Read:

John 10:1-18

¹ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.  ² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  ³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.  ⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.  ⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.  ⁶ This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.  7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.  ⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  ⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  ¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  ¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  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.  ¹³  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.  ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.  ¹⁵ As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.  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.  ¹⁷ Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.  ¹⁸ No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Ezekiel 34:2-5

² Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?  ³ Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.  ⁴ The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.  ⁵ And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

Exhortation:

Jesus used this occasion to distinguish between the true and false shepherds, or between Himself and the Pharisees. For this purpose, He used the allegory of the Good Shepherd. The word rendered “parable” (paroimia) in verse 6 means a wayside saying.  The word for parable (parabole) does not appear in John. A parable usually teaches one point, with little emphasis being placed on the details of the story. An allegory is a kind of parable in that it also stresses one theme. But it approaches it from many angles through the details. So in the allegory of the Good Shepherd, Jesus drew many pictures of the Pharisees and other false shepherds in contrast to Himself.

The shepherd’s life was a common pursuit in Palestine. This fact, coupled with the frequent Old Testament use of this figure, made this discourse of Christ most graphic and arresting. The movement of thought proceeds through a typical day of a shepherd from morning to night, presenting the picture in three separate scenes.

The allegory (vv.1–5). Sheepfolds in Palestine were usually walled enclosures made near the villages. At night several shepherds would bring their flocks to the same fold. Each would gather his own sheep in the morning and lead them out to the pastures. It is this early morning activity of gathering the flock by each shepherd that is the theme of Christ’s first part of the discourse. While the thieves and the robbers climbed over the wall of the sheepfold, the true shepherd entered the fold  through the door which is open to him by the doorkeeper. Then, when the shepherd called out the names of his sheep, they followed his voice. They would not follow strange voices.

Jesus’ application (vv.7–18). The shepherd in the story represents Christ, and the fold Israel. This seems clear from verse 16, where Jesus called the Gentiles “other sheep I have, which are not of this fold.” It must also be remembered that Jesus was talking to the teachers of Israel, who cast out the blind man from the communion.

Thought:

Teachers who glorify not Christ will not love His sheep.

PRAYER

O Lord, grant us faithful men to teach our churches.