Paul Gerhardt was born in 1607, and grew up in the era after the Book of Concord (1580). The Calvinists worked hard to suppress Lutheran doctrine. He studied to be a pastor at Wittenberg, with good orthodox professors. One of them had a habit of combining sermons with hymn texts.
Gerhardt graduated in 1642 but did not receive a pastoral call until 9 years later. During that time his poetic talents were discovered and he began working with another person on hymns. He was a tutor for the children in one family, which explains his choice of child-like terms and vivid picture language. That is somewhat obscured by the stuffy translations of his hymns into English. See A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth - the "bark" was a "little ship" in German. "To and fro" in German was "zum und zum."
Gerhardt was known for being an orthodox, Book of Concord pastor, but the Calvinist elector wanted peace between the Calvinists and Lutherans. As a result, Gerhardt was forced out of his Berlin call, where he was loved and respected by both sides. He had to get by for a year in Berlin without a call, then was in limbo entirely. Finally he had a call to a difficult parish where he lived and worked until he died.
The Collect for Grace p. 45
10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
The Good Shepherd
10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
The Fourth Gospel is well known for the I AM sermons, and this chapter has four examples of I AM. Moreover, this chapter is especially appropriate for Lent, because Jesus identifies Himself as God - I AM - and teaches the disciples that that means, in contrast to the false shepherd, the hired hands, thieves and brigands.
The sermon itself is a wonderful blend of actual detail and Gospel Promises, which combine to remind us of Jesus as the Creating Word, John 1:3. In those days, sheep were kept in group pens at night. There was only one proper entrance, but thieves came in the other way, like those false teachers send themselves today and cause all matter of mischief. They are not called but call themselves, push themselves on others instead of waiting to be called by God.
One definite sign of a false teacher is that he comes another way, sending himself. The people who troubled Corinth were like that. They only wanted to improve matters for everyone while denigrating the Gospel. Thus the Fulleroids and other pests have charged great sums to teach people to oppose the Gospel and believe in works, in numbers, in material success.
Throughout John's Gospel, Jesus is the One Sent by the Father. He has the ultimate call to accomplish His task of dying for the sins of the world and rising up to show God's victory over sin, death, and Satan. Since He alone is the One Sent, there can be no other Messiahs, no true ones.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Everyday shepherds did this, and Jesus was using their own customs to teach them about His own work. The normal shepherd went to the group pen in the morning, using the door opening guarded by an associate, and led out his own sheep, calling them by name. The shepherd knew his own sheep and called them by name. Likewise the sheep knew their shepherd's voice and followed only that person.
In that way we know we belong to Jesus the Good Shepherd. We are baptized in His Name and we gladly hear His voice. We follow Him and no other. He goes before us and leads us to green pastures and clear waters. Notice this is told as a parable that was not understood at that time, but became ever so clear later.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
These statements are treated simply as identification, but together, they certainly are more than that. The message of John's Gospel is to clarify Jesus' role as the Messiah, to define it in various ways so we are completely clear about it.
I see this more in the light of apposition. We use that all the time, and our grammar is based on Greek and Latin. Answering a question, a woman could respond to the question, "What are you if you do not work outside the home?" I am - a cook, a driver, a mother, a gardener, a teacher of gardener. Jesus' two key answers are "I AM, the One speaking to you." That is what He said to the Canaanite woman who talked about the Messiah, the Christ. Although many believed in the Messiah, they also needed to know He is the true Son of God, God Incarnate, more than anyone expected, though it was all foreshadowed in Isaiah. Like this passage, the people heard but did not fully understand.
It is more than identification because of God speaking from the Burning Bush, Exodus 3 - Tell them I AM is sending you. So Jesus said to the Jewish opposition, "Before Abraham was, I AM." So I believe we should relate all the I AM statements first as that revelation and secondly to those defining roles. In that way, Jesus teaches us what it means to be the Savior.
The door of the sheep is another description of His role as the Savior, the only Savior. We can picture that - one correct door, many false claimants. After His resurrection there was a pretended called
Bar Kochba. He caused great turmoil and loss of life, though he was successful for a period of time around 135 AD, about one century later.
The true door gives us life and salvation. The false teachers only provide death and destruction.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
The door of the sheep pen was an opening guarded by someone, so that is one part of this sermon. The next step is to change from that door to the Good Shepherd Himself. This is expressed literally as The Shepherd The Noble, which means The Shepherd above all shepherds.
This explains why Jesus is the door, the only way of salvation. He will lay down His life for the sheep. That is His unique role, because shepherds do not die for their sheep. Anyone acquainted with shepherding would think about their care for the sheep, their efforts to thwart predators and thieves, but this is another level about anything they did. The hired hand does not own the sheep, so he runs when the wolf comes and lets the wolf tear up and scatter the flock. Many celebrity ministers have shown themselves to be wolves, whose behavior and teaching was glorious in the material sense but terrible in shocking and scattering their congregations.
The clergy, DPs, and professors who served their own interests - they are hired hands too - or wolves. They seem to work together well.
But the Good Shepherd knows His sheep and they know Him. The Father knows the Son, and the Son the Father. This relationship to God the Father is expressed various ways in the Gospel, showing God the Father to be gracious in sending His Son. That is why "Show us the Father" is revealed as an absurd request. We see the Father in the Son, and the Son's relationship to us is the same as the Father's.
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
This is very important because people brought up in an overly strict and accusing household can think of God the Father as threatening, accusing, and condemning. But the gracious love of the Son is exactly the same as the gracious love of the Father. The Scriptures uphold and emphasize faith in God, and condemn unbelief, which is the root of all sin. Sadly, when people have the wrong concept of God, they react accordingly and God becomes to them what they falsely imagine.
Greek Lesson
10 αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ο μη εισερχομενος δια της θυρας εις την αυλην των προβατων αλλα αναβαινων αλλαχοθεν εκεινος κλεπτης εστιν και ληστης
2 ο δε εισερχομενος δια της θυρας ποιμην εστιν των προβατων
3 τουτω ο θυρωρος ανοιγει και τα προβατα της φωνης αυτου ακουει και τα ιδια προβατα καλει κατ ονομα και εξαγει αυτα
4 και οταν τα ιδια προβατα εκβαλη εμπροσθεν αυτων πορευεται και τα προβατα αυτω ακολουθει οτι οιδασιν την φωνην αυτου
5 αλλοτριω δε ου μη ακολουθησωσιν αλλα φευξονται απ αυτου οτι ουκ οιδασιν των αλλοτριων την φωνην
6 ταυτην την παροιμιαν ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους εκεινοι δε ουκ εγνωσαν τινα ην α ελαλει αυτοις
7 ειπεν ουν παλιν αυτοις ο ιησους αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι εγω ειμι η θυρα των προβατων
8 παντες οσοι προ εμου ηλθον κλεπται εισιν και λησται αλλ ουκ ηκουσαν αυτων τα προβατα
9 εγω ειμι η θυρα δι εμου εαν τις εισελθη σωθησεται και εισελευσεται και εξελευσεται και νομην ευρησει
10 ο κλεπτης ουκ ερχεται ει μη ινα κλεψη και θυση και απολεση εγω ηλθον ινα ζωην εχωσιν και περισσον εχωσιν
11 εγω ειμι ο ποιμην ο καλος ο ποιμην ο καλος την ψυχην αυτου τιθησιν υπερ των προβατων
12 ο μισθωτος δε και ουκ ων ποιμην ου ουκ εισιν τα προβατα ιδια θεωρει τον λυκον ερχομενον και αφιησιν τα προβατα και φευγει και ο λυκος αρπαζει αυτα και σκορπιζει τα προβατα
13 ο δε μισθωτος φευγει οτι μισθωτος εστιν και ου μελει αυτω περι των προβατων
14 εγω ειμι ο ποιμην ο καλος και γινωσκω τα εμα και γινωσκομαι υπο των εμων
15 καθως γινωσκει με ο πατηρ καγω γινωσκω τον πατερα και την ψυχην μου τιθημι υπερ των προβατων
