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The Parables of Jesus, Part Two
I. First Lesson
The Good Shepherd
John 10:1 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.
The tenderness
of Jesus is clear from this parable. The Gospel of John emphasizes love, and
Jesus is shown as the loving Good Shepherd in this chapter. Love does not mean
giving in to demands. Loving parents do not give their children candy and
chocolate and money whenever they ask. (Grandparents are a different story!)
Parents provide for their children and protect their children from harm and bad
influences.
This parable
is based upon one of the main activities of Jesus’ people – raising sheep.
Sheep provide meat, fat, and wool. When sheep were kept in a common pen, the
porter or doorman slept across the door to protect the sheep. A thief had to
climb over the wall to steal a sheep. The sheep knew the shepherd’s voice, and
the shepherd gave each one a nickname, such as Black-nose or Long-ears. Then,
as now, the shepherd walked in front of the sheep and they followed him to
their pasture. He used his wooden staff as a weapon against wolves and other
wild animals.
Shepherd in
the Old Testament
The 23rd
Psalm is the only Psalm told from the point of view of a sheep. It helps us
realize our relationship with Jesus, Our Shepherd. We lack nothing. He provides
for our food, water, protection, and spiritual needs. Trusting in Him takes away
all our fear, because we know He watches over us.
The youngest
children can memorize the 23rd Psalm and they should know it. The
Psalm is all Gospel, giving us comfort and peace. The words of the Psalm are so
gentle that we feel attracted to God. He sent His Son as a gentle Shepherd to
lead us. Like sheep, we often go astray, so He guides us back to green pastures
and still waters, to forgiveness and the life of the Christian.
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's
sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death,
I will fear no evil:
or thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
God shows us His love by revealing the Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd in
another passage. Perhaps no other passage shows the gentleness of God so well.
1. He will feed His flock, that is, take care of all their needs.
2. He will hold the lambs tenderly in His arms, protecting them and showing them affection. “Carry them in the bosom” means close to His heart. Jesus said, “Let the children come to Me and do not forbid them.” He held the children in His arms and blessed them.
3. He gently leads the mothers-to-be, because He knows how frail they are.
He shall feed his flock like a
shepherd:
he shall gather the lambs with his
arm,
and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with
young.
Why do we need
a Good Shepherd?
Isaiah 53:6 All
we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the
iniquity of us all.
Questions for
Children
1. Can you hear your parents in a crowd,
when they call out your name?
2. Do you realize that your first name is
your Christian name, given to you at your baptism? (We are all born with a last
name.)
3. Do you parents say, “That’s my child. I can tell from three blocks away!”?
4. How does God provide for children, in giving them parents, teachers, and ministers?
5. Can you picture yourself being led by Christ? Protected by Christ?
Who are the thieves who sneak over the wall?
Jeremiah 23:2
Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my
people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited
them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. 3
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have
driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be
fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed
them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be
lacking, saith the LORD.
Pastor is the
Latin word for shepherd, so ministers are often called “Pastor” because of
their role in guiding the congregation. Sometimes they are called
“under-shepherds,” since Christ alone is the Good Shepherd.
The false shepherds are all those who teach against the Word of God. They
can be identified because they:
1)
Work in a sneaky
and dishonest way;
2) Do not respect the flock or the divinely called pastor of the congregation;
3) Steal and destroy rather than feed and build up;
4) Attack and undermine God’s Word while pretending to be very pious;
5) Talk about their work and not about God’s work in Christ.
II. Second Lesson
John 10:7 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.
The Gospel of
John repeats short phrases, especially in the sermons of Jesus. These phrases
are easy to memorize because they are poetic, much like the Psalms. This part
of the parable is a warning against false teachers.
Jesus is the only way to salvation, not just one way.
John 14:6 Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus is not a
way, a truth, a life. The second part of the verse rejects the notion of any
savior except Christ. He is the only door to heaven, to eternal life. However,
anyone who enters through Christ receives what God has promised: forgiveness of
sins and eternal life.
God’s love is
shown in Jesus telling us that we receive more than forgiveness and eternal
life. We receive from Him:
1) Pasture – all of our bodily and spiritual
needs;
2) Abundant life – far more blessings than
we can ever imagine.
How God Shows His Love:
The Shepherd Gives Up His Life
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.
Shepherds in
the Old Testament guarded their sheep, but they never, never gave up their
lives for animals. Here we see how Jesus is the Shepherd of all Shepherds, the
Ultimate Shepherd. Only He would give up His life for us sinners.
The cross of
Christ is not mentioned by name here, but Jesus is speaking about His atoning
death. He is both the Good Shepherd and the sacrificial lamb. “Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) By dying on the
cross, He paid for the sins of the world.
The hired-hand, the unfaithful minister, does not sacrifice for the
sheep. He runs away from the wolves, the false teachers. He may do this by
being silent, by compromising, or by agreeing with falsehood to make more money
for himself.
We do not doubt Jesus’ love for us. We belong to Him and He belongs to
us. He knows the Father and the Father knows Him. That means that we are
listening to God the Father whenever we hear Jesus speaking to us through the
Scriptures.
The repetitions in the Bible help us to see the most important teachings
of God in the clearest possible way. We see that just in terms of Jesus as the
Good Shepherd. The Word of God reveals Jesus as the Shepherd in many different
passages.
John’s Gospel is especially clear because the sermons of Jesus repeat the
same simple terms in many different ways: the bread of life, the true vine, the
Good Shepherd. It reminds us of an eagle, soaring higher and higher in the sky.
Memorize:
John 10: 11 I am the good shepherd: the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
John 3:16 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Quotations for Teachers to Study
"No false dogma has ever been spread in the church which was not put
forth with some plausible show, for sheep's clothing is the show of false
religion (says Chrysostom). Indeed, the weaker and more ruinous the cause is,
the more arguments it needs, sought everywhere and in every way possible, as
though to cover it over with paint or to swathe it with medicine. For Pindar
[famous Greek lyric poet, 518-438 B.C.] says, 'For a just cause three words are
sufficient.' Therefore the papalists have gathered very many and varied
arguments in order to establish purgatory."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, III, p. 325.
"It is not enough that we preach correctly,
which the hireling can also do; but we must watch over the sheep, that the
wolves, false teachers, may not break in, and we must contend for the sheep
against the wolves, with the Word of God, even to the sacrifice of our lives.
Such are good shepherds, of whom few are found."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 34. John 10:11-16.
"For nothing can feed or give life to the soul,
which is not the doctrine of Christ. Although the hireling does not himself
slay and destroy he does not restrain the wolf. Therefore, because you neither
point out nor teach this shepherd, you shall not and ought not to be heard, but
you shall be shunned as a wolf."
Sermons
of Martin Luther, III, p. 58f. Second Sunday after Easter. John 10:11-16.
"Thus too, if our confidence is to begin, and
we become strengthened and comforted, we must well learn the voice of our
Shepherd, and let all other voices go, who only lead us astray, and chase and
drive us hither and thither. We must hear and grasp only that article which
presents Christ to us in the most friendly and comforting manner possible. So
that we can say with all confidence: My Lord Jesus Christ is truly the only
Shepherd, and I, alas, the lost sheep, which has strayed into the wilderness,
and I am anxious and fearful, and would gladly be good, and have a gracious God
and peace of conscience, but here I am told that He is as anxious for me as I
am for Him."
Martin
Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, IV,
p. 86. Luke 15:1-10.
"Children are the most delightful pledges of a
loving marriage. They are the best wool on the sheep."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols.,
ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 137.
(1)
"Dearest
Jesus, we are here, Gladly Thy command obeying; With this child we now draw
near In accord with Thin own saying That to Thee it shall be given As a child
and heir of heaven.
(2)
Yea,
Thy word is clear and plain, And we would obey it duly: 'He who is not born
again, Heart and life renewing truly, Born of water and the Spirit, Can My
kingdom not inherit.'
(3)
Therefore
hasten we to Thee, In our arms this infant bearing; Let us here Thy glory see,
Let this child, Thy mercy sharing In Thine arms be shielded ever, Thine on
earth and Thine forever.
(4)
Gracious
Head, Thy member own; Shepherd, take Thy lamb and feed it; Prince of
Peace, make here Thy throne; Way of Life, to heaven lead it; Precious Vine, let
nothing sever From Thy side this branch forever."
Benjamin
Schmolck, 1704, "Dearest Jesus, We Are Here" The Lutheran Hymnal, trans., Catherine Winkworth, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #300. Mark 10:13-16.