The Good Shepherd — Part 2

Sermon delivered on July 17th, 2016

By: Pastor Greg Hocson

Scripture Text: John 10:11-18

 

Introduction

Today we continue to consider Jesus' claim of being the Good Shepherd. He said this twice in this chapter ...

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 

 

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 

 

This statement is full of assurance and instruction. Jesus claims to be the Shepherd of the sheep. By these words, Jesus identifies Himself with the Jehovah of the Old Testament. The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking understood this ...

John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32: Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33: The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

 

"I am the good shepherd", means "I am that Shepherd of Psalm 23. I am that Shepherd that David was referring to when he wrote the 23rd Psalm." There is no part of Scripture that is better loved than the 23rd Psalm. Many Christians have read it in times of pressure and of danger. The Lord is indeed our Shepherd.

 

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

 

What a comforting thing it is to know we have such a Shepherd.

 

But before Psalm 23rd is there is Psalm 22nd. What is Psalm 22nd all about? It is a Messianic Psalm. It's a Prophetic Psalm. It is a prophesy of the passion of Christ. It is the Psalm of the Cross. It's about the giving of the life of the Shepherd for His sheep! In order for Him to be a Good Shepherd to us He has to be. suffering Saviour!

 

Twenty Second Psalm

The Cry

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

 

The Reproach

Psalm 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

 

The Mockery

Psalm 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

 

The Insult

Psalm 22:8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

 

The Assault

Psalm 22:12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13: They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

 

The Faintness

Psalm 22:14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

 

The Exhaustion

Psalm 22:15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

 

The Piercing

Psalm 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

 

The Insulting Gaze

Psalm 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

 

The Partition of the Garments and Casting Lots

Psalm 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

 

The Importunity

Psalm 22:19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20: Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. 21: Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

 

The Good Shepherd gave His life. At the end of this message will come to the Communion Table which is a commemoration our Lord's death on our behalf. As the Good Shepherd He laid down His life for the sheep.

 

1. He Laid Down His Life Voluntarily

The laying down of the Saviour's life was not accidental nor unforeseen. It was deliberate. For this purpose He came into the world. 

Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou (do you think) that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 54: But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

 

There are hundreds of texts in the Scriptures that predicted the sacrificial death of the Good Shepherd. 

 

John 19:24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

 

John 19:24 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.

 

John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

 

John 19:37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

 

"The incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ were not the result of a change of purpose to meet unforeseen circumstances; they were foreseen and foreordained in the eternal counsels of God. Those counsels are wholly above the range of our understanding; we cannot see through the veil of mystery which surrounds them; we cannot fathom the awful necessities which they imply." - Pulpit Commentary

 

1 Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21: Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

God appointed Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God as your ransom long before the world began, but He has now revealed Him to you in these last days. So, it means that the laying down of the Shepherd's life was not an afterthought on the part of God. 

 

God the Father planned it all and Jesus Christ submitted to the Father's will. Listen to our Lord's remarkable expression to teach this ...

John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18: No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 

These verses show us, that when Christ died, He died of His own voluntary free will. He was not forced nor dragged to Calvary.

 

We must never entertain the idea that our Lord had no power to prevent His sufferings. He was delivered up to His enemies and was crucified not because He could not help it but because He voluntarily submitted to the Father's will

 

2. He Laid Down His Life Vicariously

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep

 

John 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15: As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep

 

It was vicarious

Vicarious 

- performed, exercised, received, or suffered in place of another.

 

- taking the place of another person or thing; acting or serving as a substitute.

 

It was a substitutionary death. He died for sinners as a substitute, "bearing our sins in His own body."

 

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25: For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

 

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

 

He died on behalf of the sheep. It was not for His own but our advantage. By His sacrifice we are redeemed from the curse of the law and the power of sin, and have secured for us eternal life. 

 

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

Jesus Christ died a vicarious death, the just for the unjust, which delivered us sinners from the judgment we all deserved. 

 

3. He Laid Down His Life Victoriously

1) It was accepted sacrifice

The Father was pleased and accepted His sacrifice.

John 10:17 Therefore doth the Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I may take it again.

The Father was pleased and was satisfied. The laying down of Jesus' life was victorious and not a waste. There are those who laid down their lives but it is a waste. Suicide bombers lay down their lives, but it is all a waste. 

 

By the way suicide bombers are not lovers of God but haters of God because I read in my Bible ...

Proverbs 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

The laying down of the suicide bombers' life brings death and it accomplishes nothing good. But our Good Shepherd's laying down of His life brought life and it still does.

 

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

 

2) It was a prizewinning sacrifice

He was not a defeated Saviour. He was not a victim, He was a Victor!

 

One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible about the  amazing  achievements of the crucifixion is in ... 

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15: And having spoiled principalities and powers (disarmed His enemies), he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

 

The very phrase "made a show," (edeigmatisen) is from the same root  word of   (paradeigmatizontas) which means "put to open shame" (Hebrews 6:6). He made a public spectacle of them. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the cross. So, instead of Jesus being put to shame, it was the enemies who were being put to shame on the cross!

 

The apparent triumph of the "power of darkness" over Him was His real and glorious triumph over them. 

 

Application

We will now come to the Communion Table, but before we do, let me ask you ...

 

Do you know Him as your Good Shepherd? Can you confidently say with David, the LORD is my Shepherd? But before you can call Him your Good Shepherd guiding you and protecting and providing for you, you must have Him as your Saviour! Do you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour? He is calling you! If you hear His voice, repent and believe. Call upon Him today. He is a ready, willing, and able Saviour. 

 

And if you confidently could say the He is your Good Shepherd, would you pray with me ...

"LORD, You have given me life. You have given it to me more abundantly! Help me to know You more, love You more, trust You more, serve You more and be more like You. Quicken me, O Lord, according to Your word."

 

AMEN!