Sacrifices

Soldiers go to war voluntarily, usually. Police officers voluntarily sacrifice their safety. Parents sacrifice for their children. Missionaries sacrifice equity, savings, and personal safety to go overseas and spread Christianity. Even retailers sacrifice privacy in order to be able to make money. Everyone sacrifices something so we can live together in peace. Medical Doctor Commander Edward Jewel wrote in the New Yorker in 2003 that he treated enemy prisoners of war.1 He soon realized that could be his job for the duration of the war in Iraq. The greatest sacrifice is the one who lays down his life for an enemy. Jesus died while we were still enemies (Romans 5:10).

1 https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/06/12/soldiers-stories

Shepherds

I grew up spending summers on my uncle’s sheep farm. Though I learned a lot about sheep, I did not learn much about shepherding. Later I became pastor of a rural church with many sheep farmers. Though I learned a lot more about sheep from them, I still did not learn much about shepherding until I met Robin. She was a shepherd. There is a difference. Sheep farmers have thousands of sheep, but Robin had a small flock and knew each one by name. Sheep often flee a sheep farmer, but when Robin took a small can of grain and shook it, they came to her and they knew her voice. That’s an advantage of small churches. Jesus is like Robin. He is the Good Shepherd and calls us into his flock to be cared for individually (John 10:10-18).

John 10:18 Voluntary Death

John 10:18 says, “No one takes 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 command I have received from My Father.” Nobody, neither the Jews nor Romans, not even the Father, took Jesus’ life from Him. His submission and death was entirely voluntary. He voluntarily went up to Jerusalem, knowing that He would die. He said that Pilate would have no power unless God gave it (John 19:11). The fact that Jesus had power to take His life again, shows His divinity. And, He voluntarily fulfilled the commission from the Father.

John 10:17 Because

John 10:17 says, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.” The Father loved the Son from eternity, and that love is culminated and fully justified, because He is the Good Shepherd, and because of His voluntary readiness to sacrifice Himself for the sheep. His desire was to bring the whole world back to the Father. Jesus lay down His life of His own free will and had the power to take His life back again. The Good Shepherd dies, not to leave the sheep defenseless, but to rise again and be the Shepherd of more sheep coming into the flock.

John 10:16 Other Sheep

John 10:16 says, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” Jesus describes one flock, but not one fold or courtyard, and he described one Shepherd Jesus, not any human leader. Mark found sheep in Egypt and the Coptic church became a separate sheepfold. Thomas, Thaddeus and Bartholomew also did the same in Assyria. Later Thomas did the same in Kerala, southwest India. Competing Roman and Eastern Orthodox claims of being the “one true church” are not borne out by history. All Christians are one in Christ.

John 10:15 I Know the Father

In John 10:15 we read, “As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.” We might ask how is the two-sided intimate knowledge between Jesus and His sheep? His answer is to compare it with the mutual knowledge between Him and His Father. Those of us far removed from ancient agricultural practices may not understand the love of a shepherd for his sheep, but perhaps we can relate in some ways if we’ve ever had pets that we loved and spent many hours with. The love of this Shepherd is so great that He willingly dies for his flock.

John 10:14 I Know My Sheep

In John 10:14 we read, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.” Psalm 23 is a picture of life under the Good Shepherd. I once knew a shepherdess who taught me the difference between a sheep farmer and a shepherd. She knew her sheep by name and they knew her. She didn’t drive them like a sheep farmer would, but called them and they knew her voice and came to her. A bond of trust exists between shepherd and sheep. To a stranger all sheep may look alike, but to a loving shepherd, each is an individual and cared for individually.

John 10:12-13 The Hired Hand

In John 10:12-13 we read, “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.” A hired hand or wage worker does not own the sheep nor cares like Jesus does. He does not fight the wolf, but runs. False prophets or other predators come and take sheep by force, “not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29; Matthew 7:15). Human pastors come and go but Jesus will never leave.

Pastors

The word pastor is one of the least used words for a church leader in the New Testament, but a very meaningful one. Whereas other church leadership roles carry meanings like envoy, servant, older person, teacher and overseer, the word pastor means a shepherd. Every human pastor is an assistant to Jesus. In larger churches assistant pastors or small group leaders become the hands-on pastors of the flock. All pastoral care is vital because there is nothing more important to Jesus than his flock. Human pastors are inadequate and totally incapable of providing what Jesus would, yet it is a privilege to love and be loved by the flock of Christ.

John 10:11 The Good Shepherd

In John 10:11 we read, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” The word “good” also means beautiful of heart, and the word “shepherd” is exactly the same word as pastor. A reason for his goodness is also given, that he will “expose himself to any danger for their safety”.[1] “When the wolf comes, he would still remain to protect them.”[2] We have a literal example of such a good shepherd in David, who protected his flock of sheep from “a lion or a bear” (1 Samuel 17:33-35). More than facing danger, Jesus laid down His life for His sheep.

[1] Benson Commentary [2] Barnes’ Notes

Life to the Full

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” This is contrasted with the thief who enters the church “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” We have slowly drifted away from Jesus Christ and substituted material abundance for the abundant life in Christ. Heretical Gospels that emphasize self-indulgence are popular. The delusion of materialism has brought spiritual and family destruction. Divorce and crime are direct results of our hedonistic rush for power and wealth. The thief has come and stolen and killed and destroyed us. Will we return to the one who can give us life to the full?

Who is the Gate

Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep.” He is the gateway or gatekeeper for the sheepfold. Listen to the voice of the gatekeeper. He will lead us out to safety. Ignore his voice and we may romp in the green grass at the wrong time, headed into danger. If we enter into safety through the gatekeeper, then we know that he will be watching. It is important for us to be following the right voice, the voice of the gatekeeper, Jesus. Inside the gate is freedom from harm, because the gatekeeper guards us. Outside the gate is freedom to run and frolic with protection, because the gatekeeper leads us.

Thieves and Robbers

Jesus said, “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers.” Is a particular church the door? Claims of who is one true church are everywhere, but they can’t all be right. Are all who claim to be the door into the sheepfold, except Jesus himself, thieves and robbers? When humans compete for sheep, where do we hear Jesus’ voice? Is it the loud and wealthy televangelist? Is it soft words of someone letting their light shine in good works? Is it the encouraging words of an elderly Christian? Are sermons preaching the words of denominational division or of the Great Shepherd who has come that we may have life?

When a Gate is a Gate

Why did Jesus say, “I am the door of the sheep?” Picture a shepherd sitting or sleeping at the entrance to a sheep pen. There is no wooden gate. He is the gate. Even a pastor or shepherd who does not enter by the legitimate gate is a thief and a robber. The only legitimate way to enter the true Church is via Jesus. He is the gate. We do not enter the sheepfold via Moses, Paul, the Ecumenical Patriarch, Pope, Luther, Calvin or Wesley. The best servants of God are not the gate. Only Jesus is the gate. So, when is a gate a gate? When that gate is Jesus.

Parable of the Sheep Gate

When “Jesus used this illustration” or parable of being the gate for the sheep he was not speaking literally but figuratively. Parables use hyperbolic language not literal. Let’s not pride ourselves on always taking the Bible literally, when an overly literal interpretation often misses what God intended. Let’s not be thieves and robbers entering a church to steal the peace, kill the joy and destroy the unity. The more we listen to Jesus, the more we find spiritual pasture that feeds our souls. Our lives become more fulfilled now as we experience paradise on earth in a manner not available to those who never come to church, to the sheep fold.

Following a Stranger

Jesus said that His sheep “will by no means follow a stranger.” The idea of “dumb sheep” is a myth. Sheep are very intelligent animals. They remember up to fifty other sheep and ten humans. They find their way out of mazes quickly and are smarter than humans in being able to find the plants they need for herbal cures. In England they taught themselves to roll across cattle grids to feed on neighboring pastures. After meeting a group of people, sheep remember who brought the food. They know by instinct that togetherness is the best defense against a predator. They flock together and gladly follow a shepherd that they trust.

They Know His Voice

Is the voice of Jesus harsh and authoritarian, or soft and effeminate? The Bible gives us a picture of Jesus’ voice: the sheep hear it. People listen to all kinds of voices. Yet the sheep listen to His. All other voices are potential robbers. Just as in a real flock of sheep, where each can be taught its name, so too does the voice Jesus call each by name. It is a personal relationship. Jesus’ sheep “follow him, for they know his voice.” They will never follow another. In fact, they go the other way from the un-recognized voice of a stranger. We can learn to recognize the voice of Jesus.

The Sheepfold

We can learn a lot about Christianity from a “sheepfold.” Sheep are very social, flock together and readily follow a lead sheep. Healthy lambs feed frequently. A lamb that bleats all the time is probably hungry. Lambs remain close to their mothers but curiosity can get them into trouble. Sheep are generally docile, but rams can be aggressive during breeding season, headbutting to dominate. Ewes may become aggressive to protect their young. Sheep have excellent memories and trust a shepherd who handles them gently. Shepherds can train sheep by voice command. Like shepherds, churches use various group assemblies to tend God’s sheep. Sheep instinctively know that they are better off together.

Figures of Speech in the Sheep Pen

When Jesus spoke of us being sheep and his being the gate for the sheep he was not speaking literally but figuratively (John 10:6). It is like a mother who calls her infant the most beautiful child in the world. She is speaking in what we call hyperbolic language not literal. It is wrong to pride ourselves on taking the Bible literally, when an overly literal interpretation often misses what God intended. We can all be thieves and robbers entering a church to steal the peace, kill the joy and destroy the unity. Yet the more we listen to Jesus, the more we find spiritual pasture that feeds our souls, the more fulfilled our lives are now as we experience paradise on earth in a manner not available to those who never come to church, to the sheep fold.

Good News in the Sheep Pen

John 10:1-10 informs us that even though thieves and robbers may sneak into our churches, but there is also good news in the sheep pen. We don’t need to be concerned because if we follow the Good Shepherd we will learn to know his voice. It may be the soft words of one who does good works, letting their light shine. It may be in the words of Jesus preached in a sermon. It may be in the words of encouragement given by a spiritual mother or father in the congregation. Jesus leads us into a worship service each week and he leads us back out into the world to where we will be blessed with lush pastures. The good news is that the Great Shepherd has come that we may have life now, more than what is expected.