Jesus is presented as the Good Shepherd who gives his life for his sheep, a title that distinguishes him from a mere hireling. It emphasizes that the Good Shepherd's unique quality is his willingness to lay down his life, as demonstrated on the cross, to save and forgive his followers. The core lesson is the profound mutuality of relationship: the shepherd knows his sheep intimately, calling them by name, and his sheep know him. The message concludes by highlighting Jesus' ongoing role as the Great Shepherd, risen and interceding, and his future return as the Chief Shepherd, urging listeners to trust in him for salvation and eternal life.
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Thank you, and greetings, friends. More of the great I ams that the Lord Jesus said in connection with himself, and as written and recorded in your Bible and mine concerning himself, the great I am of eternity, and the great I am of blessing. I am the door, I am the light of the world, and so on. But in John chapter ten, And verse eleven we read this remarkable verse. I am, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd. This is one of his great titles, the good shepherd. And what made him better than any other shepherd? He giveth. his life for the sheep. He laid down his life for the sheep. A shepherd lives with his sheep. He spent his night, his days in the fields, in the pasture with his sheep. He spent his nights with the sheep in the fold. He lived with them.
And that's what the good shepherd does with all those who have entered in by him as the door. I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved. And those who do enter in by the door, through the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith, accepting him as their Savior, they enter the door. They enter the way of life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. They're on their way to heaven. But he's a good shepherd, and he giveth his life for the sheep in order that they could be saved, in order that they could be forgiven. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. On the cross of Calvary, the Lord Jesus became the greatest shepherd.
He's the one who gave his life for the sheep of all ages, of all eras, men and women. boys and girls, down through the corridors of time, have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, have accepted him as their shepherd, their Savior, the one who died for them, the one who bare their sins in his own body on the tree, and now he lives with all of those who have thus accepted him as Savior. My the marvels, friends, of being a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
He lives with us in the trueness of the sense of the word, a good shepherd. The good shepherd cares for his sheep. The hireling doesn't care for them. And when the wolf comes, the hireling flees and runs away and leaves his sheep exposed. to the danger of the wolves. It says so in verse twelve, But he that is in Hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeeth, and the wolf catches them, and scattereth the sheep. The Hireling fleeth because he is in Hireling, and cares not for the sheep.
But ah, The Lord Jesus said in verse fourteen, I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. Here is a mutuality of acquaintance and mutuality of knowing the Savior's mind and knowing that the Savior knows that I am he is. Oh, this is what gives real joy and satisfaction to the soul today of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the good shepherd. How frequently this marvelous verse is quoted, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But, oh, have we entered into its tremendous truth that I belong to him, that he died for me.
that he brought me back to God through his own precious blood shed on the cross. Do we know that? Are we acquainted with that fact? Are we acquainted with the shepherd? The sheep knows the shepherd. Yes, he says, I am the good shepherd in verse fourteen, and know my sheep and am known of mine. The mutuality of this knowledge of ownership. To whom, friend, do you belong? To whom do I belong? For time and for eternity. Oh, there's an enemy in the world, and many follow his pernicious ways.
They belong to him. Then there are those who know the Savior, those who know him as the good shepherd that gave his life for them on the cross. paid their ransom price to bring them back to God so that we could be brought into this remarkable relationship that we know him as Savior, Lord and Master, the one who died for us, the one who now lives for us in the glory. Yes, he is the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. He lives with the sheep now constantly day by day.
Oh, to know the companionship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Take them into all the avenues of your life. Take them with you every day to your work, your employment, your home, or wherever you be, to carry the Savior with you. Oh, what a magnificent life this is. Full of joy and peace and satisfaction, yes, and joy and rejoicing, beyond any measure ever known outside the Savior. Do you know the joy, the peace, the lasting satisfaction as a result of what the Lord Jesus did for you on the cross? And you have appropriated that by faith to yourself, that work.
He died for me. He paid my price. He paid the price of my redemption in his own precious blood on the cross. So now he lives with the sheep from day to day, and... He says he's known by his sheep. And he calleth his own sheep by name. How much does he know? How close is that knowledge? How close is that relationship? Why, it says in verse three, To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name. by name, and leadeth them out.
He calleth them by... He knows the name of every one that's born again. Yes, friend. He is the one who's omniscient. He knows everything, and he knows your name and mine if we've trusted him, if we have had this relationship established through faith in his finished work on the cross. Everything turns on whether or not We have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, our Master, our friend, our shepherd, our good shepherd, that gave his life for the sheep. He calleth them by name.
And then the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Yes, that's at the cross. And then he's the great shepherd. See, he's a good shepherd, and then he's a great shepherd. He's brought again from the dead, according to Hebrews thirteen and verse twenty. He was brought again from the dead. Yes, he's a living shepherd. He died, yes, he gave his life for the sheep, but he's now alive forevermore. He rose from the dead, triumphant over death, hell, and the grave. And he now seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, ever living. to make intercession for those who have trusted him.
Yes, my friends, this is the marvel of the good shepherd, and the great shepherd brought again from the dead. Now he is alive forevermore. Nevermore will cruel sinners, said it not, our glorious Lord, never again. Calvary will not ever be repeated, but it will be remembered throughout all eternity. because he's bearing the marks in his hands, his feet and side of Calvary's cross. Oh, my friends, the work of salvation done by the great shepherd, the good shepherd, and the great shepherd. And then we read in First Peter the fifth chapter in verse four that he's coming again as the chief shepherd.
Oh, yes, there are shepherds in this world, human shepherds in the church. They care for the flock of God. They care for the people of God. And they serve them. And they guide them in all truth, in the word of God. They apply the scriptures. They expound the scriptures. And they go forth leading the church. Their example is a godly example. And they're known as under-shepherds. But then the Savior is the chief shepherd. And he's coming back. And he's going to have his rewards with him. And to reward all those who have lived for him and served him since the day they were born again.
Since the day they met him first and made him their shepherd by accepting him through faith. And Psalm has said in Psalm twenty three, The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. Oh, he made him his own shepherd. He claimed him. He believed in him for himself. And so, friends, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Are you saved? Have you received him as your shepherd, your savior, your master, your friend? Praise the Lord for thy goodness. The shepherd that came, the good shepherd that laid down his life at Calvary, that all may have everlasting life now through faith.
We thank thee for our great country, for the great marvelous liberties and the great protection we share and have. We thank thee for our government. We pray thee, Lord, to help it to be honorable and be an example to the world. Bless our president. Lead and guide him with good health and strength. Bless him with his decisions he makes and what he does to lead our country. And then we pray for every governor and every mayor of every city. We pray for the mayor of our great country's capital, Washington. God bless them for good. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.