“I Am The Good Shepherd” – Jesus Revealed Part X

Sermon Title: “I Am the Good Shepherd:” More than Good, More than a Shepherd

Good News Statement: Jesus encourages us to be the Good Shepherd

Preached: Sunday, March 19, 2022 at Dogwood Prairie UMC & Seed Chapel UMC

                   Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.              

 

Scripture (NRSV): John 10:11-18 Today’s scripture comes from the Gospel of John chapter ten verses eleven thru eighteen. In this chapter John encourages us to remember that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who demonstrates goodness, life, relationship, and power.

 

Jesus the Good Shepherd

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, “Thanks be to God.”

 

Introduction:

            A shepherd looks over at his flock of sheep in the pasture. The day is ending soon, and he has to herd the sheep into their pen for the night. The shepherd calls for his trusty sheepdog and asks it to get the job done. “Right away, sir,” says the sheepdog. 10 minutes later, and the shepherd glances out his window to see the sheep safely in their pen. The sheepdog bounds in through the door to report the completion of its task. “Excellent work, did you get all of them?” asks the shepherd. “Yes, all 40 of them.” The shepherd stares confused at the sheepdog. “Hang on, I thought I only had 37 sheep?” The sheepdog replies, “Well yes, I rounded them up.”

What is a shepherd? Culturally speaking, a shepherd is someone, who has a weather-beaten face, is dressed in coarse homespun clothing, is found carrying a staff in one hand, is often covered in the filth of the land, and is categorized to be poor, of low-socioeconomic status. Shepherds were considered outcasts that were only allowed to live outside the city walls. A shepherd’s job consisted of sacrificially protecting the flock of sheep against threats, keeping the flock together as a group, and guiding the flock from place to place. It’s no wonder only a select few accepted the position, occupation, livelihood, and title of being a shepherd: it was dangerous work.

Beginning in the Old Testament, we read of three famous individuals who were considered shepherds of their times. Genesis 13 describes Abraham as being a shepherd of livestock, herds , and flocks of sheep. In Exodus 3, we read, just before he hears a voice coming from a burning bush and is told that to remove his sandals for he is standing on holy ground, “Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of this father-in-law Jethro.” Finally, in 1 Samuel 17, we encounter a young boy, who will later become one the greatest kings of Israel and an ancestor of Jesus: David was a shepherd who took care of his father’s flocks. Abraham, Moses, and David were just simple people, living their life, doing what their family needed them to do by being a lowly shepherd, became shepherds of a greater flock. In a way, they took to heart what Ezekiel wrote in his book 34:12, “As a shepherd looks for his sheep on the day he is among his scattered flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy and dark day.” A shepherd goes above and beyond to keep their flock together.

Knowing how important shepherds were in the Old Testament, we find them also in the New Testament. Jesus is tightly connected to the shepherd motif. Matthew 2:6 describes Jesus as a shepherd: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.” A shepherd is a leader. Luke writes in the book of Acts, that the overseers are “to shepherd the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Religiously, shepherds are leaders who deny themselves, rescuers who carry their cross, and followers of Jesus who work to lead their flock to the church of God. Biblically speaking, we are all shepherds; but there is only one “good shepherd” who gives us eternal life and promises that we will never perish. This one good shepherd protects us as we grow his flock of today for tomorrow.

 

Body:

It’s important to point out that Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd.” He doesn’t simply say, “I am the Shepherd.” No, he says, “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). However, what does “good” mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “good” is defined as “something conforming to the moral order of the universe, an advancement of prosperity or well-being, something useful or beneficial, well-behaved, or in a favored position.” To classify something or someone as “good” means that that thing or person is absent of anything wrong, or bad, or administering harm. As a matter of fact, John Wesley, the founder of the People called Methodist, would define “good” as the absence of harm and the pursuit of attending upon all the ordinances of God: worshipping, praying, reading scripture, and partaking in the Lord’s Supper.

So, when Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd,” he invites us into a means of discipleship that prepares us to be good shepherds of the flock of today, to live out the Fruit of the Spirit as humble workers in the land. I know you all can be good, but do you all know that you can also be a shepherd? Before we become the shepherd Jesus needs us to be, we need to understand why Jesus calls himself a “Good Shepherd.”

First, Jesus begins his claim as the Good Shepherd by saying “I Am.” “I Am” refers back to Moses’s encounter with God. During that encounter, when Moses asked God’s name, God replied, “You shall tell the children of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus is the “Great I AM” that has come to redeem his people. Jesus is the “Great I AM” that has come to rescue his people from the sins of the world. Jesus is the “Great I AM” that has come “to serve and not be served and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus is the “Great I AM” that has come to protect his flock, to save his flock, to restore his flock, and to help them find their belief in moments of unbelief (Mark 9:24). There is no one greater than the one who calls themselves the “Great I AM.” Needless to say, though, the “Great I AM” is also humble enough to call himself a shepherd.

Second, Jesus identifies himself as a shepherd. We have already explored some Old and New Testament passages that mention shepherd. However, there is a reason why Jesus calls himself a shepherd. Shepherd implies humility, lowliness, being amongst the people, doing what others don’t want to do, living as an outcast, and being willing to do the grunt work. In Genesis 48:15, Jacob called God the shepherd who took care of the clan who walked with them and answered their cries. Isaiah wrote, “[The LORD] tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young” (Isaiah 40:11).

A shepherd will do what he or she can to keep the flock close to their heart: to love them, protect them, and lead them to paths of righteousness. A shepherd will do this and more as he or she lives amongst the flock: sleeps where they sleep, walk where they walk, travel where they travel, and so much more. Jesus calls himself a shepherd because he has been incarnated, made flesh, to be amongst the people and to do what is necessary to protect his flock: that’s you, me, and so many others. Jesus calls himself a shepherd to remind us that we have also been called to live, walk, and sleep where his people live, walk, and sleep. A shepherd doesn’t mind getting dirty for the sake of sharing the good news. A shepherd will do what he or she can do to do good for the flock of Christ.

Third, reflecting back on the descriptor of “good,” I find myself asking, “What does ‘good’ look like in action?” Let me remind you of what our text stated, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep….  I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:11, 14-16).

For Jesus, identifying himself as “good” is not something that he does very often. As a matter of fact, being called “good” is something he denies in the story of the Rich Man. Mark 10:17-18 asserts, “As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Jesus, a humble shepherd and now teacher, understands that no one is good but God alone; therefore, refuting the title of being “good.” Jesus is basically saying, “I am not as great, as powerful, as forgiving, as perfect, as the one who sent me.”

But now he self-acclaims himself to be “Good.” So it must be important to take note of. It’s important enough because Jesus attributes actions to what it means to be a good shepherd—what means to put the Fruit of the Spirit in practice: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Exhibiting “goodness” is something that we are to practice and live out by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, and for as long as we can (adaptation of John Wesley’s quote). To do good means to do more than make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that has been commanded to us (Matthew 28:19-20): it means loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

This love is seen through the Scripture. To be good is to call the sheep by name and lead them (John 10:3), to lay down one’s life for the sheep (John 10:11, 15), to seek out and save the other sheep who are not in the pen with the rest (John 10:16), to leave the ninety-nine in search of the one (Luke 15:4-7),  to ensure eternal life and the promise of never perishing (John 10:28), and to protect and preserve the flock as we gather and watch over them (Jeremiah 31:10). Jesus identifies himself as “good” not to diminish the divine authority and power of God, but to help us understand that sometimes in life we have to be more than simply hold a hooked-staff while standing in the middle of the field and watching over our flock by night: sometimes in life we have to be the good shepherd that puts our words into actions so that the flock grows, so that our church is here tomorrow, so that our faith doesn’t become something of the past. We are all capable of being a shepherd, but we are also able to be a good shepherd: to show love, joy, and peace.

Fourth, Jesus is the Good Shepherd that establishes relationships. John 10:14 notes, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me….” Recall, God created us in His image and knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13)—we have been fearfully and wonderfully made, according to the Psalmist (139:14). Jeremiah states in the opening  chapter to his book, “The LORD came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). God walked with Adam in the cool of the day and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden and spoke to Moses on Mount Herob. Respectively, if God knows us, then Jesus also knows who we are and is willing to have a relationship with us. Jesus wants to have relationship with you.

The Good Shepherd “became flesh” and walked among us. The Good Shepherd walks in our struggles, sufferings, sadness, and joys. The Good Shepherd, just like us, carries a cross. The Good Shepherd knows us so well that he is willing to make us lie down in green pastures and he leads us beside still waters; and restores our soul as he leads us in right paths for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:1-3). The Good Shepherds knows us so well that even though we walk through the darkest valley and fear no evil, his rod and staff comfort us (Psalm 23:4). The Good Shepherd knows us so well that one day we “shall all dwell in the house of the LORD our whole life long” (Psalm 23:6). The Good Shepherd knows our name: “He knows our every thought. He sees each tear that falls. And hears us when I call” (Tommy Walker).  The Good Shepherd knows us so well that he knows what we are capable of and what we have been called to do and what we have gone through to get to this point in our life—the point when we call Jesus our “Good Shepherd.”

Lastly, Jesus is the Good Shepherd that demonstrates power. In his commentary work on the Gospel of Mark, Biblical Scholar, David E. Garland shares a story about a tight-rope walker. “A certain tight-rope walker publicized that he was going to walk across Niagara Falls. A large crowd gathered. He dusted his hands and feet with powdered chalk, grasped with both hands the pole he used to balance, and proceeded confidently across the rope. He not only went across but also made a return trip. The crowd stood amazed and responded with cheers. The man proclaimed he would do it again without his pole. Again he successfully went over and back. As he stepped off the rope, he turned to the crowd and asked how many thought he could make a third trip, this time with a wheelbarrow. Some responded with confidence while others with skepticism. He set off on his task and completed it with greatest of ease. He then inquired of the crowd as to whether they believed he could do the same thing with the wheelbarrow full of cement. This time the crowd responded with great confidence. Again, he performed his feat with unbelievable ease. Having completed these four trips successfully, he asked the spectators if they believed that he could wheel a human being across the dangerous expanse. The response was unanimous. He could do it. Upon their reply he turned to a gentleman and said, “All right, my friend, let’s go.”

The Good Shepherd has enough power to help us walk across the tight-rope of life, not just to the other side but to the other side and back as many times as we need. Along this tight-rope we may experience uncertainty, doubt, lack of faith, be questioning our decisions, and strive to find ways to turn around. But remember, the Good Shepherd walks with us through the darkest of valley and leads us to greener pastures and still waters. The Good Shepherd is powerful enough to lay down his own life and to take it up again so that we can achieve what he has put before us with ease. John wrote when quoting Jesus, “I lay down my life in order to take it up again….I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again” (John 10:17-18).

The chief priests and Pharisees plotted against Jesus and they thought they had all the influence in the world, but Jesus had more power. Judas betrayed Jesus and thought he had some control over the circumstances at hand, but Jesus had more power. Pilate sentenced Jesus to death by the persuasion of the people and thought he had all the power of the Roman empire, but Jesus had more power. And the Roman soldiers carried out the crucifixion and placed him in a stone-sealed-tomb and thought their muscles were the success of their mission, but Jesus had more power and might to overcome death. My point is, is that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has more than enough power to overcome the situations of life that not even death or a sealed tomb or a simple tight-rope can keep him from entering our heart. Jesus lays down his life so that “whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The Good Shepherd is the power we need to become the disciple and church that God’s earthly kingdom needs and by which our community seeks.

Conclusion:

In closing, I remind you of what Jesus meant when he said “I am the Good Shepherd.” The Good Shepherd is the “Great I AM” that has come “to serve and not be served and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). The Good Shepherd is the “Great I AM” that has come to protect his flock, to save his flock, to restore his flock, and to help them find their belief in moments of unbelief (Mark 9:24). The Good Shepherd demonstrates humility, lowliness, being amongst the people, doing what others don’t want to do, living as an outcast, and being willing to do the grunt work all while leading the flock, the people to salvation. The Good Shepherd puts words into actions so that the flock grows, so that the church is here tomorrow, and so that one’s faith doesn’t become something of the past. The Good Shepherd establishes relationships. Finally, the Good Shepherd is the power we need to become the disciple and church that God’s earthly kingdom needs and by which our community seeks.

By observing just a few characteristics of the Good Shepherd and what the Good Shepherd is willing to do for his flock, for the people, for the church, I remind you that you are all capable of becoming a shepherd just the way you are. I have been called to lead this flock but you have been given instructions on who to grow the flock and you can do so just the way you are.

David E. Garland quotes Martin Luther King, Jr., in his book The NIV Application Commentary on Mark, “You don’t to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know Plato and Aristotle [to serve]. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity [to serve]. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics [to serve]. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” You all can serve and become a shepherd of God’s flock with the wisdom and knowledge that you have right now because the grace and love that fills your heart and nourishes your soul is more than enough to be called a good shepherd and to lead others to Christ. As Christ’s shepherd and flock, the time has come to say, “All right, my friend, let’s go.” It’s time to round up the flock. Let it be so, Amen.

 

Closing Prayer:

Let us Prayer: Dear Good Shepherd, help us to become the shepherds you need us to be. Help our church become a place where the flock wants to gather. And help us to find ways to put our good words into action so that your flock may continue to grow today and every day. Amen.

 

Benediction:

Whisper to yourself, “The LORD is my shepherd. I belong to the flock of Christ. I, too, can become a shepherd.” When Jesus said, “I Am the Good Shepherd” he was calling out to each of us that he will always be there to lead us, to walk with us, and hear us; but he also needs us to be the shepherds for those other sheep that are lost. May the Good Shepherd bless you with knowledge, strength, and wisdom to have a heart and soul filled with love and grace. Go, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as you become the disciple, shepherd, and church that God needs you to be. And all God’s people said, “Amen.” Amen. Amen.