90. THE GOOD SHEPHERD

"The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep"

Aim

To show that God cares for all those who love His ways; and that Jesus is the good shepherd.

In our last lesson we saw how Jesus showed the Pharisees up as "blind" leaders of the people. They themselves could not see the Truth clearly and so they were useless as leaders. Jesus went on to show them what a true leader of God's people should be like. Israel were like sheep in need of a faithful shepherd, and Jesus was that good shepherd who cared for them.

John 10:1-16, 26-28

THE LIFE OF A SHEPHERD: John 10:1-6

The life of a shepherd in Bible days was very different from that of today. The shepherd in Israel had only a small flock and he knew each one of his sheep by name. He raised them from lambs and grew fond of them, for they were his constant companions. During the day he guided his little flock, always searching for fresh pasture for them, leading them to water and sometimes, when the way was rough, carrying the young ones in his arms. He was always on the look-out for wild animals, who might attack his flock, for he was their only protection. They were gentle creatures who had no hope of defending themselves. So he must protect them, even if it meant the loss of his own life.

At night he brought them to a fold, a stone shelter with a door guarded by a porter. The porter opened the door and the sheep went in. There they would be safe from wild animals. The fold was often shared by a number of faithful shepherds known to the porter, but no stranger was allowed through the door. A thief might clamber over the wall to try and steal the sheep, but a faithful shepherd was always on the watch.

In the morning, each shepherd called his sheep by name. The sheep, knowing their master's voice, ran happily to his side, completely confident in his care.

At times it was necessary for a shepherd to hire a servant to care for his sheep. The hireling did not love those sheep in the same way. Sometimes when trouble came, the hireling fled for safety, leaving the sheep to be scattered and devoured by wild animals.

MY PEOPLE HATH BEEN LOST SHEEP

God had always thought of the people of Israel as His sheep (Psa. 11:3). Moses and David, two of the greatest leaders of His people, had been trained as shepherds (Remember how David had saved his sheep from a lion and a bear. See 1 Sam. 17:34-35). So they knew how to lead God's people well. At times, in Israel's history, there had been unfaithful shepherds who did not care for the flock at all, and the people had gone astray from God's ways (Jer. 50:6). That is what the Scribes and Pharisees were like in Jesus' day. Jesus told this story of the shepherd and the sheep as a lesson for them, "but they understood not what things they were which he spoke unto them" (v6).

"I AM THE DOOR": John 10:7-10

Jesus said, "I am the door of the sheep" (v7).

They claimed that they were shepherds of the flock, but shepherds always enter the fold "by the door" (v2). A true shepherd of God's people would bring them to Jesus, but the Pharisees hated Jesus. They did not believe in him, and they did their best to stop people coming to him.

They were the thieves and robbers (v8) who came to steal, and to kill and to destroy (v10). (Remember how they did not even care that sick people were cured. We will notice more of this in later lessons).

If Jesus is the "door", who then is the "porter" or the one who opens the door? It is God himself. God will open to those who knock (Matt. 7:7-8).

"I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD": John 10:11-15

What a difference there is between a shepherd and a hireling.

The hireling agrees to lead the sheep, but the sheep are not his. They do not know his voice and he does not show any concern or care for them. They are not safe in his hands. The Pharisees were no better than hirelings. They thought of their own welfare (see Matt. 23:5-7) and looked only for praise and honour from the people.

Jesus on the other hand, is the good shepherd, kind, faithful and compassionate. All those who believe in him are his sheep. He knows them all by name and they know his voice. Those who believe in him always read God's Word and find his voice guiding them and comforting them. In God's Word they find food and water for Jesus said, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst " (John 6:35; see also Lesson 12).

He cared so much for his sheep that he gave his life for them. What greater love could he have than that.

"OTHER SHEEP HAVE I"

Jesus came to the lost sheep of Israel, the Jews (Matt. 15:24). He was "moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd" (Mark 6:34), and he wanted to bring them safely back into the fold.

He also said, "other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (John 10:16). These other sheep are the Gentiles such as ourselves, who are anxious to learn about the Word of God and obey his "voice". The fold is the ecclesia which we enter through the "door", that is, Christ. The way into the ecclesia is by baptism into Christ. Paul and the other apostles preached the gospel to the Gentiles after Christ had risen from the dead. They were faithful shepherds calling people to come and learn of Christ. Through their preaching God had "opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27), so that those who heard the gospel could enter in. There is "one fold", that is, one ecclesia, made up of Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ.

How blessed we are to hear the Word of God taught by faithful brethren today who invite people to enter into the ecclesia by baptism.

LESSON FOR US

What a privilege it is to be counted among God's sheep, having the Lord Jesus Christ as our shepherd and guide. If we continue to listen to his voice, speaking to us out of God's Word, he will always be faithful. The world we live in is full of wolves", people who would try to destroy us, by leading us into their wicked ways. We must stay within the ecclesia and find our pleasure there, if we want to be safe.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

1. How would a shepherd care for his sheep during the day?

2. Where did the shepherd lead his sheep at night?

3. How could the sheep enter the fold?

4. Who opened the door to the shepherd?

5. How did the sheep know which shepherd to follow?

6. Who did Jesus say is "the door"?

7. Who is it that opens the door?

8. Who is the good shepherd?

9. How is a hireling different from a true shepherd?

10. Who are Jesus' sheep?

11. Who were the "other sheep" Jesus spoke of?

12. How can we enter Jesus' fold?

Detailed Answers

13. Jesus told a story in which he called himself "the good shepherd".

1. How was Jesus like a good shepherd?

2. How did he show his great love for his sheep?

3. Who are Jesus' sheep?

4. How can we become Jesus' sheep?

14. (a) Name two great leaders of Israel who had been shepherds.

2. In what ways were the Pharisees like hirelings?

3. Why did the Pharisees try to stop the people listening to Jesus "the good shepherd'*?

4. How can we avoid the wicked ways of the world?