“I’m the nice shepherd. The nice shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Most Christians are aware of the image of Jesus as the nice shepherd. Usually, the which means of the nice shepherd comparability focuses on Jesus’ take care of Christians. I’ve heard a number of sermons on what it means for Jesus to be the shepherd. Specifically, I bear in mind a sermon the place the query was requested, “What’s a shepherd?” The proposed factors within the sermon went one thing like:
- A Shepherd Leads the Sheep
- A Shepherd Feeds the Sheep
- A Shepherd Loves the Sheep
- A Shepherd Sacrifices for the Sheep
Now I don’t dispute that these factors are certainly true of a shepherd. Additional, I do assume there could be an analogy between these factors and the love and care of Christ. Nonetheless, I believe we’re lacking one thing if we don’t study this reference to the nice shepherd in gentle of the authorial intent of John himself.
The Response to the Good Shepherd Declare
A touch to the significance of this story in John 10 comes midway by means of the chapter.
There was once more a division among the many Jews due to these phrases. A lot of them stated, “He has a demon, and is insane; why take heed to him?” Others stated, “These should not the phrases of 1 who’s oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” (John 10:19-21)
Why did the individuals reply the best way they did to this declare of Jesus? A pointy division and argument doesn’t come up over somebody who is barely claiming to have the mild and protecting qualities of a shepherd. There was one thing extra drastic taking place right here.
The Good Shepherd and Ezekiel 34
The background for understanding why the Jews reacted the best way they did comes from Ezekiel 34. In Ezekiel 34 God indicts the leaders of Israel, condemning them for being shepherds who preyed on their very own sheep!
As a result of the leaders of Israel had been evil, the Lord declares that he opposes the present management of Israel and that he’ll ship the individuals of Israel (Ezek 34:10). God then goes on to proclaim the extent of this restoration.
In describing the approaching restoration of Israel, God makes a daring assertion. He declares, “Behold, I Myself will seek for My sheep and search them out” (Ezek 34:11). God guarantees a private involvement in taking good care of His individuals.
Not solely does God promise private involvement, however in a beautiful assertion, God guarantees, “Then I’ll set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he’ll feed them; he’ll feed them himself and be their shepherd” (Ezek 34:23).
That is clearly not a reference to David (who had died lengthy earlier than). God was talking of an inheritor of David, who all through the latter portion of Ezekiel is accorded a privileged place on par with God (Ezek 34:23-24; Ezek 34:24-25). Thus, this future shepherd of Ezekiel 34 could be in cost over your complete nation of Israel as a ruler equal with the authority of God.
The Good Shepherd and the Objective of John
Most students describe the aim of John’s gospel is to exhibit Jesus because the Son of God. John repeatedly describes Jesus as divine and equated with God (cf. John 1:1; 5:18; 8:42; 13:13; 17:3; 20:17, and many others.).
Matching the aim of the Gospel of John with John 10, we see that John is at it as soon as once more—he needs to point out us that Jesus is just not a traditional man, however He’s claiming to be the divine Messiah. In claiming to be the nice shepherd, there may be little query as to what Jesus is referring. This declare of Jesus is why the gang was so divided—might He actually be the one Ezekiel 34 talked about?
Though it’s true that being a shepherd would talk concepts of affection and management, the primary motive John contains this passage is to point out us that Jesus was claiming to be the Messianic Son of God. Jesus was the one whom God had appointed because the chief and shepherd of Israel in Ezekiel 34. He was the descendant of David, the shepherd for all of Israel—a divine determine.
