The Good Shepherd

March 18 The Good Shepherd John 10:11-21

“Here is another consolation to encourage the disciples at the death of Christ; He is not forced to die, but offers Himself willingly for the salvation of His flock. Not only does He deny that men have power to kill Him without His permission, but He declares that He is free from all violence of necessity. It is different with us. We are under a necessity of dying, because of our sins. Christ Himself was certainly born a mortal man; but it was a voluntary submission and not a bondage imposed by another.” John Calvin “Commentary on John” Vol. 4:268-269

Here is another of the great “I AM” statements, the fourth of seven. Jesus had claimed to be the Bread of Life – the One who is able to satisfy hunger and sustain life. He is the Light of the World – the One who pierces the darkness of sin. He is the Gate of the sheep-pen, through whom we enter into true fellowship, real security, and abundant life. In this passage, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd – the One who will guard and protect His people. He is also the One who is willing to lay down His life for His sheep. The shadow of the Cross reaches back but, for those who look, there is also the promise of new life.

To describe the shepherd as “good” is not just to refer to His gentleness or tender care. “Good” also implies nobility and strength. Jesus is the noble leader who thinks more of His responsibilities and less of His privileges. He does not use His position to gain advantages for Himself, but to serve. Unlike the hired-men who only do the job for the pay and, therefore, will not put themselves at risk, Jesus owns the flock. He does not tend the sheep on behalf of another. He assumes the mantle of God. All other shepherds are either hirelings or thieves; He alone is the Good Shepherd.

There are those from other folds who shall be added to His flock. This is not a reference to other religions but to Gentile believers. For centuries they had been excluded from God’s people, but Jesus opened up a new way for the faithful of all nations to gather in the fold of God. Entrance to that fold would not be, any longer, by strict adherence to the precepts of Law, but by a relationship with the Son. The sheep must know the Shepherd, just as the Son knows the Father. Jesus knows and follows the Father’s will, just as the sheep know Jesus and follow His voice. This is a new concept – that admittance to the Kingdom is based not on birth or the Law, but on a mutual relationship of commitment and trust. To “know” Christ in this way, then, is to have the privilege of belonging and the responsibility of believing.

Those who heard Him were divided, as always, by their response to Jesus’ words. Some thought Him raving mad or demon-possessed. Others continued to be impressed by His miracles. Is it going too far to imagine that the division was caused, at least in part, by His affirmation that the Good Shepherd would lay down His life for the sheep? It was one thing to hear Jesus claim to be the Messiah, sent by God to bring about the birth of a new Kingdom. It was quite another thing to hear this man prophesy that He would die. The two ideas seemed mutually exclusive. How could the leader of a new Israel die? Surely, He came as a righteous judge to usher in a new age of justice and peace? How, then, could He die? A king rules, he does not die for his people, otherwise the vultures would return, only more ravenous than before. Jesus was, of course, speaking of His sacrificial death. The Shepherd would die, not the lambs; the Shepherd would offer up His life so that the sheep might live. Even in the midst of death, though, there is hidden a promise of life. The Good Shepherd will not only lay down His life – He will take it up again.

For further reading: Psalm 107:1-22