John 10:11-18

The Fourth Verse (very close to the Third)

• The “Shepherd” par excellence is Christ

  • Earlier in the passage Jesus describes how a shepherd must enter through Him who is called the Gate (CCC 1899, 1903)

    • This seems to have an implication on authority being God-permitted (cf. 2 Samuel 5:2, 2 Samuel 7:7)

    • Insofar as this authority is abused it is thus taken since this is no longer of God All who do this bring destruction

      • All who do this bring destruction and not only is this not of God the “sheep” no longer are compelled to follow

      • All who remain in the receptivity of God-given authority and act in accord with it become channels of Christ who is the Shepherd par excellence

• In this statement, Christ emphasizes His role in the analogy He used immediately prior to this statement

  • Therefore, this will look very similar to last week

  • He clarifies to what extent the analogy applies to Him being the Shepherd

  • He takes up an additional role in the analogy being both the gate and the shepherd.

Additional Background

• Psalm 23 – “The Lord is my shepherd”

  • Jesus was clearly demonstrating His role as “kyerios” or Lord

  • St. Paul says “Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

    • This is why the Pharisees did not accept Him nor did they follow Him and remain Pharisees

• Genesis 48:15 “…God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day…”

  • This verse demonstrates the truth of the analogy i.e. that a shepherd protects His sheep and that He certainly does this for us

• 1 Kings 22:17 & Judith 11:19 vs. Matthew 9:36

  • This Matthew verse drew it listeners back to the vision of destruction

• 1 Chronicles 11:2 “…The Lord your God said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over my people Israel.…”

• Acts 13:22; 1 Samuel 13:14 

  • Doing God's will

• Luke 22:26; Romans 12:7-10 if you lead you must serve

• He speaks of a “hired hand” who does not care for the sheep as much as the shepherd does and this difference is found in the face of danger posed by the enemy especially the devil (Sirach 13:16, Matthew 7:15, and Matthew 10:16)

  • What shepherd lays down His life for His sheep?

  • God is crazy in love with us and it is here that we see that, why would he not cut His loses

  • We find similar sentiments in other passages as well

• Christ then describes Himself as the only true shepherd

  • He presses it further when He discusses the intimacy He has with His sheep

    • They not only know His voice but listen to it

    • He, therefore, insinuates that He works through other shepherds or vicars

• He describes the need to lay down His life

  • This means the enemy has attacked and is attacking

  • Predicting His self-sacrifice for us on the cross and uniting it to this role 

  • He freely lays down His life but that only means death if the predator kills Him

    • And somehow He chose this also, not by controlling the enemy

    • The Father commands Him to (1 Timothy 2:4)

  • In the succeeding events, He is called a blasphemer and they try to arrest Him right then

• He also predicts His resurrection in taking it up again

  • His power over life and death

• Sirach 18:3, Isaiah 42:3, and Matthew 12:15-21

  • “The compassion of human beings is for their neighbors, but the compassion of the Lord is for every living thing. He rebukes and trains and teaches them, and turns them back, as a shepherd his flock.”

  • “a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice”

  • In these verses we see the something of the Biblical concept of “shepherd” and that Jesus is properly qualified by it (a closer look next week)

• 1 Kings 12:1-11

  • This passage demonstrates both the ideal of servant leadership and its contradictory tyrannical inhumane dictatoring