014 - Shepherds, Sheep and Shouting

You pick up your Bible is more here than meets the is there something here. I mean it's just words printed on paper right may look like just print on the page but it's more than 1/2 hour as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than Inc. to seal the sheep town.

We sure did separate. I did get his own friendly leading lady listen to his voice. He was talking to you you not have a connection. What we need today. John 1010 the good Shepherd.

Now his voice follow him today limiting your back with us. We hope you've done your homework and you redhead to John Tim John 10 Shepherd really good ship effect which a study cheaper than telling her we did. We live in Brigham city and once a year they bring the sheep down from their high pasture and walk them right through town through the middle of town.

We decide that yesterday and it's always so lovely to think about the nature of sheep and breathing the dust and to watch how the shepherds interact with them. It's it's just always instruct.

This is not like 20 or 30 sheep itself hundred thousand actually couple thousand couple felt yeah they walked them right through the residential part of town houses on both sides of the road is very fun day ruminating on the nature of sheep after major shepherds so we we got our we are sheep stuffed down to shepherds and sheep know I can't stop but it is interesting that in this particular case, if you're gonna take up thousand couple thousand sheep true town you don't drive them, delete them as a guy in front and they just follow him and that's, which is going talk about today as we look this is just out of the blue. In John 10. In John 10 Jesus just starts out with something that they all know so well.

They know sheep they know shepherds and he just launches right into that without really making a connection upfront, but eventually gets there so we just read for you. Okay, she just jumped right in something that they know these talk is like. I call this Capt. obvious he's telling something you know so well, but you can make a point before you start.

Maybe let's let's just remind people that we just finished chapter 9 and the chapter division is not John's inspired word. So in John's mind.

This follows immediately logically from what he had just told us about the blind, and I came into this world for judgment to separate the seeing from the Nazi from not believing and so he's he's talking about himself and so while it doesn't seem to be an apparent connection is so maybe that's one of our study techniques. Yet sometimes just ignore the chapter Jane right right and always ask yourself the question when you're reading like a whole gospel. How does this relate to what went before.

What what was just being being told to me what is going to be repeated. How does this connect to that you meet many people may not realize that in the original manuscript from that when these are written down fires.

There were no chapters and there were no verse numbers right punctuation. There were no periods given me just pretend that there is none of the stuff is there and is just a continuation of the previous is that's the way it was written down. Okay so let's jump into it and the conversation had been about the Pharisees regarded themselves as shepherds of Israel, Shepherd, Shepherd, introductory chapter 10 verse one.

So, truly, truly, this is Jesus talking 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, but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep to him. The gatekeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice, any calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

So we just so we saw a ship going through town and when he is brought out all of his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow.

But they will flee from them, for they do not know the voice of strangers. And then John explains to us.

This figure of speech Jesus use with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. It's funny that they wouldn't understand because they were totally acquainted with the idea of flocks of sheep will in the lead in the normal sense yet, but I think it's more like you're not sure why he's saying where we talk about this now. I don't understand why this is coming up but Jesus does explain it in the next breath you want to sure, sure. So Jesus, knowing that they're not getting it.

Verse seven Jesus said again to them. Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. The way the sheep should go all came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. Okay stop there for a minute because he has repeated himself through four times already.

I'm the door the sheep know my voice they don't listen to bad guys. They listen to good guys. They listen to the one who loves them okay picking up in verse 10 thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it intently.

I am the good shepherd Jim good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He was a hired hand and not Shepherd who doesn't own the sheep sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees in the will 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 okay let's stop for a second something to say.

I always have somebody say he makes this amazing contrast between himself as the good Shepherd and thieves and robbers and hired hands so you know I'm so course, the people are saying about this like the good shepherd who is that bad is okay so I thief is somebody who sneaks in in the dark and steals under cover of night, or by fraud.

Robber is somebody will confront you in the broad daylight and just take your stuff in a hired hand somebody who's only in it for the job right.

So at this point I started thinking I was reading this of Ezekiel 34 where Ezekiel is talking about shepherds of Israel and now the religious leaders of Israel, the Pharisees, the priests regarded themselves as the shepherds of Israel. Someone just listen. That's what they're supposed to, that they're supposed to be doing to listen to his mind and add shepherd seldom owns the right somebody is looking for someone else of his. His job is to take care of someone else's property right right as if he was the owner itself. Okay, so Ezekiel 34 I'm good at reading about three or four verses Son of Man prophesy against the shepherds of Israel prophesy and say to those shepherds thus says the Lord God while shepherds of Israel who should have been feeding the sheep but there feeding themselves should not the shepherds feed the flock you eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the will you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly, you should've strengthened the diseased you should have healed the broken, you should have bound up the scattered. You cannot prod back nor have you sought for the lost, but with force and with severity dominated them so that section the Lord talking to the shepherds of Israel back in Ezekiel's time, but that speaks so much here to those who regarded themselves as shepherds of Jesus's time. Sure, the Pharisees did a flashback to that because they are also wondering if you try speaking okay so you call yourself the good Shepherd right and bad shepherds Ezekiel using it right the sheep we fleece the sheep right right and the shepherds are not supposed to eat the sheep or close themselves with the role they're supposed to take care of them for other people is not in it for what they can get out, but we know and tonight we you and I we heard at a teacher one time say you know humans keep sheep so that we can eat them and where there will let the good Shepherd keeps sheep so that they can eat him.

And where is that when Jesus says I'm good shepherd.

All of that immediately comes back to my mind, keeping us so that we can be fed by him nourished by him and be closed. So at this point he's identified in the story. He's the good Shepherd. We know implicitly that the Pharisees, the bad shepherds there there, flashing back to Ezekiel no.

By the way, to if you're wondering who the good Shepherd is over. Jesus already said he is the good Shepherd.

We also remember in Psalm 23 and make a connection with the father with himself. So now the question is who are the sheep.

Okay, so we got back in verse 14.

I am the good shepherd.

I know my own and my own know me, just as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep.

I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also and they'll listen to my voice. He will listen to my voice, betting that indicates a desire to hear so there will be one flock one shepherd. For this reason, the father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me. Remember they already had a murder plot right in mind. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again this charge I received from my father and I think at this point. Even still back in verse six he said he didn't understand what you're saying to them I think on this whole stuff about lingo's life is what Jesus taught right know that real Shepherd will do this right barrel line comes in you.she died defending her to make it for you. The good Shepherd in your way.

I think this is an investment in the crucifixion time so that when they actually did see him die this this conundrum in their mind to be will if he's the Messiah, he can't die, and someone might sit that he talked about the shepherd of the sheep. It said he would lay down his life. Is this that well is also a veiled reference to knowing that that the leaders already had a murder plot working against him as you guys think you can take my life, but I'm rather going to give it I said lay it down willingly and I will take it up again. I will not have the last word again so again, the expectation of the crucifixion, you know that this this whole parable right here is not really a parable with this example. This illustration might've been the key for them. Understanding why he was on the cross and it might been the key in the following days when people would say member. He not only said he would lay down his life but he would take take it up again so so he's already be more explicit about that later on John and the other gospel.

He's very explicit about, but here he saying this is what a good Shepherd is good Shepherd well so again this brings back the whole discussion about his identity is this division if the Lord is my shepherd. Psalm 23. If the bad shepherds of the leaders of Israel, according Ezekiel than then who is Jesus saying he is when he says he is the good Shepherd. He's a good Shepherd so he picked up in 19 he closes up the whole sheep issue here. There was again, a division was again an actual argument is not to decide among the Jews because of these words and many of them said whoa he has a demon and he is insane. So why listen to, but the other said these are not the words of one who is oppressed by demon and connecting the eyes of the blind right they remember it had only a very short period of time since that had happened. So the Pharisees of come up with a very bad explanation for all this you don't Jesus must be from the back piece from the dark side can't be from the dark side of the blind eyes, so you see this this healing the blame in the previous chapter, it it's you know is it's a milepost that stuck in the ground that they just cannot get away from it is just too overt. It's just you can do with their just stuck. So they either will believe who he is or you won't but is not a matter where the Jesus being kind of arbitrary or vague about it because when he claims to be the good Shepherd and he heals a blind man. There's no debate right because that Ezekiel passages that you haven't healed the hurt once you haven't bound up the lane you haven't cared for the hungry right and here I am doing it right in your face, right right yet is actually another another reference to connecting the second from Psalm 82 were God is condemning those players who are supposed to take care of God's people, and he says you need to rescue the weak and the needy and deliver them from the hand of the wicked, but in the rest of something to use as you're not doing right so you boy get engaged on the behalf of the good of the sheep and that's what we always would quote so often the section before we leave the sheep behind the Jesus talks about the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. This was Satan's intention is in your life for her. He comes to steal, kill Mr. he's not there to bring you life. Although he promises you, things that to you.

Look like they would add to your life, but they won't, but he says the good shepherd.

The good Shepherd is the one who lays down his life for the sheep but because he is the good Shepherd. He came that they might have a life of her life doesn't take your life. So that's what Jesus's intention and if you know if anyone asked you, you know what's Jesus all about like a good Shepherd.

He's all about giving us life and give you abundantly. So that's that's where that comes from what should we move on so you know you so verse 22. At that time, the feast of Dedication Took Pl. in Jerusalem and it was winter okay so the feast of right that the rededication of the Temple after the period of time where they had run out of oil and that's back in the inter-test metal.

There's very little biblical reference to it. This might be one of the very few so I want to elaborate that, but John tells us this is a later time. And so Jesus was walking in the temple and the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, how long will you keep a census Christ, tell us plainly. Okay smack moment like haven't I told you, and not tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, you do not believe the works that I do in my father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. Sheep are back my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give him 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 thing, so they pressed him for an answer to tell them plainly, and he gave it tell us plainly in this first responses I have tell you again and is is and if that's not good enough for you.

How about the work cited. Those are witnesses to me as well. So what is it you're missing for so we come back to this point if it's not an inability to hear it's unwilling to witness just that's just a really big deal. In fact, the unwillingness is a characteristic of sheep that are not his.

And that's an interest that's interesting that we talked about other sheep that we saw coming to town yesterday, and they'll have markings on their backs and that they can tell them apart, but they have identified themselves as one flock when they're being led through town. That way, and they hang together. I watched as standing on the sidewalk.

I watched one or two of them sometimes come often chase down a little weed that was growing in the cracks didn't take very long for they realize what I'm falling behind and the shepherds would come along behind him and can help them and they would gather up and pick up speed and get back in the flock, exactly. So Jesus is identifying the fact here that if you're not a listener than you know. She and invest tremendously a problem. Not only that but he says you know you read around 28, 29, that that the sheep, the true sheep is talking about our someone who are in the father sent right to that 29 in the father sent but also sheep that are in his hand. Verse 20. He's almost says you look at equating himself with the father. No one will snatch them out of my hand and 28 and no one they will snatch them out of the father's hand. 29. Gotcha, I've got you. And that's why his next phrases I am the father one, we are really shifted sheep is identical yet. If I have you father has you and if the father has you then I have you and you had said in chapter 7 and chapter 8 right I do the works of my father. If you want to see the father you're seeing him in me, I speak the words of my father. I never do anything that displeases my father. He's already so closely associated herself with the father he says I father are one pure pure identity. You know it is another, study skills, you might want to do or might not doesn't matter if you're in the history and you go back and wonder about Hanukkah, feast of dedication of the feast of lights. It's called there was a guy in that whole thing basically in a very heroic way guarantee the survival of Judaism in the midst of a tight Greek counterculture. The sky Jews Maccabeus and so you in the sense he was sort of what people thought of when he thought of the Messiah, someone who would save the Jews from whatever's going on, so that context does sort of salt why it is a came to him and said, tell us plainly right that guy you like the Jews may make a claim 50 years ago when you are going to do something. What you gonna do it would be a natural question so but interesting enough, instead of being like a Judas Maccabeus, the bad guys Jews are restored and stuff like that. Jesus goes back to talk about the fact that my role is as a good Shepherd for my sheep and the sheep are God sheep. He's actually the owner of the flock and on the great Shepherd and so he just reinforces again. This is warm about him here to maintain the life of the sheep, not to throw out Roman all the bad guys, like Jews, Maccabeus did 60 years ago whole different thing.

So it is a study skill if you're curious you can you can tie some connections back to the original Hanukkah, but you won't find Hanukkah look for feast of lights or fees. That's kind of what goes on. That's why the question was, was something to tell us plainly. Yet, tell us, but make it clear guy I am the father once less pick up the end of the story here. 31 so the Jews picked up stones again to sit on his lap. The third time Dennis told us that when the morning critics was never claimed to be, you know, God, what they did absolutely do is enter them. I've shown you many good works from the father, for which of them are you going to stop because by the way, you don't stone someone because who the arts, because what they do is for rhyme rice for crime. So which one of those quote quant crimes are you getting ready to kill me and the Jews answered him, but what's not for good work that were going to stone you, but for blasphemy because you being a man. Make yourself God so they clearly understood what he was saying in verse 30 father. What you make yourself God and Jesus answered them and said what is it not written in your law. I said you are God's. And if he called them gods, to whom the word of God came the Scripture cannot be broken.

Do you say of him whom the father consecrated and sent into the world your blasphemy because I said I am.

I am the son of God, wow so you take me down for that. But then he switches us is okay disregard what I said look what I did 37.

If I'm not doing the works of my father, then do not believe me but I fight do them even though you do not believe me, believe the works that you may know and understand that the father's in me and I am in the father without statement. So again they sought to rest but escaped from.

And we don't know exactly how he escaped another Gospels and says he just he just walked away. There was the time it was.

It was premature. It was premature so so he really confronts him again with the to the two witnesses.

What he says and what he does and they say will I condemn you for what you do.

Although they are to worship him because this is really amazing think is the blind man did. But where were were doing this because what you can push a claim to be God in its own us by law to stone. Those who blaspheme like this, but he was God. And so it was wrong.

It is an interesting one conditioning to about you know if he says and 37 from not doing the works.

My father woman. Don't believe me.

Don't believe me it is interesting that in the story of John the Baptist. When John the Baptist is in jail. He sends his guys out to Jesus as I guy you really him right, which is what they just asked here. Are you the guy right right and Jesus response to them. This you can find in Matthew 11 is go back and tell the blinder seeing the ears of the deaf are hearing the lame are walking go tell him all these works that testify right on the guy things nobody else in the history of mankind has been able to do right and that was his answer to John the Baptist and that's the answer to these guys who want to kill him, sought the rest of an escape process finishes the school from four so he went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first. And there he remained and many came to him, so that's down the mountain from Jerusalem and across the Jordan is a big flat valley – and they came to him and they said John did no sign everything that John said about this man was true and then he believed in him there is a people who had witnessed his works and probably many of these conversations during the festival up in Jerusalem, and there may be on their way home when they're down the mountain and they're going to follow him like they went out into this very part of the willingness to hear John there following now the one that John pointed to saying this is the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world right and many believe in effect that last line that were many that were many is what will disturb all the ruling leaders of his right because Jesus is building a real momentum of followers, a lot of followers and that is going to be so threatening to the religious majority right there that they realize they're going to have to take Jesus down lose their contrite Rangers that many men but they're not doing anything to compete with them in terms of what they are doing what they're producing, he is simply doing the works of the father which is drawing the people who are seeking God the sheep who are after God recognize him in the shepherd. They share his voice and they know and they know that this must be the guy and they believed him, and then send this is the groundswell were Jesus goes very public at this point and and because of this very public momentum with the people as a target to be killed. And that's going to start dominating the narrative will be here next week. All 11 speaking dominating the narrative just thinking bigger than healing a blind eye and you know for the last couple chapters. That's because a lot of us think with a lot of people. I can only God doesn't just doing you think you can't do something, even bigger than that. He does something bigger than the John making it unmistakable who he is and that he is indeed God himself so well stone in an utterly hopeless situation is unlike in John nine where the man born blind had been allowed to experience a whole lifetime of blindness separately for the glory of God, he will deliberately and consciously allow Lazarus to not only be sick but to die I will talk about that because at first glance that's really disturbing. Would God actually go to the lengths of allowing you to suffer under a physical ailment for a long time for his purposes. Does that sound right. This@fair isn't God in the business of healing us from these things so will ask those questions are the same questions. The people who were following him were asking you but it's also it's a question has been raised with the boy man already. Would God intentionally have a mind have a blind man be blowing his entire life for purpose. How important is the glory of God.

Right right to Jesus answered up next week is way beyond healing a blind man, it does something well that's kind of unbelievable but it's unmistakable and also by the way he puts a contract on right as legislators say all looked the whole world is going after him. Now we really have to do something so we have to kill Lazarus to have the better you will feel the next week so make sure you read John 11. It's just us. It's an astonishing, I believe the entire chapter is all about.

The reason you read it with your eyes open to what you've already seen and heard contact so Jim and Dorothy and come backwards next time. Thanks for being here today were moistening