The Shepherd of the Sheep

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

The Bible describes Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:14-15). In John 10:14-15, Jesus states, 'I am the Good Shepherd; and I know my sheep, and am known of mine.' This depiction emphasizes His intimate knowledge and relationship with His followers. The Good Shepherd willingly sacrifices His life for their salvation, demonstrating His authority over life and death and showcasing God's love for His people. This relationship is foundational to the faith and serves as a reminder of the protective and sacrificial nature of Christ's love.

Q: How do we know that Jesus is our Shepherd?

We know Jesus is our Shepherd through His sacrificial love and the personal relationship we have with Him (John 10:14). In John 10:14, Jesus conveys that He knows His sheep, and they know Him. This knowledge reflects a deep, personal relationship characterized by trust and recognition. As believers, we come to understand Jesus as our Shepherd through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to see His love manifested in His sacrifice. Our recognition of Him is not merely intellectual; it is a heart-level understanding that leads to a transformed life. The assurance of Jesus knowing us personally is central to the Christian faith, indicating that we are His and He is ours.

Q: Why is the concept of one fold and one shepherd important for Christians?

The concept highlights the unity of Christ's followers under His sovereign leadership and the assurance of their salvation (John 10:16). Jesus states, 'And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd' (John 10:16). This underscores the inclusivity of the Gospel and the unity of all believers as part of one body in Christ. It signifies that regardless of background or identity, Jesus is the singular Shepherd who leads His flock towards safety and security in Him. The idea of one fold also emphasizes the authority of Christ and affirms the assurance of salvation for those He calls. For Christians, this unity is essential, as it reflects God’s sovereign plan of redemption for all His elect.

Q: How does the Good Shepherd demonstrate His love for His sheep?

The Good Shepherd demonstrates His love by laying down His life for His sheep (John 10:15). In John 10:15, Jesus proclaims, 'I lay down my life for the sheep.' This sacrificial act is the ultimate demonstration of love, showcasing His commitment to the well-being of His followers. Unlike hired hands, who abandon the sheep at the first sign of danger, the Good Shepherd protects and nurtures His flock, displaying steadfast loyalty. His willingness to sacrifice Himself secures not only their physical safety but also their spiritual redemption. This principle forms the heart of the Gospel, illustrating how God's love is expressed through Christ's actions and is foundational for believers who find assurance and identity in this divine relationship.

and I lay down my life for the
sheep. And other sheep I have which
are not of this fold, them also I must bring. And they shall
hear my voice, and there shall be one fold." One fold and one
shepherd. Doth my Father love me because
I lay down my life that I might take it again? No man taketh
it from me, but I lay it down of myself.
I have power, authority. I have power to lay it down.
I have power to take it again. this commandment have I received
of my Father. Now, I want all of you to understand and to be warned
and to be prepared that what I'm about to say tonight,
what I'm going to preach tonight, is in direct conflict, direct
conflict with practically all present-day religion, in direct conflict with all,
almost all. The percentage would be overwhelming,
absolutely overwhelming. Organized religion will not have
this message. That's so. And secondly, be warned and be
prepared, the leading preachers. Now you can call their names
and you can listen to them and you can come saying, well, he
said this and he said that and he said the other. But the leading preachers and
theologians of this day, they may discuss this message as a
doctrine. in the privacy of their studies
or even in the privacy of your home. And they may present it as a doctrine or a position held
by the ancient fathers. They love to talk about what
the ancient fathers believed. They just love to quote Luther
and Calvin and Knox and Whitefield and Spurgeon. And these men may discuss this
message as a position, as a doctrine held by the ancient fathers,
but they are not going to preach it as the truth of God. They're not going to do it. They're
just not going to do it. Honest men preach what they believe. without reservation. They are
not men-pleasers. God's servants are absolutely
not men-pleasers. When they prepare their messages,
they do not even give consideration as to who shall be there and
who shall not be there. Not God's preachers. They try
to find what God is saying and they say it kindly, compassionately,
tenderly, But they say it. That's so. And this message that I'm going
to bring tonight, the points that I shall bring forth, contradict
what the average person out there on the street believes about
God and about sin and about salvation and about the person and work
of Christ. Your relatives and your kinfolks and your friends
hate this God. That's right, they hate this
God. They do not believe what I'm
going to preach tonight. The people you work with do not
believe it. And when they find out, if they
do, that you do, Believe it. Believe Him, not it. But you
do believe Him. It will build a wall between
you and them. A wall that only God can tear
down. And it will stay there until
God tears it down. It will stay there until God
tears it down. It will be an unseen wall, but
it will be there. That is, if you really believe
this message. And if you really indicate to
them that you believe it, it'll build a wall between you and
them that only God can tear down. Because like the Pharisees of
old, if what this man is saying is true, then we're not saved. That's what they... You see,
it can't be true. It can't be true. You see, this
is the narrow way. And few there be that find it.
That's what my Lord said. It's a narrow way. And few there
be that find it. It is a treasure hid in the field. And very few know its value. Oh, but when a man does, what
does he do? Sells all he has. All he has. And buys that field. He knows
the value. It's a mystery hidden. It's been
hidden from generations, ages and generations, he said. And
a few understand it. It's the glory of God. It's the
actual glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And a few actually
see it. They actually see it because
God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness had shined
in their hearts to give them the knowledge of His glory in
the face of Jesus Christ. But oh, oh, when you walk that
way and when you find that treasure and when you understand that
mystery and when you behold that glory, what joy and rejoicing. It's worth far more than you
could ever give up. and the light afflictions that
are suffered as a result thereof are meaningless. Oh, the peace
and the pleasure that passes all understanding. Oh, the fellowship
and confidence and assurance that comes to a believer when
he actually discovers by the grace of God who this man is
and what this man did and why this man did it. and where this
man is now. Let's look at it. This message
is so troublesome. This message, our Lord said,
that brings a sword. This message, it divides. Chapter 10, verse 14, He said,
I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Good Shepherd. Now,
whatever type our Lord uses, to reveal himself, he's the one
and only. What did he say, Tom? I'm the
doer, the one and only. He said, I am the bread. Moses
gave you not that bread from heaven. You eat that bread, you'll
die. I am the water. You drink this water, you'll
thirst again. Drink of me, you'll never... I'm the water. Whatever
type he uses, He's the one and only, and whatever type he uses
to refer to himself, he's the greatest. He's the best. He said, I'm the good shepherd.
I'm the good shepherd. He said, I'm the chief shepherd.
That's right, we're the chief shepherd. He said, I'm the great
shepherd. That great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Here's a shepherd. out on the hillside with His
flock. He protects them. He provides
for them. He defends them. And He loves
them. He said, I'm their shepherd.
I'm their good shepherd. Can you say tonight, the Lord
is my shepherd? The Lord is my shepherd. I shall
not walk. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. He restoreth my soul. He leads
me in paths of righteousness for His namesake. Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no
evil. He is with me. The Good Shepherd is with me.
He anointeth my head with oil. My cup literally runs open. Surely, goodness and mercy, because
He is my Shepherd. Surely goodness and mercy will
follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever." He says here, I'm the good shepherd.
I know my sheep. I know my sheep. He knows them
because he owns them. He calls them what? My sheep.
I know my sheep. I know my sheep. He owns them.
He says it's my church. I'll build my church. I know
my sheep. When I make up my jewels. The
Father gave them to Him. They're His sheep. And all that
my Father giveth me will come to me. They're my sheep. He knows
their number. He knows their names. Back there
in verse 3 of chapter 10, he said to him, the porter openeth,
and the sheep hear his voice, because he calls his own sheep
by name. Abraham! Abraham! Get thee out of thy
father's house. One little man of the tree. Zacchaeus! You come on down. Matthew. He said, I know my sheep. You know your sons? Caleb, Kepler. You know them, don't you? He
knows his sheep too. You know your children? Reckon if one strayed in, you
wouldn't recognize it wasn't yours? One of them was lost? I think to pick up the phone
and say, Caleb's missing. With all, but most of all, you. You wouldn't sleep another wink
until you found him. He's going to find his too. You
think you love him more than Christ loves you? He'll find
you. In mine, he said. You see what I'm saying? In mine.
In my sheep. I know my sheep. I know them. I know them personally. He knows
their sins. He knows their infirmities. He
knows their afflictions. He saw me ruined in the fall,
but He loved me notwithstanding all. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us, even when we were
dead in sin, quickened us together with Christ. He knows their trials. You know how He knows your trials? You know what you tell your son?
What you're going to tell him? You're going to say, son, I've
been right where you are. Son, you're not going to do anything
I hadn't already done. He was in all points tempted
as you are, but he didn't see it. He knows your trials. You haven't
been anywhere he hadn't walked before. If you look down, you'll
see his footprints. I don't care what valley you
go through or what deep water you go through, he's been there. He knows my trials. He knows
yours. And you know, he's always known his sheep. I re-hear that
song, there's a new name written in glory. You want to bet? There's
a name written in glory, but it's been written a long time.
He said to Jeremiah, before I formed you in the belly, I knew you.
Before you came out of your mother's womb, I knew you. God who separated
me from my mother's womb called me by His grace, Saul said. Saul
just met him on the road to Damascus, but God met him a long time ago. I know my sheep. I'm the good
shepherd. I know my sheep. And watch this.
They know me. They know me. They know me. What do you mean, preacher? What is it to know God? Our Lord said eternal life is
to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom He had sent. John said the Son of God has
come and given us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true and we are in Him that is true and this is eternal life.
This is the true God. What is it to know Him? Do you
know your mother? Do you? The one who gave you
life? The one out of whose womb you
came into the world, who carried you? Do you know your mother? Well, I know Him who gave me
life, of whom I was born. I was born of God. I know Him
who gave me life. Do you know her upon whose breast
you fed? That's the first person you really
knew when you became a living soul. You knew your mother. You fed upon her breast and lay
safely, securely in her arms. Do you know her? Well, I know
him upon whom I feed and in whose arms I find security and peace
and rest and nowhere else. Do you know your father? Do you
know your father who ruled your house? Whose word is law? Whose word is your command? Do
you know your Father who provides your food, your clothing, your
shelter? Do you know your Father? Well,
yes. Well, I know Him who is my Father,
whose word is my command, whose will I wish to do, who provides
my food, clothing, and shelter. I know Him. Do you know your
friend? with whom you walk and talk,
with whom you share your thoughts, who loves you and understands
you, who's ready to help you in any need, who loves you in
spite of you? Do you know your friend? Well, I know Him who's my friend.
And He'll never leave me, never forsake me. He's my friend. Know Him? Yes, I know Him. He's not a doctrine. He's my
mother, my brother, my sister, my wife, my friend. And in the
same way I know them, I know Him. Because He meets every need
spiritually that they meet physically. Only more so. That's what it
is to know Him. Salvation is not a doctrine. Salvation is not even an experience. Salvation is not a decision.
Salvation is to be born again, born of God, born from above,
to feed upon God, to dwell in His arms, to walk with Him, to
know Him. And when you know Him, you know
He's Lord. When you know Him, you know He's
the Father. And you have these gifts He gave them, the same
way that your parents, your mother, your dear mother and father,
they gave you these things. There were no strings attached.
The motivating cause was love. And they loved you. No matter
where you were or what you did, that love never changes. And
His love is infinitely greater. Well, you want to know how well
he loves his sheep and knows them? Look at verse 15. Now,
this is so far above my power to understand or explain, I hate
to even attempt it. But he said, verse 15, as the
Father, I'm the Good Shepherd, I know my sheep and know of mine
as the Father knows me and as I know the Father. I'm the good shepherd, I know
my sheep, I'm known of my sheep, as the Father knows me, and I
know the Father. It's the first time today I ever
put those two verses, I always separated those two verses and
read it like this, as the Father knows me, even so I know the
Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. But the Bible wasn't written,
Christ didn't speak in verses. He stood here and he said, I'm
the good shepherd. I know my sheep and I'm known
of mine. As the Father knows me and as
I know my Father, that's how I know my sheep and am known
of mine. How intimately does he know the
sheep? As the Father knows him and as he knows the Father. Oh, I tell you, that's so far
above our understanding. But even as the Father loves
the Son, and the Son loves the Father, our Redeemer knows and
loves His sheep. They're one, they're undivided.
There's an eternal union. They're His body. And there's
no human relationship that can possibly picture it. There's
no union. On this earth that can picture
it, only that heavenly union, because it's a heavenly union
that Christ has with us. Spiritual union. But that's how
I know Him. And then people sit around arguing
about whether a saved person can be lost. Can the Father ever
separate Himself from the Son? Well, He said, that's the way
I know my sheep. And He says, I laid down my life for my sheep. Do you want to know for whom
Christ died? Do you? Do you want to understand and
look into the person and work of Christ in His redemptive suffering? Do you want to understand covenant
mercies? Do you want to know the efficacy
of His blood? Do you want to enter into the
body and blood of Christ which is pictured right here before
me? Then here it is. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Good Shepherd. I am
the Great and Chief Shepherd. And I know my sheep. I know them. And they know me. As the Heavenly
Father knows me, and I know the Father, as the Father and I are
one, even so I know my sheep, and I lay down my life for the
sheep. That's pretty clear. I don't see why anybody have
any problem with that. For whom did Christ live? For whom did
Christ die? For whom did Christ suffer? For
whom did Christ intercede? His sheep. That's what he says. My sheep. I lay down my life for the sheep. And then he looked over these
disciples here. Peter, James, John, all the disciples there.
And then he said in the next verse, and other sheep I have. Here are my sheep. Here are my
sheep. But other sheep I have who are
not here right now. Other sheep I have who are not
Jews. Other sheep I have who are not
in this land and of this generation and of this time. Other sheep
I have who will be born in England and Ireland and Scotland and
America and Mexico and Africa, days to come. Them also I must bring. All of them, these sheep, other
sheep I have which are not of this foal, And all of them, I
must bring, I must, I must bring them. I will. I must bring them. We're looking for them, but we're
not going to bring them. You cry over them and weep over your
friends and the rebels out here and shake them and do what you
want to, but I must bring them. Salvation is of the Lord. He
brought you and you'll have to bring your son. He brought you and He'll have
to bring the next one too. The shepherd goes after the sheep.
That's right. I must bring them. I must bring
them. I must bring them where? Bring them to faith. Bring them
to myself. Bring them home. Bring them to
glory. I must. I must bring them. I must bring them. And they,
watch it, and they shall hear my voice. Yes, they shall. My son Paul preached a message
last Sunday, Darce was there, on Isaiah 1.18. I wish I'd have thought of this. Kind of like, I wish I'd have
said it. But he read Isaiah 1.18, Come, let us reason together.
Though your sins be as scarlet, I'll make them as white as snow.
He said, that's no invitation, that's a subpoena. That's right. The king doesn't
issue invitations, he issues subpoenas. Come! You'll come if he says come.
I can stand here and say come and weep and pound and beg the
choir to sing and the musicians to play softly. You won't move
a peg. But Herman, if he ever says,
Zacchaeus, come down. You'll tear all the bark off
that tree. Isn't that right, Hal? Calm down. You'll come. If he says, I'll
bring them, they'll hear my voice. Oh, preacher, will he speak to
them in an audible voice from heaven? No. Will he awake them
in the night with a vision? No. Will he arrest them on their
road to Damascus like Saul of Tarsus and shine a light in their
eyes? How will they hear His voice? They'll hear somebody preach
the gospel. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved, but how shall they call on Him in
whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? They'll hear His voice, and He
says, And there'll be one foe. One foe. Don't you believe it?
When people go around you saying, you know, the same faith we are.
If you're in Christ, you are. There's one Lord, one faith. One faith. One baptism. One God
and Father. One hope of your calling. One
foe. One family. One church. One Father. One heart. One hope. One bride. One kingdom. That's right. And they shall be one foe. They shall be. They're going
to hear my voice. And they're going to be one foe
and one shepherd. Somebody says, you believe a
man has to believe an election to be saved? No, I don't. But when he hears it, he'll believe
it if he is saved. Because God said it. The Lord
doesn't have triple folds. He has one fold. You believe
man has to believe God's sovereign to be saved? No. But when he
meets Him, he'll know He's sovereign. Isn't that right? You see, there's just one shepherd,
and there's one fold. There's one Holy Spirit. There's
one Teacher. There's one Word. That's one thing. And they're
going to hear my voice. Because they're going to be listening
for it. Verse 17, "...therefore doth
my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take
it again." Now then, stay with me here. What's he saying here? "...therefore doth my Father
love me, because I lay down my life. My Father loves me because
I'm submissive to Him. My Father loves me because I'm
obedient. My Father loves me because my
will is to do His will. Is that what he's saying? That's
exactly what he's saying. But Brother Mahan, as the eternal
Son of God, the Father has always loved him. That's right. That's
right. But Christ is speaking here not
as the eternal Son of God, which He is, but He's speaking here
as the shepherd of the sheep, as the obedient servant, as the
one who's undertaken a task the Father gave Him and gave Himself
to that task. The laying down of His life was
the supreme act of obedience to the Father. He learned obedience
by the things which He suffered. And He became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. He gave His life with the view
of taking it again. And all of this is inseparable.
And this is what I'm trying to preach here. Christ is the eternal Son of
God, and He's the obedient Son of God. He does His Father's
will. Christ is always loved and always
accepted, but He's also loved and accepted in His obedience.
And had He not been obedient, He would not have been accepted. But you say, that's impossible.
I know it is. And that's the reason James wrote
what he wrote, faith without works is dead. That's exactly why James
wrote that. The Lord Jesus Christ did not
hide in eternal love and say, my Father has always loved me
and He'll love me no matter what. I beg your pardon. My Father
has always loved me, but my obedience to His will gives credit to what
I say. My Father has loved me. Isn't
that right? That's what he says here. Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. Men are justified in Christ alone,
but the Bible says you'll be judged by your works. And I'll tell you, everybody
that's justified in Christ alone doesn't mind being judged by
their works, because their will and their works is to do His
will, believe His Word. and walk in His Word. Abraham
was justified by his works. That's what it says, justified
by faith, but his faith was justified by his works. You see, they go
together. This is what I'm saying. I'm saying that people who love
God and are loved of God, they walk with God. Isn't that right? Well, certainly it's so. Certainly
that's so. You see, he said in verse 18,
no man takes my life from me. I'm not a robot. Nobody takes
my life from me. I laid my life down. I laid my life down. I love my
sheep. I willingly laid my life down
for my sheep. Nobody takes it from me. Nobody
takes it from me. I lay it down of myself. I have
the power to lay it down. I have the power to take it up
again. And this authority and this power I received from my
Father. I believe God, but I received
that power from my Father. I love His Word, but I received
that love from my Father. But that love is there. And that belief is there. That
faith is there. That repentance is there. And
that committal is there. You see what
he's saying? No man takes my life from me,
I lay it down. What kind of head would Christ
be if the body perished? What kind of shepherd is Christ
if the sheep perish? What kind of husband is Christ
if the bride is cast off? What kind of priest is Christ
if the atonement fails? What kind of physician is Christ
if the patient dies? What kind of king is Christ if
the kingdom fails? Oh, he's a successful,
effectual redeemer. I'm the good shepherd. I know
my sheep, and they know me. As the Father knows me and I
know the Father, I know my sheep. And I lay down my life for them.
And other sheep I have. Them also I must bring, and they
shall hear my voice, and they shall be one foal and one shepherd. Therefore does my Father love
me, because I lay down my life for my sheep, that I might take
it again. No man takes it from me. I lay
it down. I have the power, the authority
to lay it down. This commandment have I received
of my Father." Well, that's not the hit and
miss. What gospel is it? That's not the perhaps, maybe
so, if you will, God will gospel, is it? It's a certain covenant
signed and sealed and purposed and purchased by God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And it shall not fail. And that's what we're observing
tonight. I take this bread, which is His body broken for me. I take this wine. which is His
blood. This is my life. This is my redemption. This is my salvation.

The Shepherd of the Sheep

What does the Bible say about the Good Shepherd?

How do we know that Jesus is our Shepherd?

Why is the concept of one fold and one shepherd important for Christians?

How does the Good Shepherd demonstrate His love for His sheep?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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The Shepherd of the Sheep

What does the Bible say about the Good Shepherd?

How do we know that Jesus is our Shepherd?

Why is the concept of one fold and one shepherd important for Christians?

How does the Good Shepherd demonstrate His love for His sheep?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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