“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But
he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To
him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When
he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This
figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Imagery of the Shepherd is everywhere in the pages of the Bible. (Isaiah 40, Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalm 23, Revelation 7). The shepherd was a despised job in the Ancient
Near East and looked down upon. Remember when Jacob’s family went to Egypt they lived in Goshen as shepherds and we are told that the Egyptians despise shepherds, wanting nothing to do with them, for their occupation was an abomination to the wonders and extravagance
of Egypt. But of course, the Lord would identify with that which the world despises.
It is this bending down of God that so overwhelms us. His concern for the broken, the cast out, the despised and rejected. Everything about God’s coming to His people
is that of deep humility and condescension. Here is the One that created the world and all those in it and yet WE would think to judge HIM! Man decided that Christ is to be despised and rejected; we even decided that he was stricken and afflicted by God…and
we hid ourselves from Him, for He disgusted us. And yet He comes, only to shepherd sinners, only to bring us to heaven’s joy, only to rid us of sin, and to defeat for us, death itself!
Our text begins with an obvious contrast. Like the Devil who appears as an angel of light, but it is not real light, so there are those who pretend to be shepherds
but they are not real shepherds. The Pharisees are in that position and they are aware that Jesus is talking about them. They claim to be shepherds of Israel, the ones who guide and direct the people of God. But they are as the shepherds of old that the prophets
of God pronounced judgment upon: They loved what their position could give them, they sought their own honor, they loved themselves…they did not love the sheep.
The sheepfold was a roofless enclosure in the open field. It consisted of a wall made of rough stones with a sturdy floor. The sheep are brought in for the evening,
several flocks being committed to the care of the common keeper, or porter, for the night. In the morning the shepherds would come and the porter would let them in and they would call out their flock…the flock would recognize the voice of their particular
shepherd and would follow him out for the day’s grazing. This was the same, day after day as the shepherds would care for their flocks.
There are 7 aspects of our text that I want us to consider over the next two days.
A. First,
the shepherd enters by the gate. 10:2
The point that Jesus is making here condemns the Pharisees. For he says not only is He the good shepherd, but he mixes His metaphors and says, He is also the gate.
Jesus is the point…He is the one who leads; He is the one through whom we come and to whom we come. It is about who He is and what He has done and therefore where He is taking us.
You might think that this sounds elementary. “Really, Pastor Skogen, Christianity is about Jesus, wow that’s a new one…how did you ever come up with such a thought”
Brothers and sisters, I could write for pages about the devastation that unconverted men, so called under-shepherds are causing in the church today. I could warn you
for double those pages and especially warn our children that this is where the battle rages today: Namely the voices that are quite content, happy even for us to have Christianity, have our religion. However, they will be quick to warn that we must keep it
to ourselves and never, ever say that Jesus is the ONLY gate. We will be threatened with cultural excommunication to even hint that the way to God knows only One way, One person, One gate.
That is what your children and grandchildren are going to be pounded with at secular university, and this message will come in kind and sophisticated ways as well
as intimidating and threatening ways. Satan is at work and he will demand that we confess there are other gates and there are other ways. And sadly, there are ministers and Christian leaders who might really have sympathies toward Jesus as a good person and
ethical example, but do not preach redemption by the grace of God and faith in the work of Jesus. Rather, they preach moralism…ethical platitudes, be good, do right, help people, don’t hit your brother. Be good and you will go to heaven. But that is not Jesus’
message. Think of it this way: If Jesus’ message was, be nice to people, help the poor, and accept everyone…Would they have crucified Him for that message? Of course not! Jesus is the shepherd and He is the gate; He is the Lamb of God and there is no
other.
B. Second,
the shepherd calls the sheep by name. 10:3
To put it simply, Jesus knows you…He is concerned for his sheep as a whole and he is concerned for each one of us as individuals. That is why He will as the faithful
shepherd, leave the 99 and find the one who has wandered…that is why there is rejoicing in heaven over one who repents.
As an aside, do you remember what we looked at in Luke 15? In that passage we find the three stories that are making the same point, the lost sheep, the lost coin
and then the lost son. When they are found there is rejoicing, but I am questioning who does the rejoicing? Look at 15:7, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…” In 15:10 we read: “I tell you
there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents…” There we are told, it is not the angels who are rejoicing but there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels…Who do you think it is, then that is doing the
rejoicing?
In the parable of the prodigal son, that follows, when we get to the son coming home, who is the joyous one in the story? The father, he runs and falls at the feet
of His son, He is the one rejoicing!…and the father in the story is picturing our heavenly Father! So, who is rejoicing at the finding of the sheep, the coin and the coming home of the prodigal? It is the Father! It is our God who rejoices, even as Zechariah
says, God rejoices over us with singing!
Brothers and sisters, please let this sink in; God delights in His work of saving sinners, He rejoices over his sheep and even in heaven Jesus is still leading us
to the streams of water…He knows you…every tear that falls, every pain that you think no one feels or could possibly understand…every sting of loneliness is known by the One who loves you as none other.
Here is a glorious truth for us this morning: this Shepherd who calls you by name…bore the indignities, shame, guilt and punishment for all your wanderings, doubts
and outright rebellion. He took your place…your sin…your humiliation…so that He might whisper to you, with nothing by love in His voice… your name. He knows you intimately and He loves you with an undying love that has been proved by His dying…for you. He
is THE Shepherd…He is YOUR shepherd!
Prayer: O thou who the Shepherd of Israel art,
Give ear to our pray’r and thy favor impart;
Thou leader of Joseph, thou guide of his way,
‘Mid cherubim dwelling, thy glory display.
No more shall we wander, delighting in shame;
Revive us, O Lord, we will call on thy Name.
O Lord God of Hosts, us restore to thy grace,
And then we shall live in the light of thy face,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Song: Psalm 23 by the late Keith Green
