MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE - John 10:11-15
[11] I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
[12] But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
[13] The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
[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.
The picture of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and the Door to the sheepfold, is one of the most beautiful pictures in both the OT and NT. The Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles all speak of it. Think of the touching imagery of Isaiah, imagery we tried to capture on the cover of today’s bulletin, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11. Or think of the imagery of the 23rd Psalm where the Savior promises to restore our souls with the pure Gospel, to lead our feet in the paths we should go, and to guide us safely through the valley of the “shadow of death.” Think of the warnings of the prophet Ezekiel against those who destroy the flock: “Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” Again, “And they were scattered, because [there was] no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered,” Ezekiel 34:2, 5. Finally, think of the promise the Savior makes each of us, namely, that He will appear at the end of the world as the Good Shepherd to “divide [His] sheep from the goats,” Matthew 25:32, and to give His sheep the crown of everlasting life, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” 1 Peter 5:4.
We have something that the world will never know. They wander about aimlessly as sheep without a shepherd, trying to make it on their own, facing temporal, spiritual, and moral bankruptcy with no Good Shepherd to bail them out. They have all the characteristics of sheep. They blindly follow the crowd and don’t think of the consequences. They find safety in numbers. If everyone does it, it must be all right, even if it is blatant sin in the eyes of God. Sheep can be pretty stubborn. They want their own way. They want to do their own thing. They are very resentful of the voice of the Good Shepherd who repeatedly calls them to repentance. When a sheep trusts someone, it follows without thinking. Think of the false prophets of our day, sectarian churches, where the blind lead the blind. In his touching farewell letter to the Ephesian congregation, St. Paul reminded them they that “of their own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them,” Acts 20:30. It can happen to us.
The world finds security in numbers. You and I find safety and security in the sheepfold known as “the church,” where the little flock gathers around the word of the Good Shepherd. Lest you and I lose sight of the wonderful blessings we enjoy as God’s elect sheep, Jesus reminds us what it cost. It cost Him his life on the cross. Naturally, we don’t listen to our Shepherd. Isaiah describes us well when he writes, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Isaiah 53:6. If we had our way, we would never follow the good Shepherd. We are so busy. We have so many things to do and so many places to go. Not until Jesus humbles us for our lack of faith, not until we realize that we won’t get very far without our Savior, can we appreciate what He has done for us; how, as our Good Shepherd, He sacrificed His life on the cross for us unworthy sheep! How, as our Good Shepherd, He carries us undeserving sinners on His shoulders, protects us from every evil, and He promises us a place in His eternal home. He is not only a good Shepherd, but the very best.
Sadly, however, the Savior reminds us that not every shepherd is a good shepherd. He speaks of hired men, who, when it comes down to it, aren’t concerned about the members of the flock. To them it is a job and no divine calling. When they see the wolf coming, when problems arise in the congregation, when it is necessary to stand up for the word of God, they avoid the problems because their real interest is not in the sheep. Their first concern is themselves, their reputation, and their size. They are quick to call, “Peace, peace when there is no peace,” Jeremiah 8:11, and to allow errors and false practice to creep in, just to keep the membership list growing. The results of such shepherding are pathetic. The flock is led in the wrong direction and the way to heaven is obscured.
Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, from the day of His birth lived in direct contrast to the hireling. He certainly did not make a reputation among the people of Palestine as a prestigious and famous pastor. When He was born in a stable, hardly any one noticed. Those who did notice caused Him to flee for His life to Egypt. When He finally began His ministry, the religious leaders hated Him and despised Him, and the Jews as a people refused to accept Him as their Shepherd. Toward the end of His ministry He sadly said about them,”O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not! Matthew 23:37. He spoke of the Jews, with all their religion, as sheep wandering aimlessly without a shepherd.
What made Jesus a good shepherd was not His fame or His wealth, but His love. One time when His disciples were arguing about who was greatest, Jesus said, “For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as he that serveth.” Luke 22:27. And again, “The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45. Jesus’ whole life was dedicated to other people, a life of loving and giving to the point of death on the cross. “I lay down my life that I might take it again; no man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.” John 10:18.
The relation between our Savior and us is a beautiful thing. Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, knows every one of His sheep. He knows our strengths, weaknesses, and sorrows. He knows our individual failings and temptations. He is present to heal our wounds and to strengthen our faith when we do not know where to turn for help. We don’t have a single need of body or soul about which Jesus is not concerned. With all power in heaven and on earth at His disposal, He rescues us no matter how far we wander away.
Just as our Good Shepherd loves His children, so His children love Him. They know Him by His voice. They trust Him when he calls, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” John 11:26. They find in His precious Word relief from every sickness and trouble.
When the pastures of sin and earthly gain seem green and inviting, our Shepherd’s warning voice makes us aware of the danger to our souls and calls us back to repentance and spiritual safety. When false shepherds try to lure innocent and trusting sheep away from the flock, the true Shepherd cries out, “Beware of false prophets because they come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves, which eat up the people as they eat bread.” Psalm 53:4.
There may even be times, in our own lives, when we don’t listen, times when we turn a deaf ear to His voice, so that He has to strike us with the rod of adversity and sorrow, not because He wants to hurt, but because He wants to bring us to our senses, as He often did to His Old Testament people. He loves us so much that He does not want to see us wander away to our destruction. The hireling doesn’t care. He allows his sheep to follow their own lusts and desires, and even complements them on their worldly fame and recognition.
Our heavenly Shepherd, however, has a higher goal for you and me. His goal is that we humbly and faithfully follow His voice all the way to heaven. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:27, 28.
Preached by Pastor Robert Dommer on 4-6-2008