José de Madrazo y Agudo (Spanish, 1781 - 1859)
Jesus in the House of Annas, 1803
Annas appears in the Gospels and Passion plays as a high priest before whom Jesus is brought for judgment, prior to being brought before Pontius Pilate.
This religious scene with its life-size figures, is treated in the sober manner usually applied to scenes from Roman history. It was the first major painting produced by Madrazo whilst training in Paris under Jacques-Louis David, and earned him an increase in his grant from Charles IV, enabling him to continue his studies in Rome.
April 29, 2018 - “I Am the Good Shepherd” John 10:11-21
Click KEEP READING to read the full sermon.
Introduction
If there is one word you would wish to portray what a shepherd should be, what is it? It is our sincere prayer that every pastor of a local church reflects the heart of Jesus as the good shepherd of our souls.
This Sunday, we mourn as a church. Our beloved Manong Bel Magalit, the esteemed former Senior Pastor of our home church in Diliman Campus Bible Church, has gone ahead of us to be with the Lord. He passed away at 7:47 o’clock last night, April 29, 2018. We all share the pain and grief of the bereaved family, especially on the part of Manong Bel’s lifetime partner, intimate friend and beloved wife, Manang Letty.
A great man of God and a faithful shepherd has been taken from us. A dedicated servant had once stood in our midst and led us as the flock of God. As a local church we are part of the greater body of Christ whom a steadfast Filipino Christian patriot had been a great blessing and will always be for all of us. He touched our hearts in a special way through his great love for our Lord Jesus Christ and his passion to serve his own countrymen. In seeking first the kingdom of God he yielded his all for the sake of Christ and laid down his life to his motherland where he was born. A “seed” has fallen on the ground and dies yet his legacy lives on and his godly influence will always be a great treasure in our hearts. Our dear brother in Christ is now home with the Lord. This blessed assurance is meant for the glory of God and the comfort of all believers. Finally, Manong Bel has entered his eternal rest in the presence of the Good Shepherd of our souls. To this glorious end we will always be grateful.
We move on in our journey with the crowd who followed Jesus. The primary question in those days was filled with suspense and intrigue. The people wondered who this miraculous worker was in their midst. Could Jesus be the Messiah awaited expectantly by the Jews? They were unsettled to know that he came from an insignificant hometown in Nazareth and that nothing spectacular could ever come from that remote village. And his teachings and claims to himself stirred much controversy. This started when he revealed himself as the true bread from heaven and anyone will no longer be hungry and thirsty if only they will eat of his flesh and drink of his blood. Many of his former disciples mistook his words literally and they abandoned him forever because of his hard teaching. When Jesus claimed that he is the true light of the world, the people were offended when he uncovered their spiritual blindness because of their unbelief to his miraculous signs. Yet for the blind man whom he had healed, he believed in Jesus and he worshipped him. And for the adulterous woman whom Jesus bestowed his mercy, he gave a clear command, “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Jesus demands from all of us the same faith, holiness and worship in coming to him as the absolute gate for the sheep. Anyone who would come to him and believe in him will know God and be saved from their sinfulness. Having Jesus declared, “I am the gate for the sheep…whoever enters through me will be saved” (Jn. 10:7, 9), he integrated to such claim a revelation of himself, “I am the good shepherd” (10:11). A sinner who enters through the gate by yielding his life to Jesus will be saved from his sinfulness and can experience the fullness of life under the blessing of Jesus as the shepherd. As the good shepherd, Jesus unveiled his sacrificial love for the sheep (10:11-13) and his intimate care for the flock (10:14-18). In his claim as the shepherd for the sheep caused a great controversy among the people (10:19-21).
A. The Sacrificial Shepherd (10:11-13)
There is a great difference between a shepherd and a hireling. In opening his invitation for the people to believe in him and follow him, he showed to them what it really means to be a shepherd in contrast to a hireling paid for the task. What kind of a shepherd Jesus is to his sheep?
1. The Shepherd
We pay a close attention to Jesus’ claim to himself as a shepherd.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (10:11)
Jesus said, “I Am the good shepherd.” For Jesus to have used the phrase, “I am” was in parallel with the revelation of Yahweh to Moses in a burning bush in the wilderness. The LORD declared to Moses, “I Am who I Am” (Ex. 3:14). The LORD, the great “I Am,” is the eternal, sovereign and self-existent God of heaven and earth. For Jesus to claim “I Am” was a full consciousness that he is God with the same eternal existence and divine essence with the Father in heaven. John the Beloved made this clear in his introductory statement in his gospel account. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1). Jesus is the eternal Word. He was with God the Father throughout eternity. And Jesus himself is God the Son equal with God the Father.
Jesus claimed, “I Am the good shepherd.” For Jesus to have applied to himself the word “good” had a direct reference to his deity. In his earthly ministry, a man addressed him with a question, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life” (Mk. 10:17). Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good—except God alone” (Mk. 10:18). The reply of Jesus was an indirect reference to himself because of his full consciousness as God and that his teaching about eternal life was the very Word of God.
Jesus declared, “I Am the good shepherd.” Who is the shepherd of the sheep? Jesus our shepherd is God. As our shepherd, he shepherds us in his absolute goodness. And as our shepherd, he demonstrated his absolute divine goodness by offering his life for us. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
This is an astounding mystery of the Christian faith. Jesus, our good shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep, is the eternal God the Son (Jn.1:1) who became human (1:14) and the Almighty Creator of the universe (1:3). This awesome truth means everything to us. In the vastness of the universe we may view our insignificance. And in the sinfulness of our hearts we can see our unworthiness. Yet in the sight of the good shepherd, every fallen human being created in the image of God is absolutely significant. It cost the precious blood of Jesus Christ to redeem each one of us from our sin.
In yielding our life to Jesus as our Good Shepherd, we are safe and secure. The psalmist declared, “Know that the LORD is God, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Ps. 100:3). As our good shepherd who laid down his life for us, he will ever nurture us so we can enjoy the fullness of life now and for eternity. King David testified, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing…Surely goodness and love shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:1). And we are forever grateful.
2. The Hireling
Jesus is the good shepherd and never a hireling.
“The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (10:12-13)
We can cite the following contrasts between the shepherd and the hireling. First, the shepherd owns the sheep; the hireling does not own the sheep. Second, the shepherd cares for the sheep; the hireling cares nothing for the sheep. And third, the shepherd lays down his life for the sheep; the hireling abandons the sheep. Think of the goodness of Jesus Christ as the shepherd of our souls!
Perhaps, as a sheep, in all our pains and fears in life, we may have wrestled with Jesus as our Shepherd if he is still with us and really care for us. It is wise and good for us to always remember that Jesus is our shepherd and not a hireling. This is a solid anchor for our souls in all our trials and tribulations.
A shepherd or a pastor is not a title. It is neither a position to be filled in nor a profession for one to be hired for a living. Rather, it is primarily a sacred vocation based on spiritual giftedness and a clear ministerial call. And Jesus himself sets apart his servants to shepherd the flock of God.
It is our humble petition that every pastor of a local church will embrace the heart of Jesus as the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep whom he loves, and not as a hireling who may outwardly do the task of shepherding but without the heart of caring for the sheep. As shepherds of souls, it is our earnest prayer that the Christian brethren will walk in the footsteps of Jesus with a humble and grateful heart. And as a church, may we yield our all under the Lordship of Christ so we can make a godly influence inside our home and to people around us.
B. The Intimate Shepherd (10:14-18)
Jesus is our good shepherd. He laid down his life for his sheep. He shepherds each of us in an intimate way. And we abide in our Shepherd for we personally know him.
1. The Shepherd Knows His Sheep
Jesus reinforced his claim as a good shepherd and disclosed his intimacy with his sheep.
a. “I know my sheep.”
Jesus knows each one of his sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (10:14-15)
Jesus knows his own sheep because he discerns the heart of every human being. He knows those who truly believe in him from those who merely profess of believing and with those who did not really believe in him. Many of Jesus’ former disciples deserted him because they misunderstood his hard teaching as the bread of life. They abandoned him because their faith was not genuine but a mere profession of faith. Apostle John declared, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 Jn. 2:19). After the former disciples left, Jesus personally asked his apostles, “You do not want to leave too, do you” (Jn. 6:67). Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn. 6:68-69). Such faith is genuine. Judas Iscariot did not possess it. Jesus knows his own sheep. And we ought to examine ourselves if we are in the faith.
How intimate is the knowledge of Jesus to his own sheep? Jesus said, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” From eternity, the Father and the Son knew each other fully well in perfect harmony. This perfect intimacy in the Godhead is manifested between Jesus and his sheep. King David who knew the LORD as his shepherd declared with awe:
“O LORD, you have searched and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” (Ps. 139:1-4)
What is our response to such intimate knowledge of Jesus to us? With David we humbly pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps. 139:23-24). We humbly yield our all to Jesus who is the Good Shepherd of our souls.
b. “I have other sheep.”
Jesus knows his own sheep. This refers primarily to the Jews who believe in him. And he brings his other sheep to his fold.
“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (10:16)
The “other sheep” refer to Gentile believers. This included the Samaritan woman and her countrymen who believed in Jesus. Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). Jesus died for all Hebrews and Gentiles. And Jesus prayed to the Father for all believers, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (17:20-21a). We, Gentiles, are co-heirs with the same promises given by God to the Jews. The sheep of Jesus include all believing Jews and Gentiles to whom Jesus offered his life.
c. “I lay down my life.”
And Jesus had the authority to lay down his life for the sheep because he loved them. And this love comes from the Father through his Son.
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." (10:17-18)
The Jews rejected him. Pontius Pilate decreed his death. The Roman soldiers crucified him on the cross. Into all these, no one takes his life from him. It was Jesus who laid down his life in his own accord in submission to the will of his Father in heaven. In obedience to the will of his Father, Jesus was given the authority to lay down his life and the authority to take it up again. In yielding his life, Jesus rested in the love of his Father. And out of this perfect love from the Father, Jesus laid down his life for his sheep. Jesus declared, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).
2. The Sheep Knows the Shepherd
The sheep are those who believe in Jesus Christ. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep. And the sheep knows their Shepherd. Jesus said, “My sheep know me” (10:14b).
a. The sheep know the voice of the Shepherd.
In a literal sense, the sheep that become familiar with their shepherd who cared for them day and night recognize the distinct voice of their shepherd. Applied in a spiritual realm, Jesus spoke of his own people “They know his voice” (10:4c). The “voice” of the Good Shepherd is the Holy Scripture. Anyone who believes in Jesus and his word belong to his sheep. But to those who do not believe in him and his word do not belong to the Shepherd. Jesus declared to the unbelieving Jews, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (5:39-40).
The Scripture is the Word of God. It is the written historical revelation of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The central teaching of the Scripture is Jesus Christ as the final and full revelation of God the Father. In light of the Scripture, our salvation is the redemptive work of the Triune God. The Father has chosen his own people who are redeemed by the blood of Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:4, 7, 13).
What does this mean to us? If we seek the Lord with all our heart, we will find God in light of his Word. We will know the voice of Jesus as our Shepherd through the true teachings of the Scriptures. May the Good Shepherd of our souls raise godly pastors and teachers in our midst who will faithfully teach the absolute truths rooted in the Holy Scriptures.
b. The sheep listen to the voice of the Shepherd.
The sheep know the voice of their Shepherd. And Jesus said, “The sheep listen to his voice” (10:3b). As the sheep do not listen to the voice of a stranger, likewise, the people of God do not listen to false prophets and teachers. The believing Hebrews and Gentiles will only listen to the authoritative teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ as written in the Holy Scriptures.
The sheep to listen to the voice of the Shepherd calls for the sound teaching of the Word of God. The ministry of the Word is a central ministry of the church. Once the preaching of the gospel is neglected, the sheep will become restless wanderers for greener pastures. Worse, once the teaching of the truth is distorted it will destroy the foundation of the Christian faith. In the midst of a secular word, the Christian church must stood on her ground to teach and defend the absolute truth.
c. The sheep follow the Shepherd.
The sheep know their Shepherd. They distinguish his voice. They listen to his word. The Shepherd “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (10:3b). Jesus added, “And the sheep follow him” (10:4b).
The sheep are a unique herd. By nature they are helpless creatures. They are at the mercy of a shepherd to lead them to water and pasture, to protect them from wild beasts and to anoint their faces with oil when a snake nips them from the grass. Sheep are social animals that gather in flocks, but they tend to wander off and be lost and in danger of falling into a crevice or entangled into a thorn bush. Without a shepherd to watch over them, they will be scattered, restless and destroyed. And for their safety and security, they listen to the voice and follow their shepherd. In a spiritual realm, this calls for total obedience of the sheep to their Shepherd.
We give a careful thought on the relevance of this great truth inside the church. This is the word for the shepherds.
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” (1 Pet. 5:2-3).
Likewise, this is the word for the sheep.
“Now we ask you brothers, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other” (1 Thes. 5:12-13)
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Heb. 13:17)
As a church we obey under the Lordship of Christ, our Good Shepherd.
C. The Controversial Shepherd (10:19-21)
What was the response of the people to Jesus? John the Beloved gave this gospel account, “At these words the Jews were again divided” (10:19). Never did Jesus come to divide humanity. Rather, it is the response of every human being toward him that brings a clear distinction of those who belong to Jesus’ sheepfold from those who are not.
1. The Unbelievers
The unbelievers despise Jesus and scorn his word.
“Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” (10:20)
Jesus was charged as demoniac and lunatic. He was labelled as “demon-possessed and raving mad.” These are unimaginable grievous accusations. For many, Jesus the Jewish Rabbi from Nazareth was a false teacher and a servant of darkness. They attributed that his miracles were the works of darkness and his teachings were doctrines of demons. And for those who do not believe in him they delivered a clear message to others, “Why listen to him?” Their deep-seated unbelief led them to condemn Jesus and crucify him on the cross.
Perhaps, we may see ourselves not a hostile crowd to call Jesus as “demon-possessed and raving mad.” We may revere him as a great Rabbi and respect him as a good man. But if we do not believe in him as he claimed of himself as the eternal God who became human, this too is a clear defiance against Jesus. And for those who believe in him as the God-incarnate and to know that he alone is the Savior of the world and the Lord of all, yet unwilling to turn away from their sins and yield their lives to him, sad to say, they do not belong to the sheep of the Shepherd. This calls for us to search our souls. We make an earnest plea to the world. It is a dreadful thing to reject and despise Jesus.
2. The Believers
The believers made their clear stand. “But others said, ‘These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind’” (10:21)? For those who believed, Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi who taught with divine authority and power for no one can make miraculous signs except the work of God. Their counter argument to the agnostics who charged Jesus as a lunatic teacher and demonic worker was a thought-provoking inquiry, “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” There in their midst was the blind man whom Jesus healed!
Conclusion
Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He is the sacrificial shepherd who offered his life for the sheep. He is the intimate shepherd who knows well his sheep and cares for them. He is the controversial shepherd whom people either despise or believe. For those who despise him they spurn his word. For those who believe in him, they recognize, listen and obey his voice. Our Good Shepherds extends his hands and yearns to embrace us.
As a shepherd of the Lord’s flock, recently, I happened to minister to three significant occasions within a week: a funeral service on Thursday, a marriage-counseling on Friday and a child dedication on Saturday. These are the three major stages in life: birth, marriage and death. What does it mean to minister to a grieving family who lost a father, listen to a couple who needs guidance preparing for wedlock and share with the joy of parents who dedicated their beloved firstborn little princess to the Lord? Shepherding is a gift and grace of God. Every shepherd should minister from the heart. As a sheep, we come to the cross of Christ. In all our pains and tears, we should not lose our vision of the Good Shepherd of our souls who gave his life for us. Have we yielded our all to the Good Shepherd of our souls?
YEAH. You read that right. You know why I'm announcing it? BECUASE I'M DONE. I'm done feeling like the tumblrverse is going to pounce on me because I don't agree or disagree with gay marriage. I'm done feeling like I'm suppressed because I'm in the minority here. I'm done because I feel like on this site we get shoved aside or bulldozed. So allow me to flesh out my religious beliefs to avoid stereotyping.
I believe in Christianity because it promotes LOVE and FORGIVENESS rather than that you are rewarded solely on your works on Earth.
I understand that this might seem to never come across, but PLEASE believe me! WE ARE CALLED TO BE THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE EARTH WHICH MEANS BEING KIND AND COMPASSIONATE. THE ACTIONS OF THE FEW DO NOT REPRESENT US ALL.
But if you want to keep scrolling because you don't like my opinion, I can respect that. =)
i will never grasp the concept of why atheists choose to go to a church of christ or even a christian university.
I'm a strong believer in believing what ever your heart desires, but how do you make it through required bible classes and required chapels with being an atheist?
Soo , Im On My Waay Of Bein 13 && I Was Looking At A Bunch Of Stuuff . Then I Encountered That One Of My Idols , Michael Jackson , Was Worshiping The Devil && Was Being Tortured In Hell . I Was So Heartbroken . But Then I Seen This Video Showing About Hell && The Different Places Certain People Go To Because Of The Certain Sins They Have Done . TBH , I Have Done Some Myself && I Asked God To Forgive Me && I Try My Hardest To Not Make The Same Mistake Again . But Again With The Video , It Was Like A Virtual Tour Of Hell , It Was So Sad .. But It Made Me Realize Thaat I Have Another Chance Of Doing Right && Being Careful What I Do In Life && I Almost Cried While Watching Thaat Because I Felt Ashamed But Now I Know Thaat My Goal Is HEAVEN NOT HELL .
