Friday of the Second Week of Lent | John 10

The book of John chapter 10 today, where we see Jesus contrasting himself with the religious leaders as someone you can trust and follow because he's safe. Imagine you're a sheep. What that has to be like? You're scared. Everything's out to get you. Everyone wants to strip you down, shave you, separate you from your babies, eat them, and when it's all done, eat you. You're on hyper alert, paranoid, helpless and harassed, as Jesus said later, like sheep without a shepherd. Ever felt what a dangerous place in the world is? Many of us have felt vulnerable and unsafe, just like a sheep. Every noise can be frightening except for that one voice. And that one voice means safety, security and you can trust. That's the voice of this shepherd. Let's join Jesus in verse one as he speaks about the difference between himself and the religious leaders standing there. 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. With he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens, the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name. I find that part amazing. He calls them by name. Jesus is saying, I know my sheep, I care for them, and they trust me. Follow me, Jesus is calling. By contrast to the religious leaders, thieves and robbers. Now that's a bit pointed. Them's fighting words, Jesus. Why is Jesus being so blunt about the religious leaders? Well, profound truth. John 10 is after John 9. That may seem obvious, but let's remember what happened in the last chapter. This is a continuation of Jesus's conversation with the Pharisees over the man who was born blind, who Jesus just healed, but the Pharisees banned him from the Jewish synagogue. But like a Good Shepherd, Jesus seeks the man out. And finds him like a lost sheep kicked out of the fold and brings him into new pasture. And this man who had never laid eyes on Jesus, heard his voice and trusted him. My sheep know my voice. Back to chapter 10, verse 6 tells us his disciples didn't understand Jesus illustration. Maybe you didn't either when you first read it. So, Jesus elaborates a bit in verse 7. So, Jesus said to them again, very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I have come, that they may have life and have it to the full. I am the gate. The gate means safety protected from the outside world. The gate means home, shelter. Last night, if you locked your door and you felt safer knowing that there was a barrier between you and all the dangers that lurk outside in the dark and Psalm 23, David said about God his good Shepherd, he makes me lie down in green pastures. You know sheep only lie down when they feel safe and secure. When you hear that gate shut, you feel I can finally rest. Jesus says I'm that to my sheep. But the Pharisees were those trying to come in over the wall. They were up to something, and the sheep knew it. They didn't have the authority to lock people in or out. They didn't manage the gate. Yet they're trying to say who could and couldn't come into God's Kingdom. Only Jesus can say that they were taking authority that wasn't theirs. Maybe you felt religious people locked you out as if you weren't good enough to be in their holy club. In the 1900s, Mahatma Gandhi and devout Hindu once said if it weren't for Christians, I might consider becoming one. He was fascinated by Jesus but put off by the religious people who claim to follow him. Perhaps you've wondered why some religious people are so mean and act so little like Jesus. Gandhi could tell the difference between the Good Shepherd and those who are thieves and robbers. That's why Jesus is drawing a contrast between robbers and himself. Once again, the sheep follow because they trust. They trust because they know the Good Shepherd is good. He cares for them, they're safe with him. But the thief, he comes to steal, kill and destroy and whereas they take Jesus comes to give. And he says, I give abundant life. For more on what an abundant life feels like, read Psalm 23. It's all about that life. Many of us who are Christians came to know this abundant life, and we believe that Jesus died for us so that we could have it. Jesus hints at this in verse 11, I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he's a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Jesus likens the religious leaders to hired hands who care nothing for the sheep. Isn't it interesting that the number one thing that Jesus keeps coming back to is the contrast between sheep being afraid of the religious people who heard them versus Jesus caring deeply forth them. The number one thing people knew then and still know today is that if they come face to face with Jesus, they would somehow feel loved. So loved that he died for us, if necessary. Within the story moves on, leaving these words resonating in our soul. We pick up again in verse 24 and another feast in Jerusalem, Hanukkah, where Jesus speaks again about gathering up his sheep. So, the Jews gathered around him and said to him, how long will you keep us in suspense if you were the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe the works I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, which you do not believe, because you're not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life. And they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. And no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. Sometimes when reading the Bible, you have to just stop and acknowledge how awesome some verses are. That people want Jesus to state plainly who he is and Jesus says I've been talking, you just haven't been listening. Actually, you're not my sheep. You don't know my voice, but then next part I will give them eternal life, no one will snatch them out of my hand and then he says no one will snatch them out of his father's hand. Jesus lets us know if I've got you, my father has you too because I and the father are one. This chapter has some of the strongest claims that Jesus claims to be God and the Jews know exactly what he's saying. I am God. Now remember he just used two I am statements. What's an I am statement? It's taking God's name Yahweh which is I am and putting something on the end of it. In the Old Testament they would say Yahweh I am nessing, which meant the Lord your banner or Yahweh Rohi, which is the Lord my shepherd. And to a Jewish listener that got their attention because you knew that's one of the names of God in the Old Testament. I am the Lord your shepherd. Here Jesus not only says I am the Good Shepherd but I am the door. And he gets away with that because they're wondering if he meant it to sound that way or if it was just an accident. But the final straw that eliminated all doubt was when he said I and the Father are one. And he explains it more in verse 38. The Father is in me and I am in the Father. Jesus couldn't get away with claiming I and the Father are one and get away with it to religious people, even if it were true. They just didn't have a box to put that in. Verse 31, the Jews picked up stones to stone him again. Jesus answered them. I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of those are you going to stone me? The Jews answered. It is not for a good work that we're going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. Perhaps Gandhi would have taken comfort knowing that Jesus didn't always get along with religious people very much either. Sometimes it's comforting to know that the same religious people who drove away the man healed of his blindness and drove away Gandhi are the same people that drove Jesus away to. They weren't his sheep and they couldn't hear his voice. But may you can just like some there did that day and countless millions ever since. Jesus said I have other sheep to tend to and I must bring them into this fold. He was speaking about the rest of the world, the non-Jewish people who would believe. That means he was talking about you. Everyone is welcome in Jesus’ sheepfold. He's the door, He's the Good Shepherd, and he gets to decide who comes in. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and he has been seeking you, calling for you if you hear his voice you can trust it and follow.