THE COST OF LIFE
John 10:11-21
The Bible talks lots about sheep. A prominent example is Psalm 23, where it says “the LORD is my shepherd” and suggests that we are like sheep.
Apparently, sheep are much more like people than what we might otherwise think. One similar characteristic is that sheep tend to blindly follow other sheep.
What happened in Turkey in 2005 is remarkable proof of that. One morning, 1,500 sheep were left unattended, and one of the sheep started running until it went over a cliff. So, of course, the rest of the 1,500 sheep followed. The first 400 died while fortunately, the other 1,100 were saved. However, it wasn’t because they wisely stopped before the cliff. They still ran off the cliff, but the first 400 had created a cushion that broke their fall!
You have to admit that as people, we’re a lot like that. And the story suggests, having a shepherd around is a good thing!
The ongoing conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders, and their rejection of the healed blind man at the end of John 9 sets the stage for chapter 10, where Jesus uses the picture of sheep, a sheepfold and a shepherd to teach about the difference between himself and the false religious rulers.
In one of the many outrageous statements made by Jesus, he states “I AM the DOOR” (v.7) and if you want to enter into the sheepfold, you have to come through me.
He implies that religious rulers who claim authority to excommunicate people are pretenders and false shepherds. Their legalistic beliefs lead only to misery and burdens. Instead, Jesus says “I have come that you might have life that is full and abundant” (John 10:10).
But how is this kind of life possible? Well, as they say, nothing good is free. And it’s very true as far as the abundant life that Jesus offers.
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
In Biblical times, sheepfolds weren’t fences with gates, as you might imagine. They were usually enclosures with rock walls and an opening for the sheep to pass through. However, instead of a gate, the shepherd himself would lie in the passageway like a human gate, in essence saying, “If you want my sheep, you have to come through me,” and in position to defend his sheep to the death.
That’s the picture Jesus was using. He is the door, and as a sheep, if you want to be saved, you have to come through him. But most importantly, when he’s attacked by the wolf, he will lay down his life for his sheep.
Jesus compares the religious leaders to hired hands (John 10:12-13), who don’t own the sheep and really don’t care. It’s similar to the harsh words that God had for religious leaders, the “shepherds” of Israel in Ezekiel 34, and the LORD promised that he, himself, will be the Shepherd of his people.
Here in John 10, Jesus declares himself as that Good Shepherd who not only owns the sheep, but lays down his life for them.
In the end, we come away with 4 unshakable truths:
1. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SHEPHERD.
We are so self-centered in our humanness. Our general approach is to make everything about “me” – even in the church. But this passage reminds us that truly, everything is about Jesus.
2. SHEEP NEED TO BE LED.
Sheep without a shepherd are either lost or dead, and like sheep, we NEED a Shepherd. That’s not something we like to hear in our society that celebrates independence. But you can’t shake it. We all need a Shepherd to save us from our own destruction.
3. WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE and his authority ability to TAKE UP HIS LIFE AGAIN demands our attention.
The words of Jesus in John 10:17-18 are astounding because it’s unthinkable that someone could take their life back after they have died. No one else would make that claim, but Jesus not only said it. He did it.
It leads to a clear understanding that the abundant life Jesus offers is only possible because he laid down his life for us.
4. A DECISION MUST BE MADE ABOUT JESUS.
Just as the people were divided over Jesus in John 10:19-21, we all have to decide.
Is Jesus just a lunatic who made crazy claims about himself? Or, is he telling the truth?
Am I content to run my life on my own? Or do I invite Jesus to be my shepherd?
