Sunday, May 3, 2020 - John 10:1-21 "The Good Shepherd"

This past Sunday was 'Good Shepherd' Sunday, and therefore it was filled with Scripture readings referencing sheep and caring for the flock.  My own personal life experience with sheep is not extensive, most of my close contact with sheep came about in college during 'Meats Class', which doesn't translate well into the use of sheep in these verses.

Whereas my close experience with sheep is limited, my close experiences with cattle have been extensive.  Growing up on a large cattle operation in South Dakota and majoring in Animal Science insured these encounters.

This is a sermon filled with parallels between caring for cattle and God's care and love for us.  Whether we use sheep or cattle to draw our illustrations is irrelevant as ultimately it's about the act of husbandry (the cultivation of animals or plants) and Jesus is well known for using agricultural metaphors and parables in His preaching and teaching.

It's a bit of a longer sermon but, I think you just might find it worth the listen.  Perhaps you'll even come to see God's role in your life just a bit differently, a little more like caring for cattle at least...

God bless and as always...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,

Roy

John 10:1-21
New Revised Standard Version
Jesus the Good Shepherd
10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”