the shepherd!

I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10: 10-21)

  • Verse 10 – The thief – doesn’t pass through the door – not a Christian
    • Comes to steal, kill, destroy – all other would-be shepherds bring death to the sheep when they sneak into the flock and try to lead them away
      • Proclaiming a false salvation, a false gospel, which really brings death
    • Jesus came so we would have life and have it abundantly
      • Christianity isn’t about sour-faced do-gooders and legalistic rules
      • It’s about joy, abundant life, the presence of God (remember all the wine at the wedding, all the bread for the 5,000!) – God provides abundantly through Christ
      • Joy even amidst sorrow and pain – because we know God and have a mission and reason for living, which is to glorify God and delight in Him
      • Look at Jesus – wherever He went in the gospels (other than hypocritical religious leaders), He brought joy, freedom, healing, transofmration
      • That’s the life Christ offers us, and the life we offer to others in Christ, if we truly embrace and follow Him like a good sheep!
    • Verses 11-13 – I AM the Good Shepherd
      • Defined by a willingness to sacrifice His life on the cross to deal with the great enemies of life on Earth – sin and death
      • Jesus died for the sheep – for us!
      • This isn’t simply a helpful analogy – it points to Jesus’ identity as both God and Messiah – Ezekiel 34: 15-16, 23-24
    • Verses 14-15 – Jesus knows His flock and we know Him -> why we read the Bible and have quiet time, to know Jesus better and better!
    • Verse 16 – Other sheep who will listen -> one flock, one fold
      • This is salvation for the Gentiles (the non-Jews)
      • Jesus works salvation for all who accept Him and listen to His voice -regardless of race, ethnicity, or nationality
      • Jesus is here to save the world, not just the Jewish people
    • Verses 1-18 – God loves Jesus because He’ll sacrifice His life and “take it up again” – return to life
      • Jesus dies so that He will rise
      • Very clear prediction of both His death and resurrection
      • Because these predictions came true, we have confidence when He says He will raise us to life after His death
    • Verses 19-21 – His listeners divide in reaction
      • Outright hatred by some – He’s demon-possessed and insane!
      • Others point back to the healing of the man born blind – that was a powerful sign of Christ’s identity!

Prayer – That we would follow the shepherd and others would come to know His voice 

Next Week: Jesus & the Father (John 10: 22-42)