This morning we have one of the most familiar passages of the Gospel of John- Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It's a wonderful text; it's an echo of Psalm 23, "The LORD is my shepherd..." And even though we are familiar with the passage, I think we're going to find a great deal more than we expect.

Last week we looked at John 9, that wonderful story of the man born blind, which ended with this commentary by Jesus: (John 9:39-41) Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." [40] Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? We are blind too?" [41] Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. Powerful words. But immediately, Jesus goes on to our lesson today:

The Text:

[10:1] "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

Now, remember, it was over a thousand years before chapter numbers and verse numbers were added to the Bible. John didn't say, "Hmmm, I think we're ready for a chapter break here, so I can just start out with a new idea." There were no chapters. Here's a whole new idea. Why?

One reason might be the idea I presented last week- maybe John told this story in pieces, several nights in a row, and this was a natural break. There is nothing in this text that says this, but the storytelling is so natural, I think that the style is consistent with that approach.

Some scholars think that this is a continuation of Chapter 9. The Pharisees have just thrown the healed blind man out. The 'shepherds' of Israel have not only let the sheep wander off, they've thrown him to the wolves.

Jeremiah speaks in several places about the 'bad' shepherds, like in Jeremiah 23:1-5: "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD.

'Way back in John 7:2 this whole section was introduced by the words "The Feast of Tabernacles was near." And in 7:14 it says that he didn't begin to teach until that festival was 'halfway through'-- this whole section of John 7-10 is taking place during that festival. Interestingly, Christian scholars, who study the Jewish texts the Rabbis used leading up to that festival have a common theme- YAHWEH, the LORD is a shepherd to his people. Even the festival scene recalls Micah 2:12: "I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people.

Then he gets really messianic: [5] "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

So, that's the context of our passage. Jesus changes topics, but it all fits in the context of the Bible passages being used, and the evilness of the people's shepherds. Jesus begins:

[10:1] "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. [2] The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. For hundreds of years false messiahs, revolutionaries, freedom fighters and traitors had arisen among the Jewish people. They had been sold out by their own, conquered by many and had given up hope in the long chain of messianic wannabees. These were the ones who entered not in the gate. Only one came in the way God had prepared, by the gate of God's messianic prophecies. He was the only one who fitted. He was the real shepherd of the sheep. He's talking messianically, and the people would have understood it.

[3] The watchman opens the gate for him, Who's the watchman who opened the gate? Who is that in John's Gospel? John the Baptist, of course. He showed him to be 'The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.' He goes on: and the sheep listen to (the shepherd's) voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. That's what Jesus has been doing in calling his disciples to him.

[4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." [6] Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. That's a key- he's criticizing the leaders- the people won't listen to these 'bad shepherds'- because they only recognize the voice of the shepherd, the David-king who is the only legitimate messiah!

That's what Ezekiel had promised: [34:16, 23] I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice... I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. Did they get it yet? He builds on this, but he says something new:

[7] Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I AM the gate for the sheep. [8] All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. This is another of John's seven "I AM s" where Jesus describes himself, but repeatedly he also calls himself 'I AM'- The very name of YAHWEH, the God of the Old Testament, the covenant God of Israel. John the Baptist may have been the gatekeeper, but it turns out Jesus himself is the gate! We hear some guy called "Mr. Baseball." or of a scrappy hitter, "He owns the plate." Or a pitcher with such a curveball, that you say that in our day, he is the curveball. Can Jesus enter the gate? Jesus is Mr. Gate. Jesus not only owns the gate, he is the gate. That's the kind of language here. Not only could no one else enter the gate, Jesus is the gate. [9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. What a promise- he is the Way to salvation- that will be repeated more emphatically in John14:6. You go in, come out, do all you do in him. It's like Psalm 121:8: The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. He goes on:

[10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. We start out talking about the phonies- but the promise just can't be ignored. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. What a wonderful promise! That's the kind of life the Good Shepherd gives! Forgiveness! Hope! Peace! A good life, not a life of fear or regret. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Now the second 'I AM':

[11] "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Here's the I AM again. And now he's talking about laying down his life. We haven't heard about a shepherd risking life for the sheep for a long time in the Bible. We go back to David: [1 Samuel 17:34-35] But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, [35] I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

In Jesus' day, a thousand years after David, shepherds didn't risk their lives for the sheep. In fact, shepherds ran away in times of danger, and maybe stole a few sheep and ate them around the campfire. That's why Jesus says: [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. [13] The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. Shepherds were the low end of the employment food chain. Nobody wanted to grow up to be a shepherd. It was like workin' in the carwash, or (like my dad used to always threaten me if I didn't study hard,) digging ditches. SO, when Jesus says, "Good Shepherd"- that gets their attention- it's an oxymoron- like "jumbo shrimp," "army intelligence" and "honest politician." There's a built in contradiction. There were no "good shepherds" in Jesus' day. He goes on:

[14] "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- By now you understand this- the sheep who follow the Shepherd, will know the shepherd. They will become intimate and close. To the same degree: [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-Then Jesus repeats it again-and I lay down my life for the sheep. This word "life" is not 'eternal life' - zoe; it's 'psuche' which means "all that I hold dear." Jesus lays everything down- his power as God; his home, his possessions, every claim on anything that keeps him from doing God's will. He even is obedient to suffering and death- for the sheep- he lays it all down. All that he has, all that he is, all that he hopes to be. Sound familiar? He lays down his life for the sheep.

[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.

Here is the promise of the Gospel going beyond Israel to the whole world. In Jesus, the LORD is not only the God of Israel, but of the whole world. In fact, Jesus recognizes that his ministry is drawing to conclusion in John 12:22-some Greeks come to meet Jesus- and Jesus recognizes the hour right away: 23 And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified.

And so Jesus has promised, there will be sheep from many places that will hear his voice. Surprising people; people from far away and hostile countries. People who look funny and talk funny. People who might surprise you. That's grace.

Then Jesus comes back again to laying down his life, so maybe they can 'get it' this time:

[18] 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." In John's Gospel, as compared to, say, Luke, Jesus' words are much more active in him giving up his life. In Luke, things spin out of control. In John, Jesus is very much in control, and he lays his life down, like a hero. You might say Luke has the human perspective, John the divine perspective.

In John's Gospel, we see the spiritual side of things- we see Jesus very much in control of the situation. He's staring Evil in the face, and gradually lays down his life. But he's in charge. And before he even dies, and atones for the sins of the world, he already has authority to pick up his life again. He knows that. He is LORD of life, and even LORD over death.

Today as we gather, we all face things that stare at us as death. It may be the death of someone we love; death of dreams; death of innocence; death of the reputation of someone we have respected; maybe the death of hope; maybe we're scared to death. Jesus is Lord of even those things. He is the Good Shepherd. No matter what may attack, his rod and staff are adequate. Though we may face the Valley of the Shadow of Death, he's there setting a table. He's there anointing our heads with oil. He makes our cups overflow.

Surely goodness and chesed shall follow us all the days of our lives, and we shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. The Hebrew could be translated into Minnesotan like this: "You betcha good chesed- covenant love- will stick witcha fer shure!

What a wonderful promise as Jesus heads to the end of his teaching ministry in John. After this things will begin to move quickly. As things swirl and go into chaos, we're reminded of Jesus' words, [18] 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."

He's in control, even when they're killing him. He lays down his life.

And that kind of shepherd will take care of you and us all. Amen.