John 10: What a Good Shepherd Does

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." [John 10:11]

Jesus words to the unbelieving Jews contained one of the most beautiful expressions of His own role in the whole Bible, "I am the good shepherd."  Who doesn't know the 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want."  It is clear that Jesus is claiming to be the Lord, here.  The indirect claim left the Jews frustrated, so they said, "How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." [24]  At last he said to them, "I and the Father are one." [30] At this, they took up stones to stone Him as a blasphemer. 

Then the Lord answered them in a truly astonishing way.  He said, 

"Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods".'?  If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, `You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"

Here Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6, where God calls them gods and children of the Most High. It is astonishing that to God we who belong to Him are also gods. How could this be, since we are certainly creatures?  The only explanation I can imagine is that because man is made in the image of God, we are in THAT SENSE also gods.  This isn't an easy doctrine to grasp, but it is a very easy doctrine to abuse. 

What does it mean that we are gods?  Well, it doesn't mean we are equal with God, though for Jesus it DID mean equality. Man who is made in God's image is the rightful ruler of the world. This goes back to the Genesis command to "Rule the world", given to Adam and Eve.  The purpose of man is to reign over, or have dominion over the animal kingdom and the material world.  So we are not meant to just enjoy life, make a lot of money, sit back and be entertained until we die.  We are meant to reign in life.  Of course it doesn't mean we are to be tyrants either. If we are "gods" it is only as we yield to the Almighty God in obedience and faithfulness that we can maintain any divine right.

Jesus is the rightful Lord of all creation, since He is God's only begotten Son. So He explains and exemplifies what ruling and reigning looks like:  "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep."  An ordinary shepherd might take care of the sheep, until he slaughters them and eats them.  Jesus instead says, "This is my flesh. Take and eat."  And he lays down His life to give us eternal life, rescuing us from the mouth of the Beast. 

As a shepherd (that is, a Bible teacher and mentor) for others, I must also lay down my life for His sheep. What does this mean to me?  I believe there is no higher calling in the whole of life than to "Go therefore and make disciples, teaching them to obey" Jesus.  To be called "Shepherd" is far greater than "Mr. President" or "Your Honor" or "Father" or "Pastor" or "Doctor".  But as a high calling, it is risky. Many fall when they take advantage of the sheep for personal gain or pleasure or aggrandizement of some other kind.  This is what robbers and wolves do.  The job of a good shepherd is not only to provide and care for sheep but also protect them, from such robbers and wolves. 

For this, we shepherds must lay down our lives.  This "laying down life" could take many forms.  But the most obvious looks like, it would seem, postponing or sacrificing altogether the pleasures, rewards and blessings of life, such as wealth and popularity and comfort, in order to serve and help God's people.  Even sacrificing SOME blessings is a good start, sacrificing some of my time to serve and teach and evangelize, some of my family time, personal time, recreation time, and some of the time spent in personal self-improvement, like study, piano and gym time.

I confess, it is hard to think of giving up any of these activities to go and train a church choir, serve a soup kitchen, or build an orphanage in Sudan.  But that's what Sam the "Machine Gun Preacher" did, even taking up arms to defend these children from evil slave-traders and gangs.  It was to him not too high a price to pay for God's flock even to leave his family behind for long periods.  Jesus did not take up arms, but he DID recommend it to the disciples (see Luke 22:36ff). 

Another thing God has been putting on my heart, for a very long time now, is open-air preaching.  I want to do so, and believe that God will empower me with the Holy Spirit as I obey this calling.  Yet I have not made time or effort to go out and preach on the campus or streets.  It feels like doing so is just asking to be stoned and persecuted. So I do not go.  

Finally, it may be God's will for me to plant a church here in Virginia.  I came here for that purpose in 2004, but till now have not done so.  It requires too great a commitment and seems to involve much risk.  God is putting it on my heart.  May God help me to know what He would have me to do, in these matters.  Amen.