Background for the Sermon on John 10 - The Good Shepherd
One of the most prominent themes in the Bible is that of the shepherd and shepherding - about 500 references. This is another instance of the Son of God, the Creating Word, teaching from His own handiwork. Flocks of sheep were essential for providing so many products and were useful for the examples used. Sheep are completely reliant on their shepherds, because they have little self-defense. Besides that, their weaknesses do not make them humble. Instead, they will go ahead and do what they want or follow sheep ahead of them. They will crowd into a pen just because one sheep got pointed that way (as our family friend showed us). They continue to push and shove with nowhere to go.
In the Bible, Jesus is both the powerful and loving Shepherd and the innocent Lamb of God. This is where Madam Hulda, human reason - as Luther named it, becomes all confused. It is great sport for unbelievers to ask how the Savior can be the Lamb sacrificed and the Good Shepherd at the same time. But that is how God teaches us, from many different perspectives, so we can identify as the lost sheep of Luke 15 and see Jesus as the Good Shepherd leading his flock and thrashes robbers and false teachers.
KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
εγω ειμι ο ποιμην ο καλος ο ποιμην ο καλος την ψυχην αυτου τιθησιν υπερ των προβατων
John's Gospel has this word order - I am the Shepherd the Good, the Shepherd the good lays down His life for the sheep.
The words used to describe Jesus mean - in effect - I am the Shepherd above all Shepherds. The repetition of those four words remind us of Psalms, especially Psalm 23, and Isaiah's description of the Messiah - "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Isaiah 40:11.
Throughout John's Gospel (but not in his Gospel alone), Jesus uses I AM as the Name of God, with the special significance of I AM and the Burning Bush in Exodus 3. Moreover, the introductory ministry of John the Baptist pointed everyone to Isaiah 40 and the passages following. Some call Isaiah the "Fifth Gospel" because of all the predictions about the Messiah. With Isaiah 40 proclaiming a voice crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord, and John the Baptist fulfilling it, the region was charged with the thoughts
of John bringing on the Messianic Age they longed for.
But Jesus' statement, now so comforting, incited anger and confusion. Jesus clearly identified as the promised Messiah and was God Himself in the flesh. But the reaction of the opponents was "You are not the Messiah we wanted and expected."
This clash had to happen, because no one could grasp God in the flesh, though they saw His divinity in the miracles and the sermons. His true mission was not their mission. That struggle can even be seen in His carefully trained disciples. To prove themselves right, the opponents had make Jesus weak, a criminal, all predicted in Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22.
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.
The hired hand does not protect the sheep, so they run from the wolves and leave the sheep on their own. The wolves catch, kill, and scatter them.
21. He names three kinds of persons or three offices which have to do with the sheep: The true shepherd, which, as has been said, he is himself; the hireling, including all besides him who preach the Law and teach how we ought to live and do good, but do not point to Christ, like the scribes and Pharisees among the Jews of old; and finally the wolf, who wishes to be among the sheep and to rule over them but only works injury and ruin. The wolf is the devil, who also has his messengers and preachers. However, they have not the Word of God, neither the ten commandments nor the Gospel, but they mislead souls by false doctrine and heresies, which St. Paul, 1 Timothy 4:1-2, calls “doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy.” Such are now the pope’s anti-christian doctrines, the Koran of the Turks, and doctrines of other sects. These three kinds of teachers have always been in the world from the beginning. We should keep the first, reform the second, and shun the third. None do this, however, except the true sheep, that is, the little flock which knows Christ.
Decades ago, an LCA district mocked the inerrancy of the Bible, saying that people who teach inerrancy "don't have the guts to rely on Jesus Christ." That was the strangest example of cause and effect. When the district president was in trouble with a radical group taking control of a parish (with the pastor's help), the same district president wanted to quote Luther about the wolves and Satan. Luther always taught the efficacy and inerrancy of the Scriptures. In fact, the Latin words for inerrancy and infallibility are in the Large Catechism, part of our Book of Concord.
The Good Shepherd is the standard because He died for our sins in our stead. No one can approach His excellence and His grace and mercy. Pastor is Latin for shepherd, so pastors are to protect and care for their flock, keeping wolves away. One part of this is providing spiritual food and drink, so the flock is filled with Scriptural knowledge and strengthened against the wiles of Satan. He may have 1,000 arts, but the Word - as Luther wrote - has 100,000 arts.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
In the early days of America, the pastors often stayed in the parish their entire lives. When denominations gained more control, they began moving men around, so the best way to have a larger congregation and more comforts was to get a better call.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
There is only one Good Shepherd because He alone is innocent of sin yet died as a criminal and blasphemer. Everything possibly wrong was done against Him, because He was sent to be the atoning sacrifice. Blood sacrifice stopped at the Temple when the Roman army came in and destroyed it. Another rebellion caused even more damage and the Jewish people were forbidden to enter the area. The priesthood could no longer do their jobs because Jesus was and is the priest and the sacrifice.
I never understood Melchizedek (King of Righteousness) very well until I saw the passage in Hebrews - again - and looked at Lenski. Abraham honored Melchizedek because that man represented the eternal priesthood of the Son. Centuries of blood sacrifice in the Temple and the Passover meals featuring the spotless lamb taught the people the meaning of Atonement. Jesus fulfilled it, and that is the heart of the Gospel.
Faith comes from hearing the Report of the Gospel (Isaiah 53, Romans 10). Faith is the access we have to the grace of God in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Isaiah 53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
One of my graduate students in Old Testament expressed her change of perspective well.
"Growing up in a strict denomination, I always felt a sense of guilt when I did things wrong. I have to admit that the one thing I began to resent about the church is that we were "scared" into doing the right thing. We were told of God's love, but guilt was always there. Throughout this course, I have seen that God's love is what we experience even when we sin. I have seen that there is no end to God's love, He is there for us and He will forgive us and give us another chance. He is the God of another chance, not just a second chance. All is takes is faith in God and he will transform us."
Those who rely on fear, or the Law, or their works will never provide comfort in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Sometimes people present the loving and gracious Jesus but leave the imaginary picture of God the Father, angry and punishing. The picture in Roman Catholicism is a kindly and helpful Blessed Virgin Mother, but an angry Jesus as judge.
St. John's true picture is that Jesus is a perfect mirror of God's love, mercy, and forgiveness. The anger of Jesus is aimed at little-faith and even more at no-faith.
John 16 - 8 And when He (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
And how is this expressed by the Holy Spirit? - In the written and spoken Scriptures, in preaching and teaching. Flipping to the positive side, the Holy Spirit will teach faith in Jesus and oppose doubt and rejection. The foundational sin is lack of faith - not the carnal sins or covert sins but not believing in Jesus Christ.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
This too was confounding, because Judaism was largely an ethnic religion and very limited by its language, worship, and customs. Christianity - and this was a struggle - went out to all races and types, using the universal language of Greek. The Old Testament was already in Greek and the New Testament was written only in Greek until expansion made translations necessary.
There is only True Church, and that consists in those who believe in Jesus alone as their Savior, to take away their sins and give them eternal life.
