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John 10:11-21

INTRODUCTION: Last week we looked at John 10:1-10 where Jesus gave the illustration of the sheep pen. Remember the sheep pen was an enclosure for the sheep with four walls, no roof, and one door. A thief or a robber would try to climb over the walls to get into the sheep pen, but the shepherd would obviously come through the gate. He would call to his own sheep, and they would recognize his voice, and he would lead them out to good pasture.

Jesus then drew two applications from this illustration. We looked at the first application last week when we saw that Jesus is the gate for the sheep. Today we will look at the second application – Jesus is the good shepherd who takes care of his sheep. (Read John 10:11-21 and pray)

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Jesus is the good shepherd. We use the word “good” in several different ways. Sometimes we speak of something being good in a moral sense, but other times we speak about something being good in quality. For example, when we speak of a good athlete, or a good pianist, or a good teacher we don’t necessarily mean they are morally good, but rather they are good in quality, they are good at what they do. The good athlete excels at their sport; the good pianist plays the piano well; the good teacher is good at teaching. That’s the way the word is used here. It’s a word that means good in quality. It can even mean beautiful, handsome or excellent. So when Jesus calls himself the good shepherd, he means that he is the most excellent shepherd; he is the pre-eminent shepherd; he is what shepherding is all about. He is the beautiful shepherd, the ideal shepherd – the perfect example of what a shepherd should be. And as we look at how Jesus fulfills his role as the good shepherd, we see even more the wonder and the beauty of our Lord.

In our passage today Jesus shares three different ways that he is the good shepherd. Jesus lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus knows his sheep. And then thirdly, Jesus conquers death for the sheep.

I. Jesus lays down his life for the sheep. (11-13)

So let’s take a look at the first one: The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Look at verses 11-13 where Jesus says: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:11-13)

When Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep,” Jesus spoke about giving life to the sheep – giving you true spiritual, eternal, abundant life. But when Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd,” he speaks about giving his life for the sheep. Indeed this is the primary thought of the whole passage. Jesus will speak about other aspects of the good shepherd, but the main idea he keeps coming back to is this: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Notice he does not simply “give” his life for the sheep, but he lays it down. We find the same word in Matthew 27:59 when Joseph of Arimathea lays Jesus’ body down in the tomb, and again in Mark 6:29 when the disciples lay John the Baptist’s body in the grave. There is something very personal and intentional about laying one’s life down for another. It’s almost as if you hold your own life in your hands, and then you purposely lay it down. To lay down your life for another means a voluntary, sacrificial death. “Life” here is more than just physical existence. It means your whole self. Jesus uses this phrase “lay down my life” five times in verses 11-18. He uses the same phrase in John 15:13 – “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. That means he lays down his life on behalf of the sheep, for the sake of the sheep. He dies so that they will live. There was a definite reason and purpose why Jesus laid down his life. There is nothing admirable about someone just laying down their life for no purpose. Jesus died to give the sheep life. He died so they would not have to. And so Jesus’ death was not a senseless or purposeless death. He died for the sheep. In the Old Testament thousands of sheep had been sacrificed as sin offerings for their shepherds. Now Jesus, the good shepherd, sacrifices himself for the sheep.

Jesus goes on in verses 12 and 13 to contrast himself with the hired hand. Look at verse 12: “The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.” The hired hand is not the shepherd. The sheep do not belong to him. He has no personal interest in the flock beyond the wages he receives for watching over them. So when he sees the wolf coming, he’s gone, he’s out of there!

This whole idea about wolves was not a hypothetical situation. Wolves were a real danger to shepherds and their flocks. It’s interesting, the laws of the day even set out the responsibilities of the hired hand when it came to wolves and the sheep. The hired hand had a legal responsibility to defend the sheep against one wolf, but “two wolves count as an unavoidable accident.” (Mishnah, Bava Metzia 7:9a) In other words the hired hand was not expected to be able to defend the flock against two wolves attacking at the same time, but if only one wolf attacked, he would be held liable for the damages.

Now there were probably some good hired hands out there who defended the sheep against wolves when they attacked. But Jesus’ point is this: no one would really be surprised if the hired hand took off when he saw the wolf coming. The hired hand was not about to risk his life for the sheep. And if the hired hand ran off, the consequences for the sheep could be disastrous. Jesus says, “The wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.” The word translated “attacks” here is actually the word “seizes” or “snatches.” The wolf is a real threat and danger to the sheep. He seizes some and scatters the rest.

The hired hand runs away first of all because he does not own the sheep. But secondly he runs away because he does not love the sheep. Look at verse 13: “The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” They’re not his sheep, and therefore he does not care about them or risk his life to defend them. In contrast Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. He not only risks his life for the sheep. He willingly, voluntarily lays down his life for them. He dies, so that they don’t have to.

The apostle Peter would later encourage pastors to model themselves after Jesus. We read his instructions to pastors in 1 Peter 5:2-3: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care … not greedy for money but eager to serve.” Peter directed pastors to serve as shepherds of the flock, not as hired hands.

Jesus is the good shepherd first of all because Jesus lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus died for us so that we would not have to.

II. Jesus knows his sheep. (14-16)

The second way that Jesus is the good shepherd is this: Jesus knows his sheep. Look at verses 14-16. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep 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 sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)

Last week we saw that Jesus repeated “I am the gate” twice in verses 1-10. He also repeats “I am the good shepherd” twice in this passage. This second time he speaks of the good shepherd as one who knows his sheep: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Jesus knows who are his sheep and who are not. We can never know for certain who is saved and who is not, although Jesus did say by their fruits you will know them. But Jesus knows. He knows the sheep from the goats. He knows those who truly trust him for salvation and those who are just playing the game. He knows who truly believes in their heart and who is just putting on a show on the outside. Jesus knows his sheep, and his sheep know him.

“To know” someone speaks of personal knowledge and love. Jesus and his sheep enjoy a relationship of deep trust and intimacy. Jesus knows us as those for whom he gave his life; we know him as our savior and dearest friend. Remember the illustration of the sheep pen from last week? The sheep know the shepherd’s voice. They know the voice of the one who loves them, feeds them, guides them, and cares for them. And because they know his voice, they follow him wherever he leads. Jesus knows his sheep, and his sheep know him.

Jesus even compares this knowing and being known to his own relationship with God the Father. Look at verse 15: “I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” God the Father and Jesus the Son know and love each other in perfect harmony. The relationship between God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is the most intimate of all relationships. Obviously we don’t know Jesus to the same degree that Jesus knows the Father, but just as God the Father and God the Son know each other, so Jesus knows his sheep, and we know him. Jesus lays down his life for us and takes care of us in every way. We love him, trust him and follow him wherever he goes. We yield our lives to him as our shepherd who knows and cares for us.

Jesus knows your needs, and he knows exactly how to care for you. Jesus knows everything about you. He knows your deepest thoughts, your silent longings, your private victories and your secret shames. He knows it all, and he loves you. He loves you so much that he died for you. Jesus repeats the first part again. “I know my sheep and my sheep know me – and I lay down my life for them.” What better shepherd to guide you in your life and lead you than the one who knows you and loves you best.

Jesus knows both the sheep who are under his care now and also those who will come under his care in the future. Look at verse 16: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. He will gather all the sheep together and there shall be one flock under one shepherd.”

Here Jesus goes back to the sheep pen part of the illustration. In the sheep pen illustration the shepherd came into the sheep pen and separated out his sheep from the rest. He then brought them all out and led them to good pasture. Now Jesus says he has other sheep who are not of this sheep pen. He must bring them also. Who are these other sheep? In the historical context of this passage, Jesus was talking about the Gentiles. Salvation was not only for the Jews, but for everyone who would place their faith in Jesus. And so Jesus was speaking of the great Gentile mission of the church. That’s the immediate context.

But Jesus’ words can be applied further. In another sense Jesus is speaking of all those who have not yet come to Christ. He will gather them also and bring them into his flock. To extend the metaphor even further and bring it directly into our church today: Jesus has many other sheep that are not part of our church. There are other sheep in our community, around our nation, around the world, and Jesus will gather them also into his flock. The word translated “bring” here is a word that means “to lead.” He will lead them into his flock. Jesus’ mission is worldwide. Jesus came to purchase a people for himself from every nation, tribe, people and language (Revelation 7:9).

Notice how Jesus uses the present tense: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.” Jesus knows those who will come to him for salvation. In that sense they are already his, and so he can already call them his sheep. This is the concept of the elect which we find throughout Scripture. There is an interesting parallel in Acts 18:10 where Jesus speaks to Paul in a vision about the city of Corinth and says: “I have many people in this city,” that is, many people who will come to faith in me. I love that verse. That means Jesus has many people in this city, too, and in your city. People just waiting to come to Jesus Christ.

Notice also the word “must.” Jesus says, “I must bring them also.” Why? Because Jesus did not die just for one group of people, but for people all over the world. There is a sense of urgency and compulsion here. Jesus must fulfill his mission. He must bring these other sheep into the flock.

And how do we identify these other sheep? They are those who will listen to Jesus’ voice. We learn who Jesus’ sheep are by calling out to them through the preaching and sharing of the gospel. Those who hear the gospel and respond are Jesus’ sheep. Those who do not are not. We are Christ’s voice. We must share the gospel with those around us – in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our spheres of influence. His sheep will hear his voice and respond.

“And there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” This is the ultimate goal of Christ’s mission. The wolf scatters and divides, but Jesus gathers into one flock. Jesus is speaking about the unity of the body of Christ. As we read in Ephesians 4, there is one Lord and one body. (Ephesians 4:4) There should be no racial or other boundaries in Jesus’ church. There is one flock and one shepherd. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross not only reconciles us with God, but with each other. Jesus says “I will gather all my sheep, and there shall be one flock under one shepherd.”

III. Jesus conquers death for the sheep. (17-18)

Jesus is the good shepherd first of all because he lays down his life for the sheep. Secondly, Jesus is the good shepherd because he knows his sheep. And then thirdly, Jesus is the good shepherd because he conquers death for the sheep. Look at verses 17-18: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:17-18)

At this point Jesus drops the illustration altogether. He stops speaking about shepherds and sheep and speaks directly about himself. And that’s probably because at this point the analogy breaks down. Yes a good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. And yes, a good shepherd knows his sheep. But no common shepherd could ever conquer death for his sheep. Once the shepherd laid down his life for the sheep, that shepherd’s life was over and done with. He could no longer take care for the sheep. But not so with Jesus the good shepherd. Jesus says: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.”

Now that is a remarkable statement. We are told here why God the Father loves the Son. First of all, we know from other Scriptures that God the Father loved the Son before the creation of the world (John 17:24). Secondly, we also know that Jesus was chosen to die for us before the creation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). The book of Revelation calls Jesus the lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) And then thirdly, we also know from Scripture that we were chosen in Christ before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Titus 1:2 tells us that God promised salvation before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2). The wonderful truth that Jesus teaches here boggles the mind. The love of God the Father for Jesus the Son is bound up from all eternity in the willing sacrifice of Jesus for his people. “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.”

Christ’s death on the cross shows both the love of the Father and the Son. God the Father sent his only son to die for us. Jesus willingly gave up his life to bring us salvation. (Cf. Abraham and Isaac). Think about it. God the Father loves you so much he sent his son to die for you. The reason God the Father loves the Son is because Jesus willingly laid down his life for his people.

Jesus said, “I lay down my life – only to take it up again.” Praise God the gospel does not end with the death of the good shepherd. Jesus died on the cross, but he also rose again. Notice how Jesus was in complete control of both his death and his resurrection. “I lay down my life and I take it up again,” or literally, “in order to take it up again.” In other words, when Jesus died on the cross, he had the resurrection in his sights at all times. Jesus died in order to rise victorious over sin and death. Christ’s death on the cross is never viewed as a defeat but as a victory, for he would surely rise again. Jesus conquered death for the sheep.

Look at verse 18: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” Jesus was not a martyr. No one had the power to take his life from him. Rather, Jesus laid down his own life. Pilate tried to intimidate him. He told Jesus: “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:11-12) No one took Jesus’ life from him. Jesus could have stopped the crucifixion at any time. But he didn’t. He chose to go to the cross for you and for me. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus said concerning his life: “I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” (John 10:18) This is a clear statement of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Only God has the authority to take life. Only God has the power to restore life. Jesus says he has this authority over his own life. Even after Jesus’ earthly body died, Jesus still had divine power to rise again. This was completely unlike any other resurrection account in Scripture. Other people were raised from the dead, but they were not divine. Why? Because someone else raised him. But Jesus had authority to raise himself from the grave, therefore he is divine.

It’s interesting, Scripture sometimes speaks of God the Father raising Christ from the dead, and other times Jesus raising himself as here. The Holy Spirit is also involved in Christ’s resurrection. (Romans 1:4, 8:11) It is all part of the mystery of the trinity.

Jesus says, “This command I received from my Father.” This command could refer to the authority Jesus had to raise his own life from the grave. But I believe this phrase also speaks of Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s command. Notice that the command encompassed both Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection depended on him living an obedient, sinless life. Jesus obeyed this command of the Father from the start. Jesus came into this world; he lived a perfect, sinless life; he laid down his life for the sheep; he took his life up again.

Jesus is truly the good shepherd. Not a good shepherd, but the good shepherd. There is no other. Just as there is only one gate for the sheep, so there is only one good shepherd. Why is Jesus the good shepherd? He laid down his life for the sheep. He knows his sheep and gathers them into one flock. He conquered death for the sheep so they also could know victory over sin and death, and live forever with him and God the Father. Jesus is the good shepherd of the sheep.

NOTE: The Response of the Hearers (19-21)

Finally, I want you to note the response of those who heard Jesus say these things We read in verse 19: “At these words the Jews were again divided.” (John 10:19) Truth will always divide. It’s not the truth’s fault, but there will always be a divided response to the truth according to the hearts of man. We read in verse 20: “Many of them said, ‘He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?’” (John 10:20) Notice the double accusation: that he is both demon-possessed and insane. They probably thought the insanity was a result of the demons. They told the others, “Why listen to him?” Have you ever noticed how some nonbelievers are not content in their own disbelief but seek to pull others away also? That’s what these Jews were doing.

But some of the other Jews were not so quick to dismiss him. We read in verse 21: “But others said, ‘These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?’” They objected to these accusations. Jesus did not speak as a madman. His words were measured, intelligible, full of grace, wisdom, power, and authority. They looked not only at Jesus’ words but also his actions. They asked, reasonably enough, “Can a demon heal a blind man?” The answer of course was no. Demons are bent on harming humanity, not helping. As one person put it: “The devil will sooner put out men’s eyes than open them.” (Matthew Henry) And so both Jesus’ words and his actions showed that he was not demon-possessed or mad. As Jesus said earlier, his sheep would recognize his voice. Those who rejected him showed by their very rejection that they were not part of his sheep.

CONCLUSION: Every one of us has a shepherd. Each of us has a ruling, guiding force in our lives. For some of us it is another person. For some it is a guiding principle or ideal. For some it is a destructive addiction. And for many of us, we are our own shepherd. We seek to be masters of our own destiny; we choose to run our own lives.

Who is your shepherd today? What kind of care does your shepherd provide for you? Does he lead you in green pastures, beside the still waters? Does he restore your soul? Does he guide you in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake?

You see, only Jesus can properly care for your life. He is the good shepherd. He is the one who lays down his life for the sheep. He is the one who knows his sheep in close, personal relationship. He is the one who has conquered sin and death. He is the good shepherd, and there is no other. Will you yield your life to him?

“For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)

© Ray Fowler

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