Good Shepherd: Part 2

The Sheep

Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd: Part 2

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. (John 10:11-16)

This week we spoke about Jesus being the GOOD SHEPHERD. Today we are going to look at the sheep. The sheep in this passage represent you and me. To be a sheep in the flock is not a matter of gender, race, ethnicity, SES, nor geographical location. In verse 16 Jesus talks about bringing ALL into the ONE flock. In this passage he was speaking to the Jews so he provided a much needed clarification that it would be more than just them. Jesus want to be the Good Shepherd to the World.

When Jesus compares us to sheep, he is not paying us any compliments. There are 5 points I am going to highlight about a sheep that directly connects with who we are. Jesus did not get it wrong when he decided to use this animal as a metaphor for humanity.

 

1

Sheep aren’t the cleanest of animals, are they? They are smelly and dirty. Every time they lay down, they get grass and burs and dirt caught up in their wool. They can’t help it. There are types of bugs that like to live in the wool on top of sheep’s heads, too. And they can’t clean themselves either. If someone doesn’t get rid of these bugs, sheep can go blind. So without the shepherd’s help, sheep stay dirty.

Let’s think about us now. Can we clean ourselves of our spiritual dirtiness? Is there anything we can do, all by ourselves, to wash away our sins? Of course not. We have to go to Jesus, our good shepherd, to be cleansed of our sins

2

Sheep are pretty dumb too. “Dumb” is not a word I ever want any of you to use when talking about yourself or anyone else. But with sheep, it really is true. Sheep don’t think for themselves. They just follow other sheep who seem to be in charge. This means that sheep will even follow other sheep right over the edge of a cliff without another thought.

Can you think of ways we follow others without thinking? Sometimes we are so eager to fit in, to be cool or liked that we do or say things that other people do or say without even thinking about it. This is not just reserved for the adolescent or child. Us as adults fall trap to this. It is very important for us to think through our actions and words and even our beliefs! Whenever you make a decision about something to say, or do, or believe, be sure to pray and read your Bible on your own, and let Jesus help you decide whether what you are doing or saying or believing lines up with what the Bible says is true.

3

Sheep are directionally challenged. If they wander off from the flock and shepherd, it’s hard, if not impossible, for them to get back on their own. The shepherd has to come and find them. I can relate to that especially when going to a new place. I many times find myself calling my husband and asking him to “rescue” me. Sometimes I get lost by my own doing. The map says to go right but I get a “brilliant idea” and go a different way.

Jesus shares a story about this very thing happening in Luke 15:4-7.

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”

This is what our good shepherd, Jesus, does with us when we start to wander away from him. He comes after us and carries us back to the fold, and then he celebrates that we are back in right relationship with him.

4

Sheep can’t defend themselves. Sheep don’t have sharp, pointy teeth or claws. They can’t growl or poof themselves up to seem bigger. They can’t even run away, they aren’t fast enough on those scrawny little legs. If a shepherd doesn’t come after a lost sheep, that sheep is destined to become wolf chow.

How are we like sheep in this way? When we wander from the flock, when we stop going to church and spending time with other Christians, we have a harder time living like Jesus wants us to. We can’t protect ourselves from the dangers and temptations of the world. If we want to be like Jesus, which is what life is all about, then we need to spend time with Jesus and others who are learning to live like him.

5

The last fact I want to share about sheep is pretty funny, and also a good picture of us. If a sheep falls down and ends up on its back, it can’t get up again on its own. It will just lay there, flailing its little legs, until either someone helps them up, or they die. When we get into a place in life where we feel like we are flat on our backs, either through our own sins or through tough times, we can’t save ourselves. We are totally dependent on Jesus Christ to save us, to lead us, and to keep us clean.

. . .

Why spend so much time talking about the sheep and comparing it to us? Because through this we see the love, mercy and compassion of our savior. We do not need to be anything but ourselves when we come to him. Jesus is the good shepherd that will take care of us, guide us, rescue us & attend to our every need!

Action Point: Spend time in prayer repenting for wanting to “fix” our life instead of handing it ALL over to our Lord.