John: Jesus, The Good Shepherd (Chapters 10-12)

The Gospel of Christ-TGOC

Jesus said, "I came that they may have life "and have it more abundantly," John 10:10.
We welcome you to our study of the gospel of John. John predicts or tells us about the life of Jesus in a very graphic form that teaches us who Christ is and how we should respond to the Lord and Savior. We encourage you to get your Bible as we're going to be studying today in John chapters 10 through 12.
As we think about this segment, Jesus is going to be identified through several word pictures or characteristics of who Christ is. In chapter 10, He is the door that men must go through to be saved. Chapter 11, Jesus is the resurrection. "I am the life and the resurrection," Jesus will say. In John chapter 12, He is the ultimate judge of all men.
As we begin with John 10:7, Jesus says these words about Himself being the door people must go through to get to God. The Scripture records, then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep." Now want to be a part of God's fold? If I want to be a child of God, a Christian, I must go through Jesus Christ. The door, naturally, is an entrance into something. You open the door, and you go into the house. Jesus is that door men must go through to be a part of God's household. Remember John 14:6? The Lord himself said, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me." Again, John 10:7 says the exact same thing. Jesus said, ‘I am the door that you've got to go through to be one of my sheep.’ We understand that's true. As we think about the teaching of the New Testament to get into God's family, to get into Christ, I've got to go through Christ. Acts 4:12, the Bible says, ‘nor is there salvation in any other, for there's no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ If I'm going to be a Christian, if I'm going to get into Christ and be a part of God's family, then I've got to obey God and do what He says and follow the teaching of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now, we see then Jesus as the door, but also want you to see another image of Jesus found in John 10:9. Jesus not only gives us entrance into God's family, but He is the spiritual food or the spiritual sustenance we need to thrive in God's family. John 10:9 Jesus would not only say I am the door, but Jesus would say that those who come in through the door, ‘they'll find pasture or sustenance in me.’ The idea of sheep finding pasture, which of course is pertinent, would be essential to their living. If they're going to find green pastures, you're going to have sheep that are well and healthy. Jesus provides us spiritual pasture. He provides us spiritual food. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:18 that we are to ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.’ Do you remember the words of Jesus as He was tempted by Satan in Matthew chapter 4? Satan said, knowing Jesus was hungry, "If you're the Son of God, command these stones to become bread." Remember what Jesus said? "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God." Matthew 5:6, ‘blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.’
As we think about our Christian life, as we think about being part of God's fold, God's family, we need to grow and mature and feed on that spiritual food that God provides us in his word. Here's a picture of that in the Bible. 1 Peter 2:2 says, ‘As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.’ Peter was asked in John 6:66-67, when some of the disciples left Jesus and walked with him no more, Jesus turned to the rest and said, "Do you want to go away also?" Peter spoke up and
said these ever famous words, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
I need to feed on the word of God, grow spiritually, and really be what God wants me to be in his kingdom.
Now friend, as we think about Jesus in John chapter 10, one thing that we clearly see in this text is that not only is Jesus the true shepherd, but He gives His followers the abundant or the best life. You want to have the best life? You want to be really happy? Have joy, be really satisfied, find spiritual fulfillment, and find peace and happiness? Jesus gives us that abundant life.
Notice the words of John 10:10. The Scripture records, ‘The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.’ The abundant life, the best life, the life that is overflowing with God's riches and God's blessings- we think about that as a Christian. We're reminded how true that is. Do you remember the words of Ephesians 1:3? The Bible says this, ‘all spiritual blessings are ours in Christ Jesus.’ Every spiritual blessing you can think about, from forgiveness to being a part of God's family to the blessing of prayer, to fellowship- whatever it may be- all spiritual blessings are ours. That's the abundant life that the Bible teaches us about. God wants you and me to have that life. Philippians 4:13 says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ Jesus gives me the strength, the power and the ability, along with God's blessings to have the abundant life. Who wouldn't want to live the abundant life? God promises to His children the abundant spiritual life- help, blessings beyond measure for the child of God.
As we think about Jesus as the good shepherd, one of the things Jesus also identifies being the good shepherd, Jesus also identifies that there are way too many people out there who are claiming to be good shepherds but in reality they're just hirelings. Now, let me contrast this for just a moment before we even look at the verse. I want you to contrast this in your mind. Somebody who owns the sheep or somebody who owns
cattle cares for those cattle. Those cattle are his livelihood versus somebody who's just a hired hand. Is there any difference in those two? Yes, one has a vested interest in it, the other one just show up for a paycheck. There's a whole lot of difference in the way they react and how they feel toward them.
The Bible teaches that Jesus, being the true shepherd, identifies that there are way too many hirelings who are just in it for what they can get out of it in the religious sense. Look in John 10:12-13. The Scripture records, ‘but a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, he 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.’ When hard times come, when danger comes, when things get difficult- the hireling tucks tail and runs. The shepherd- he stays there and fights and protects his own. What's Jesus trying to talk about here? In the religious world there are a lot of hirelings. There are a lot of people who are in it for what they can get out of it.
I read a study awhile back that said the quickest get rich scheme in America is to start your own church. Think about all the people who are out there begging people for money, appealing to their emotions- what are they really in it for? We want to be in it so that people can go to heaven, so that people can know God. We're not in it for ourselves. We want to get out of the way and help people see Jesus and the cross and the hope of eternal salvation. That's the mindset of every Christian- to help people see Jesus and not just simply make a buck off of other people.
Then we see this great statement in John 10. What a wonderful idea. The theme of John 10:14-15, Jesus is seen as the ultimate good shepherd. Notice these words, the Bible says, Jesus speaking, "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and am known by my own, and the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep." What makes Jesus the good shepherd? His love, His relationship with the Father, but just as much as anything else- His willingness to sacrifice. “I lay down my life for the sheep.” Now a hireling, he's different.
He sees danger, he sees the wolf coming, and he tucks tail and runs. The shepherd- he stays there and fights, even to the point of giving his life for the sheep. Now friend, you can clearly see what Jesus did in that scenario. Hebrews 2:9, Jesus did do that. In fact, ‘He tasted death for every man.’ The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:24, “He Himself bore our sins in His own body upon the tree.” So when we think about Jesus as the good shepherd, we see just how much He gave up and sacrificed. You couldn't have somebody who cares for your soul more than Jesus does.
A wonderful statement is made toward the end of John chapter 10 that I want you to see for just a moment, and it has to do with the Scriptures. I want you to look at how Jesus felt and what He thought about the word of God. Notice John 10:35. The Scripture records, Jesus speaking, "If he called them gods to whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken." Now I understand that's just kind of a side point, parenthetical thought in the midst of the teaching of Jesus about God being the ultimate, only Almighty God- but I want you to just see from the mindset of Jesus what He thought about the word of God. The Scripture cannot be broken. What's Jesus teaching us about the word of God there?
Jesus teaches us several things, but first He teaches it's absolute truth. It could not be wrong. It could not be broken. It was not error. John 17:17, Jesus prayed to the Father, "Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth." Jesus believed the Scripture was exact in its fulfillment. Every prophecy, every prediction, every verse and teaching that pointed to the New Testament, Jesus believed in the fulfillment of Scripture. He believed it was inspired by God, all Scripture. Why can the Scripture cannot be broken? God's the author of it, and God cannot lie- Titus 1:2 and Hebrews 6:18.
When I think about Jesus' words here, it reminds me of the need to keep God's word. If the Scripture cannot be broken, it doesn't need to be broken in my life either. I need to make sure I'm following Scripture. Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, “It's not everybody that just looks up in heaven and says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ that's going there. He who does the will of my Father in heaven.” It reminds me of the complete nature of God's word, meaning
that the Bible has everything I need. Do you remember 2 Peter 1:3? The Scripture says, ‘God has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.’ When I think about the Scripture being everything we need, how wonderful it is to know that God's given us that truth.
Now, as we turn our attention next to John chapter 11. In this chapter, we're going to see the seventh and kind of the final climatic miracle or sign that Jesus performs. This miracle, the raising of Lazarus actually is going to show Jesus as the Master of death. You remember the story. Lazarus died. Jesus was close to this whole family- Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus's sisters request Jesus, and they actually say to him, "Lord, if you'd been here, he wouldn't have died." Jesus said in essence, ‘I'm going to bring him back.’ Now you remember Lazarus had been dead and buried for many days; in fact, they said he stinks by now. That's the graphic nature of what had already started to happen to Lazarus' body. Jesus tells Mary and Martha, ‘I'm going to bring him back.’ What do we learn from this miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead? Friend, we learn a couple of things that are very true. The first is one that we all have to face and that is sadly- all men everywhere are one day going to die. Like it or not, I'm going to leave this earth one day. Hebrews 9:27 assures me of that. ‘It is appointed to man once to die, then the judgment.’ The Bible says in James 4:14, ‘what is your life? It's but a vapor, here for a little while, and then it vanishes away.’ At the best, 70 maybe 80 years is what I might have upon this earth, Psalm 90:10-12.
Death is a reality all men everywhere are going to have to face. Here's the good news from the teaching in this chapter: For the faithful child of God, death is not a bad thing and it is not the end. Jesus defeated death with the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57. This is why the psalmist said in the long ago in Psalm 116:15, ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.’ The good news is there's a day coming ‘when all who are in the graves will come forth. Those that have done good to the resurrection of life, those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation.’ Death is a reality, but for the child of God, death is not that evil, dark, dismal day that we're trying to do everything within our power to
prevent. Death for the child of God, from heaven's perspective, that's a blessing.
Now, let's turn directly to Jesus and the lesson He taught from the resurrection or the raising of Lazarus. Look in John chapter 11:25-26. The Bible records these words at the resurrection of Lazarus. Martha said to Jesus in verse 24, "I know he'll rise in the resurrection at the last day." Here's what Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Friend, Jesus promises and Jesus gives resurrection and life to His followers. Now what I'm talking about in the physical sense, Jesus is not going to help me to live forever in the physical sense- spiritually He is. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 that ‘one day all who are in the grave will meet him in the air, and we'll always be with the Lord.’ ‘All who are in the graves will one day come forth,’ John 5:28-29. Our citizenship is in heaven, which we eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus who will transform our lowly body into his glorious body, Philippians 3:20-21. When I think about what Jesus does, what it means to be a Christian, friend, this life is not my only hope. I have the hope of life after this through the resurrection. Job asked a question, that man of suffering, who faced so much difficulty and calamity, asked a question that really isn't answered until John 11:25-26. In Job 14:14, Job asked, "If a man dies, will he live again?" And Jesus with a resounding “Yes.” He says, "I am the resurrection and the life. You'll never really die if you believe in me."
As we think, though, about Jesus and about the resurrection, about the events that are going on here, we also see a glimpse into the compassion and the heart of Jesus. In John 11:35, as Jesus discusses with Mary and Martha about the loss of their brother, that Jesus wants to know where Lazarus is and they say, "Come and see." When Jesus saw the tomb and Lazarus being buried there, the Bible records these words. “Jesus wept.” Jesus loved Lazarus. He loved Mary. He loved Martha. People sometimes get the wrong image about Jesus. There's no doubt that Jesus had to deal with religious hypocrites and had to speak plainly to them. Jesus had to deal with the sin problem, but sometimes I think people
see Jesus as rather gruff and rough around the edges. Here you see the heart of Jesus. At the tomb of Lazarus, His friend, Jesus wept. Why? Because He loved Lazarus. He loved Mary and Martha. He didn't want to see them suffer. At the same time, Jesus knew that all that would be done away with in the resurrection and the last days. We do see the heart of Jesus and His tears that are exhibited here.
Now, as we think about John chapter 12, there are also some lessons that we learn here. One of those lessons relates to one of the closest followers of Jesus who would go on to betray Him. What do you know about Judas in the Bible? I know he was one of the 12. I know Jesus selected him. What's going through Judas's mind and what makes Judas tick, we might say? Look in John 12:4-6. At the anointing in Bethany, preparing Jesus for His burial, the Bible says, “but one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray him, said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?’” This he said, “Not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had the moneybox, and he used to take what was put in it.” What made Judas tick, what made him who he was? What was Judas's problem? Friend, I'll assure you, the devil knew that problem when he threw those 30 pieces of silver right before Judas's eyes. Judas already had that problem. He comes across as pretty good. ‘Hey, this should've been done. We could've taken this and sold it and given it to the poor.’ And yet the Bible tells us, he didn't care about the poor. He had the moneybox. He was in charge of that. He was stealing out of it. Judas had a problem with greed. The things of this world and the stuff of this world are really what got to Judas and what made him who he was.
Now, as we think about John 12 in the short amount of time remaining, there are several lessons that I want you to see that really jump out from this text. I want you to look at one of the great promises and really prophecies that are made about Jesus in John 12:32-33. Look at these words, John 12:32, and the Bible says, Jesus speaking, “If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to myself." This He said signifying by what death He would die. ‘If I'm lifted up, I'm going to draw everybody to myself.’ Friend, what's the drawing power of Christianity today? In your
mind, in my mind, is it not that epitome of the greatest sacrifice that's ever been made, Jesus on that hill called Golgotha with His arms spread and His hands and feet nailed to a cross. Isn't that what draws men to Jesus? His love and His sacrifice?
Who deserved to be on that cross? Me and you. “The soul who sins shall surely die,” Ezekiel 18:4. And yet He bore in His own body our sins upon the tree. When Jesus is lifted up, that's the greatest example of God's love. Friend, that's what draws men to Christ and to the cross, is what he did for each one of us.
As you think about this idea, and as we see Jesus as the great sacrifice, this great example of love, friend, also I want you to see Jesus as the judge as well. Look in John 12:48. I want you to see these words of Jesus. Jesus, in speaking about the word of God, he says this in John 12:48, "He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day." When my life and yours is over- remember, it's going to happen to all of us- when that final curtain falls on the final day and when I stand before God and give an account for the things done in this body, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5- what's going to be my judge?
I'm not going to be judged by the Old Testament. That's not for Christians. That's not what we're living under today. I'm not going to be judged by popular opinion or books of men or what some religious leader today says. I'm not going to be judged by what my parents did or what they believed or what was popular. What am I being judged by today? Notice again John 12:48. Jesus said, "He who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges him." Lord, what is that? "The word that I've spoken will judge you in the last day." Revelation 20:12-15, ‘And the dead great and small stood before God and books were opened. Another book was opened which was the book of life and the dead were judged according to the things written therein.’
Friend, I'll assure you that along with the book of life, as books are opened, one of those will be God's divine will and we will stand before God and give an account for the things we've done in this life.
Let’s recap very briefly. In John chapter 10, we see Jesus as the good shepherd who gives the abundant life, who cares for his sheep, and who wants us to go to heaven to be happy. John chapter 11, because we are now in Christ, one as a Christian, he has hope of the resurrection and the life through Jesus Christ. When I stand before God on the judgment day as a child of God, that is not a dark, dismal day, I can have hope and boldness in view of the judgment.
The real question remains: Are you in Christ? Have you followed the good shepherd? Are you a part of God's sheep?
If not, we encourage you to obey the gospel, believe in Christ, John 8:24. Repent of sin that may be in your life, Luke 13:3. Confess the beautiful name of Jesus before men, Romans 10:10. Won't you do what Jesus said? “He that believes and is baptized will be saved,” Mark 16:16.
May God help each of us to follow Jesus, the true shepherd to that eternal home in heaven.
Study Questions for:
John: Lesson 5
1. According to John 10:10, why did Jesus come to Earth?
2.How is Jesus described in John 10:7?
3.According to John 14:6, how can we get to God?
4.What does Acts 4:12 say about how we are saved?
5. According to John 10:9, what will we find in Jesus?
6.Accordint o 2 Timothy 3:18, what are we to grow in?
7. According to Ephesians 1:3, where are spiritual blessings found?
8. in John 10:14-15 how is Jesus depicted?
9.What is the truth according to Jesus in John 17:17?
10. What will we be judged by on the last day according to John 12:48?