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!