The Shepherd of the Sheep

Q: What does the Bible say about Jesus as the Good Shepherd?

The Bible describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep in John 10:14-15. In John 10:14-18, Jesus explicitly states, 'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.' This declaration emphasizes the sacrificial nature of Jesus' ministry and His intimate knowledge of His followers. He is not just any shepherd but the definitive Good Shepherd, signifying His unique role in redemption. Jesus' role as the Good Shepherd reassures us of His commitment to care, protect, and ultimately sacrifice Himself for His people, representing God's unwavering love and provision for those He calls His own.

Q: How do we know that Jesus lays down His life for His sheep?

We know Jesus lays down His life for His sheep because He states it clearly in John 10:15, emphasizing His sacrificial love. John 10:15 reveals that Jesus willingly lays down His life for His sheep, demonstrating the concept of substitutionary atonement integral to Reformed theology. By stating, 'I lay down my life for the sheep,' Jesus is affirming His role as the sacrificial lamb, willingly taking upon Himself the punishment for our sins to reconcile us to God. This act not only fulfills the Old Testament prophecy of a coming Redeemer but also showcases the depth of Christ's love for His people, whom He knows intimately. It underscores the belief that salvation is an act of grace, entirely initiated and fulfilled by Christ himself for those whom the Father has given Him.

Q: Why is knowing Jesus as the Good Shepherd important for Christians?

Knowing Jesus as the Good Shepherd is vital for Christians because it assures us of His care, guidance, and sacrificial love. Recognizing Jesus as the Good Shepherd is essential for Christians, as it encapsulates the core of our faith in Christ's protective and redemptive nature. In John 10:14-15, Jesus highlights His unique relationship with His sheep, illustrating that He knows them and they know Him, which fosters a deep sense of security and belonging. This relationship reassures believers that they are known personally and loved unconditionally by Christ. It also emphasizes that our salvation and guidance come not from our own efforts but through the sacrificial love of Christ, who has laid down His life for us. Understanding Jesus in this role shapes our identity as His sheep and motivates us to respond in faith, trust, and obedience.

Q: How does Jesus know His sheep?

Jesus knows His sheep through a deep, intimate relationship that is specific to His chosen ones. In John 10:14, Jesus declares, 'I know my sheep, and my sheep know me.' This underscores a profound and personal relationship between Jesus and His followers. Unlike His knowledge of all humanity, which is omniscient, His knowledge of His sheep is relational and intimate. This relationship is rooted in the divine sovereignty whereby the Father has given the sheep to the Son (John 10:29). It is significant because it conveys assurance that those who belong to Him are cherished, loved, and ultimately belong to Him eternally. Additionally, it reflects the covenantal love of God, as seen in Jeremiah 1:5, where God knows His own even before their birth. This recognition confirms the believer's secure standing before God, grounded in His everlasting love.

I want you to open your Bibles
today to the book of John, a very familiar passage of Scripture,
found in the 10th chapter of John. Now, this is a message
in two parts. Today, I'm going to preach on
the subject, the shepherd of the sheep, from John chapter
10. We'll look at verses 14 through
18. John 10, 14 through 18. And the subject will be the shepherd
of the sheep. And then next Sunday, next week,
I'm going to bring you the second part of this message, and the
title of the message will be, The Sheep of the Shepherd. Now
if you want the message on tape, remember those titles. Two messages,
they'll be on the same cassette tape. I'll bring one this morning,
and then one next Sunday. And the subject today is, The
Shepherd of the Sheep. And next Sunday, next broadcast,
I'll speak on the sheep of the shepherd. Now, there's several
reasons why this is an important message in two parts. There's
several reasons why all of you should be interested in these
messages and why I'm emphasizing them like I am. I want you to
listen today and listen next Lord's Day, and then I want you
to get the tape and share it with friends. This is an important
message in two parts. the shepherd of the sheep and
the sheep of the shepherd. Now, there's several reasons
why this message is of great importance. First of all, these
are the words of our Lord Himself. Now, I know that the entire Bible
is the Word of God. I believe very strongly that
the Bible is verbally inspired, that it is the Word of God. I
believe that very strongly. But these words that I'm going
to be dealing with today and next week are the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He spoke these words to a congregation
of people. This is His message. This is
His sermon. This is His exhortation. And
that's why it's so important. And then secondly, these words
have to do with His person and work. He's talking about Himself.
He's talking about the shepherd of the sheep. And he's talking
about the sheep of the shepherd. He's talking about who he is.
He's talking about what he came to do. He's talking about the
people for whom he did it. In other words, these are the
words of our Lord, and he's talking about himself, the shepherd of
the sheep. And he's talking about his people, the sheep of the
shepherd. I just came back from Mexico.
I was down there visiting some missionaries and preaching in
some of the pueblos in Mexico. And there's a man down there
by the name of Roberto. He owns a coffee plantation,
a coffee ranch. And he comes to hear the missionary
quite often, the missionary down in Chiapas. and they're good
friends. And one day they were riding
in the truck together. The missionary was driving and
Roberto, the man who owns the coffee ranch, was sitting next
to him. And he turned to the missionary, and speaking in Spanish,
that's the language they speak there, he said, I heard you say
that God sent you to Mexico to preach the gospel because the
Lord had some sheep down here. and that you came down here with
the gospel seeking those sheep. He said, do you suppose that
I could be one of those sheep that God sent you down here to
preach to and to find? And the missionary said, well,
I certainly hope so. And that's what our Lord's talking
about here in John chapter 10. He's talking about the shepherd
of the sheep, and he's talking about the sheep of the shepherd.
And he's saying these things in his own words. And I'll tell
you the third reason why that you ought to be interested in
this 10th chapter of John and what our Lord has to say here
is because of the twofold effect which these words had upon the
people that heard them. Now, a lot of people heard what
our Lord had to say here. And this message that he preached
here, these two messages that I'm going to be bringing you
this Sunday and next Sunday, these words had a twofold effect
upon the people. First of all, some got quite
angry, quite angry. It says in verse 19, there was
a great division among the people because of these words. Some
of them said, he's, he hath a devil. Some of them said, he's crazy.
Why do you listen to him? They got so angry at these words
of our Lord. In verse 31, after He talked
about the sheep of the shepherd, that's what they had to say when
He talked about the shepherd of the sheep. They said, He's
crazy. He's got a devil. They're talking
about the Lord Himself. And then after He talked about
the sheep of the shepherd, they took up stones to stone Him.
They were so angry, they were going to kill Him. So some people
got quite angry, but some were very comforted by these words.
And some of you will be very comforted. Maybe some of you
will get angry. Maybe some of you will be comforted. But which
will it be? Anger or assurance? Will it be comfort? Or will it
be consternation, disapproval? Well, let's take the first one.
You open your Bible there to John chapter 10, and let's look
at verse 14. John 10, 14, the Lord Jesus says,
I'm the good shepherd. That's the first words He uses
here. I am the good shepherd. Now, whatever type or symbol
our Lord chooses by which to reveal His person and work, He
always uses this definite article. I am the good shepherd. There isn't another. As far as
shepherds are concerned and redemption is concerned and life eternal
is concerned, I am the only good shepherd. He says that I am the
door. There is no other door. By me,
if any man enter in, he shall be saved and go in and out and
find pasture. I am the door. He said I am the
light of the world. There is no other light. He said
I am the bread of life. I am that bread that came down
from heaven. Moses gave you bread from heaven,
but they ate it and died. If any man eat this bread, he'll
never die. I'm the bread. I am the water
of life. And then he said in John 14,
6, I'm the way. The way to God. There's no other
way. I'm the truth. All truth is in
Christ. I am the life. The way, the truth,
and the life. So here he says I'm the good
shepherd. Well, there's none good but God,
but He's God. And He's good. Our Lord Jesus
Christ is good in that He's sinless. He's holy. No fault in Him. No blame. No sin. He's good in
that He loves His people. And He's good in that He goes
out and seeks the sheep and brings them back. I'm the good shepherd.
And again, He's called the grave shepherd. Paul, in the book of Hebrews,
chapter 13, said, God brought again from the dead that grave. shepherd of the sheep, through
the blood of the everlasting covenant, the great shepherd,
the victorious shepherd, victorious over sin, victorious over death,
victorious over the grave, victorious. He is the great, the great shepherd. And then Peter talks about him
in this vein. He said, and when the chief shepherd
shall appear, then shall you receive a reward, a crown, of
righteousness. That chief shepherd. All other
shepherds are under-shepherds. Under-servants. He's the chief
shepherd. So when our Lord uses a symbol
or a type, I'm the good shepherd. A definite article, always. The
good shepherd, the great shepherd, the chief shepherd. Look at verse
14. The second statement, He says,
I know my sheep. I know my sheep. Now, the question
may be raised, but, Pastor, doesn't God know everybody? Doesn't God know all things? Is there anything or anyone that
God does not know? My friends, it's true that God's
omniscient. Now, we say God's omnipresent,
all-present, present everywhere. God is omnipotent, all-powerful. God is omniscient, all-knowing. And there's a sense in which
God knows all things, God knows all men, God knows even their
thoughts. Oftentimes the Scripture says
that Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said this. But my friends, as
He says this, I'm the good shepherd, I know my sheep. God does not
know all people in the same way that He knows His sheep. That's what He's talking about
here, I know my sheep. I love my sheep. I approve of
my sheep. I accept my sheep. I know them.
You see, in Matthew chapter 7, at the judgment, our Lord said,
many will say to me, Lord, we preached in your name, cast out
devils in your name, did many wonderful works, but I will reply,
I never knew you. I never knew you, you workers
of iniquity. I know my sheep. He knows about
those workers of iniquity. He knows of them. He knows their
deeds. He knows their doings. But He
doesn't know them in the sense He knows His sheep any more than
a man knows all women like he knows his wife. The Scripture
says Adam knew his wife. There was an intimacy. There
was a union. There was a oneness. And when
Christ says here, I know my sheep, that's what He's saying. Like
he said in II Timothy 2.19, the foundation of God standeth sure,
having this seal. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. I know my sheep. I'm the Good
Shepherd. I know my sheep. Now watch this. He knows them
because the Father gave them to Him. Known unto God are all
His works from the beginning. He said in John 17, Father, I
finished the work you gave me to do. You have given me power
over all flesh that I should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given me." He knows His sheep in that the Father
gave them to Him. And then He knows His sheep and
calls them His own. He says they're My sheep. My sheep. He says they're, it's
My church. I will build My church. He says
they're My disciples. He calls them My jewels. They're
His. He knows them because the Father
gave them to Him. He knows them because they're
His, and He's always known them. You know what He said to Jeremiah?
He said, Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1, 5, Before I formed thee in the
belly, I knew thee. I knew thee. Now, He said to
those people of the judgment, I never knew thee. And He says
to Jeremiah, I've always known thee. Before I formed thee in
the belly, I knew thee before you came from your mother's womb.
I sanctified you and set you apart before you had any existence. I knew you." He says to Jeremiah
also in chapter 31, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Why did he draw Jeremiah? Because
he's always loved him. Why does he love him now? He's
always loved him. Jacob have I loved. He said to
Jacob and Esau's mother before the children were born, before
they did any good or evil, he said, Jacob have I loved. Jacob
have I loved. Esau have I hated. I'm the good
shepherd, the great shepherd, the chief shepherd. I know my
sheep. I know my sheep. And he says,
they know me. Yes, I know. We know in part.
There's none of us going to boast about how much we know of the
Lord, and how much we love the Lord, and how much knowledge
we have. We know in part. We preach in
part. We see through a glass dimly.
But we do know whom we have believed. It's not I know what I believe.
It's I know when I believe. It's I know whom I have believed. We know Him. Scripture says in
1 John 5, and we know. that the Son of God has come
and has given us an understanding that we may know Him, that is
true, and that we're in Him, that is true, even in His Son,
Jesus Christ, and this is the true God, and this is eternal
life. And that's how we know Him, as
the true God, as the only God, as the living God, as buried
God and buried God. We know Him. We know Him as the
Christ. He's the Messiah. He's the one
whom God said would come. And He's the one that did come.
And He's the one who intercedes at the right hand of the Father.
We know Him. We know Him in His office. He's our Prophet, Priest,
and King. Prophet to reveal God, Priest
to make atonement before the Father, and King to reign over
us. We know Him as our Mediator. The only Mediator between God
and men is Christ Jesus. We do know Him. We continue to
come to Him and continue to believe on Him, continue to look to Him,
and we trust by the Word of God. We grow in grace and in the knowledge
of Christ. So much to learn. So much we
don't know. So much we don't know. But we
do know Him. We can say with Paul, I know
whom I have believed. And I am persuaded, confident,
that He's able to keep that which I've committed to Him against
that day. Our confidence and our hope is
in Christ. The songwriter said, My hope
is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and His righteousness. And I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but I wholly lean on Jesus' name. His oath, His covenant,
His blood, His oath, His covenant, His blood support me in the whelming
flood. When all around my soul gives
way, It is my only hope and stay. And look at verse 15. He said,
As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father. Now this
statement is read with the preceding verse. Now listen to it together. Christ said, I'm the Good Shepherd.
I know my sheep. They know me. As the Father knoweth
me, Even so know I the Father." In other words, I know my sheep
and my sheep know me as the Father knows me and I know the Father.
I know that seems to be beyond understanding. How can we know
God and God know us like God knows the Son and the Son knows
the Father? I don't know, but I know He prayed in John 17.
He says, Father, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and Thou in me. that
they may be warned. And the glory which thou gavest
me, I have given them." I don't understand that, but I'm just
saying that Christ said, I know my sheep, and my sheep know me,
as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And then He said
this, look, I lay down my life for the sheep. Now here are some
things that are quite clear. Everybody listening to my voice
knows that this is true. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
came into this world. Do you know that? I know that.
That's so. Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
lived on this earth. He was born of a woman, made
of a woman, made under the law, lived a perfect life. No one
could find any fault in Him. He died on a cross. He died as
a substitute, as a sin offering, as a sacrifice on a cross for
sin. He died just for the unjust,
to bring somebody to God. He arose again. He arose from
the grave on the third day and he ascended to glory. And the
scripture says he sat down at the right hand of the majesty
on high. And there he is an advocate.
We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ. Our forerunner
has entered for us within the veil. He's at the right hand
of God. He's the Mediator. The Scripture says there's one
God and one Mediator between God and men. Advocate, Mediator,
and Intercessor. Now, you know those things to
be true. Did I go through them too quickly? No, I didn't. He
came. He lived. He died. He arose. He ascended. He seated. He reigned. He interceded. Now the question
comes, for whom did He come? For whom did he live and die? For whom did he arise from the
grave and ascend and intercede? For whom does he pray? Well,
he tells us right here. He says, listen. Now, this is
the reason some were comforted and some grew angry. He said,
I am the good shepherd. Now, I know my sheep and they
know me. And I know them like the Father
knows me, and they know me like I know the Father. And I lay
down my life for the sheep. I lay down my life for the sheep. What does the word for mean?
F-O-R. For. Well, it means in the place
of, doesn't it? In the state of. If boys are
playing basketball and a young man goes in for another one,
they say number 15 is going in for number 25, that's a Texas
place, doesn't it? Number 25 comes out, number 15
goes in, goes in for him, in the stead of, in the place, what
for? He's carrying the load for me. What does that mean? He's
doing it and I'm not. He's doing it for me. He paid
the bill for me. We go into a restaurant or into
a clothing store and they tell me I owe so much and the fellow
says I'll pay it, he pays it for me. I don't pay it, he does. And this is what our Lord is
saying, I lay down my life for my sheep in the place of, in
the stead of. That's what Isaiah said, he's
wounded for our transgression. He said, I'm not wounded, he
is. He was bruised for my iniquity. Not I, but he has been wounded
and bruised. And by his stripes I'm healed.
Put your name in there. He was wounded for Henry Mahan's
transgressions. He was bruised for Henry Mahan's
iniquities. The chastisement of Henry Mahan's
feet was laid on him, and by his stripes, Henry Mahan's healed.
That's substitution. And then he said in verse 16,
I lay down my life for my sheep, and then he says in verse 16,
other sheep I have, which are not of this foe, them I must
bring. In other words, he looked at these twelve disciples. Peter,
James, John, Nathanael, all of them. And he says, these are
not all of my sheep. I'm the good shepherd. I know
my sheep, but this is not all of them. Other sheep I have. I already have. Other sheep I
have. Where did he get them? The Father
gave them to him. Other sheep I have. Now watch what he says,
and them also In the same way that I call Matthew, I'll call
them. Matthew, follow me. Peter, James, John, follow me.
I call these, I'll call them. Other sheep also I must bring. Must! Oh, how many times does
it say in the Scripture, the Son of Man must be lifted up. He must need to go through Samaria. He said the Son of Man must go
to Jerusalem. Must suffer and die. It's a necessity. And he says, these sheep that
I have, I must bring them. I must bring them. Not stand
back and invite them. Not stand back and challenge
them to come. He says, I must bring them. The
shepherd went out into the wilderness and found the sheep and put it
on his shoulders and did what? Brought it home. He brought it
home. He didn't lead it home or drive
it home. He brought it home on his shoulders. And he died for
the unjust to bring us. You see that? Other sheep I have,
maybe I'm talking to some sheep. Maybe Roberto down there at San
Rafael in Lower Chiapas, maybe he's one of God's sheep. Maybe
God sent that missionary to tell him about Christ so he could
bring him home, so he'd believe. And here's what he said, and
they shall hear my voice. They shall. I love the shalls
of God's Word. They shall. No maybe, perhaps,
or due to certain conditions. They shall. They shall hear my
voice. They'll hear His voice of regeneration. David in the grave shall hear
the voice of the Son of God and live. And they'll hear His voice
in the Gospel in whom you trusted after you heard the Word of Truth,
the Gospel of your salvation. They'll hear my voice. They will. As I preach, someone just reminded
me. This is program number 500. Number
500. Number 900, I beg your pardon.
This is program number 900. In all of these telecasts that
I've been making up here at channel 13. Number 900. And I've preached
to a lot of people. And this is what I know when
I preach. When I preach this gospel, His sheep shall hear
His voice. And they will He'll bring them,
they'll come, and they shall be one fold, one fold and one
shepherd. Does this sound like there's
any doubt about the population of His kingdom? Or the populating
of His kingdom? Does it sound like there's any
doubt about the populating of His sheepfold? Or of heaven? He's the good shepherd, the great
shepherd, the chief shepherd, who has the sheep and knows them,
and they know Him. And they shall hear my voice,
and they shall be one fold and one shepherd, because I must
bring them. I must. Now look at verse 17.
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life,
that I might take it again. How do we find out what this
means? Well, I believe we find out what this means by discovering
what we already know. what we already know. Christ
said, therefore, because of what I've done, does my Father love
me? Well, I know this, the Father's always loved me. The Father's
always delighted in me. The Father's always accepted
Christ as the eternal Son of God, one with God in essence
and power and purpose. The Father's always loved me.
But Christ is saying here, because of what I've done and who I am,
my Father loves me. Because I lay down my life, my
Father loves me. He's speaking here as the shepherd
of the sheep. That's my subject, the shepherd
of the sheep. He's speaking here as the redeemer of a people.
He's speaking here as the Messiah who sent, and the servant who
came to do the Father's will, and the successful mediator.
And the laying down of His life was the supreme act of obedience. And He said, therefore doth my
Father love me, because I lay down my life. Though he were a son, yet he
learned obedience for the things that he suffered. The Father's
pleased with my substitute, he's pleased with me. This is my son,
whom I'm well pleased with. If his father accepts my substitute,
he accepts me. He said, no man takes my life
from me. Verse 18, I lay it down of myself. Jesus Christ, most
unusual. He chose when He would come into
the world. He chose the nation through which He'd come. He chose
the woman. who'd give Him birth. He chose the time that He would
die. He chose the way that He would
die. He chose the people for whom He would die. He's truly
Lord. When you see these signs in a
church, Jesus is Lord. Is He really? Lord of lords and
King of kings, sovereign over all things. That's the Christ. That's the Shepherd of the sheep.
And that's why He can bring His sheep.

The Shepherd of the Sheep

What does the Bible say about Jesus as the Good Shepherd?

How do we know that Jesus lays down His life for His sheep?

Why is knowing Jesus as the Good Shepherd important for Christians?

How does Jesus know His sheep?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

The Shepherd of the Sheep

What does the Bible say about Jesus as the Good Shepherd?

How do we know that Jesus lays down His life for His sheep?

Why is knowing Jesus as the Good Shepherd important for Christians?

How does Jesus know His sheep?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book