Or, A Shepherd and His Sheep Go Together
Scripture: John 10:1-6
Date: January 27, 2013
Speaker: Sean Higgins
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John chapter 10 is an amazing chapter. We’ve been away from John for a few weeks but we pick back up in a fantastic section, even if it’s hard to follow. In fact, throughout the chapter, most of the men Jesus addresses don’t follow what He’s saying. For those who do get it, there may not be too much that is more encouraging.
Notice that there is no transition from John 9:41 to 10:1. John Piper mentioned in his sermon on this passage that there is no bridge because there is nothing to bridge. In other words, it’s the same context as chapter 9. In verse 40, some of the Pharisees overhead Jesus talking to the now-seeing man and they asked Jesus if they were blind. That discussion spills into chapter 10.
Jesus has been in Jerusalem since the early part of John chapter 7 for the Feast of Tabernacles around September or October. The next significant scene change occurs in 10:22 with the Feast of Dedication which took place in late December. This interaction comes after Jesus gave sight to the man born blind. The religious establishment pressured the man to deny Jesus. His parents distanced themselves for fear that the Jews would kick them out of the synagogue. That fear was not unfounded since that’s exactly what happened to the man (verse 34).
Remember that Jesus went and found the outcast (verse 35). The Jews threw the man out, Jesus picked the man up. It begins to illustrate the difference between leadership approaches or, to use the terminology of chapter 10, the differences in shepherding. This message rebukes the arrogance of the Pharisees who were blind leading the blind.
Jesus speaks to those who considered themselves to be the shepherds of Israel, to those who thought themselves to be the leaders and guides and gatekeepers of God’s flock. It’s why they kicked the man out. He was rocking the flock, threatening the good of the people, as was Jesus Himself. They believed that they were doing the right thing for the flock, and Jesus calls them thieves and robbers.
The dominate illustration in chapter 10, verses 1-21 is that of a shepherd and his sheep. There are other elements, too, as we’ll see introduced in verses 1-6, but Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
In verses 1-5, followed by verse 6 as a summary, Jesus introduces the subject without identifying the characters. He didn’t need to, but they’re not following.
The characters are distinguished by whether or not they use the door.
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. (John 10:1–2, ESV)
While it is the first time sheep/shepherd are mentioned in John, the “figure of speech” (see verse six) assumes a common occurrence in Israel. It was not hard to imagine because it would be regularly seen. Since the days of Jacob, Israel was a sheep farming or sheep ranching people. The metaphor may have fit first-century Jerusalem first but it is still a square peg in our square thinking.
Not everyone had a massive flock so oftentimes a few families would go together in utilizing one sheep pen, especially at night.
Imagine a pen, perhaps bordered on one side by a house or building, with fencing and a gate. After being fed in the pasture during the day, a few flocks could use the same pen at night and the families would share the expense for the fence and for one “gatekeeper” (verse three). The gatekeeper would spend the night, hired to make sure that no sheep got out and that no unauthorizes person entered.
Not only was it a common scene, the Old Testament is full of shepherding imagery. Based on what follows in chapter ten, Jesus may have had Ezekiel 34 in mind. Read verses 1-10. Then notice God’s promise later in the chapter.
And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the LORD; I have spoken. (Ezekiel 34:23–24, ESV)
This is the context for Jesus’ rebuke to the Pharisees.
Jesus told the Pharisees who asked if they were blind, Truly, truly I say to you ; He opens with a double amen. Another reason why 10:1 belongs with 9:41 is because this formula never begins a new discourse in the Gospel of John (Kostenberger, 299). (The one not entering) the sheepfold by the door but climbing in another way, that man is a thief and a robber . Unless the thief planned to fight the gatekeeper, he had to get over the fence another way.
Jesus establishes that there are characters who are not rightful owners of the sheep and who have harmful motivations. Some men don’t belong with the sheep. He calls them thieves and robbers. The two terms probably just pile on each other without too much distinction, though thief may emphasize stealing by stealth and robber stealing by violence. These characters have no rightful claim, they pursue the sheep for themselves, not for the sheep. So they avoid the gatekeeper and the door in order to steal and kill and destroy the sheep (verse 10).
Conversely, he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep . Duh. The shepherd has nothing to hide. In verse 3, “to him the gatekeeper opens.” The shepherd is known. He belongs there because the sheep belong to him.
What is the point? Jesus hasn’t really said anything unique or even interesting. Why is He painting a verbal picture that they’ve seen a hundred times? Because they were blind. That’s what they had just asked, “Are we blind, also?” Actually, yes.
Jesus has not yet identified the thieves and robbers and shepherd. But He will and won’t make a difference, they still can’t see it. They understood the illustration well enough, but they couldn’t see who played which parts. They thought they were the shepherds and that, out of anyone, Jesus was the threat. Jesus is telling them that there’s an entire group seeking to harm the sheep, and they can’t follow that they are the ones who don’t belong!
The shepherd and the stranger are distinguished by their voice, the word repeated in verses 3, 4, and 5. The sheep know the difference and the follow or flee accordingly.
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. (John 10:3–5, ESV)
The shepherd is known by the gatekeeper (“doorkeeper” NAS, “porter” KJV). He may even be the gatekeeper’s boss or at least one of his employers. The rosy fingered dawn has come and it is time for the shepherd to gather his flock and take them to pasture for the day. The gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd. Why wouldn’t he?
Apparently it was common for multiple flocks to be kept in one pen, perhaps two or three different flocks, each with their own shepherd. One of the shepherds comes and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out . Not only does the gatekeeper recognize him, the sheep recognize their shepherd by his voice. They begin to move toward him, they know the procedure, and he calls his own sheep by name . There is a mutual recognition and, it seems, a relationship. They know him and he knows each one of them, able to identify and call each one by name.
The shepherd is gathering them and leads them out . Verse four continues the scene. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice . The shepherd goes out front.
Many Western shepherds drive the flock, sometimes using sheep dogs to steer the flock from behind. The advantage to being in back is that you can see all your flock. If you’re walking out front you must constantly be turning around. Perhaps you’ve led a caravan, always looking in the rear view mirror. Or perhaps you’ve taken a large group of kids to a museum. Usually you station an adult at the front and at the back. But the one in the front always has to make sure that everyone is following.
In this picture, and what seems to be the common Eastern approach, the shepherd isn’t in the back but out in front. This shepherd goes first, he leads, pulls, so to speak, rather than pushes. The advantage of being first is only for the sheep (whereas being in back is an advantage for the shepherd). Going first means the shepherd encounters trouble first. It means that he shows them where to go not only tells where to go. The sheep follow because, again, they know his voice . They know him and trust him.
There is a great temptation to launch into truths for true leaders and shepherds. There is some of that here, but the primary lesson is whether we’re following Jesus. Yes, shepherds who are like Jesus are not like the Pharisees (think also 1 Peter 5:1-3). Jesus contrasts Himself with the Jewish religious leaders and their style. But again, the important part is whether they, or we, recognize Jesus’ voice and follow Him.
Jesus, as the shepherd, was calling His own at that very moment. He was gathering His flock to Himself to lead them right then. And the Jews didn’t recognize Him. They weren’t following Him. They weren’t part of His sheep.
The point that needs to be proclaimed is not what kind of leader are you, do you push or lead, do you drive others first or do you go ahead and show the way. The point is, do you hear Jesus calling?
The blind man did. When Jesus found him and revealed that He was the Son of Man, the seeing man believed. He heard and he followed. The rest had rejected him. But he followed his shepherd.
How about you? When you hear Jesus’ voice as you read God’s Word or as you listen to God’s Word preached, are you drawn to Him? Can you recognize His voice? Are you glad to hear Him? Can you distinguish His call from others who may be wearing His clothes or using His name?
There is a great deal of comfort in knowing your Shepherd. If you’re following, your chest should swell even if your eyes are wet. I don’t know a lot of things. I hear criticisms and condemnations. I have questions and discouragements. But amidst all of that, no matter how low or wrong or afraid I might be, Jesus’ shepherding call resonates. I want to be with Him, follow Him, go where He goes.
As I said earlier, the Old Testament is full of shepherding speak. It’s hard not to think about such passages as Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Some of you just don’t hear it. This is not welcome to you. Some of you young men hear Jesus call and it sounds strange to you, boring to you, unnecessary to you. You’re not following that’s dangerous. Others of you have heard Jesus’ call, you followed Him out of the pen, you have been feed by Him, but you’ve lost trust. You are nervous about upcoming provisions or protection and you wonder if Jesus really knows where He’s leading you. You’ve heard what’s beyond the hill; He can’t really want you to go there, right? You probably know better than the Shepherd…
When it comes to Jesus and His own, He knows them and loves them and leads them. We’ll see soon that He lays down His life for them. His sheep know Him and trust Him and follow where He leads.
A stranger they will not follow but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers . They can tell their shepherd from not only thieves and robbers, but also from strangers. I know that we give sheep a bad name for being stupid, but when you get us out of the illustration and into relationship with Jesus, we know. We know the difference. We know when it’s His Word and when it isn’t. We known when someone is trying to lead us astray.
They key is, we have to know the Shepherd. How do you know if you know? If you hear His voice you know. There’s not an argument you can give for hearing, you just hear. Following Him shows that you hear Him, but hearing requires supernatural, un-manipulatable work on God’s part. This call from Jesus as shepherd is personal and effective. It is by the Spirit who causes us to be born again. It is something we can explain after it happens. We just know.
The Pharisees didn’t.
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. (John 10:6, ESV)
They weren’t following His illustration because they weren’t following Him as shepherd. They didn’t believe Him because they weren’t His sheep (see verse 26, also 8:47). He was calling and it sounded like gobbledygook to them. Jesus will expand and explain more about the door and about Himself as shepherd in the following paragraphs.
Who is on the right side in verses 1-6? It depends on who you ask. The Pharisees understood the illustration, they didn’t follow the application. They thought they were the true shepherds and Jesus was the stranger who didn’t belong. But, in their rejection of Jesus, they were being rejected by God.
Is it any different today? There are thieves and robbers who present themselves as shepherds. Their are men who set themselves as gatekeepers who are blind. Only Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Faithful under-shepherds follow His example and are always pointing the sheep to Him. Do you hear His voice? Are you following His lead? He alone leads to abundant life.