John 10:1-16
1. “I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn’t enter
the sheep pen through the gate
but climbs in somewhere else
is a thief or a robber. 2. But the
one who enters through the
gate is the shepherd. 3. The
gatekeeper opens the gate for
him, and the sheep respond to
his voice. He calls his sheep by
name and leads them out of
the pen. 4. After he has
brought out all his sheep, he
walks ahead of them. The
sheep follow him because they
recognize his voice. 5. They
won’t follow a stranger.
Instead, they will run away
from a stranger because they
don’t recognize his voice.”
The person who doesn’t enter
the sheep pen through the gate
but climbs in somewhere else
is a thief or a robber. 2. But the
one who enters through the
gate is the shepherd. 3. The
gatekeeper opens the gate for
him, and the sheep respond to
his voice. He calls his sheep by
name and leads them out of
the pen. 4. After he has
brought out all his sheep, he
walks ahead of them. The
sheep follow him because they
recognize his voice. 5. They
won’t follow a stranger.
Instead, they will run away
from a stranger because they
don’t recognize his voice.”
6. Jesus used this illustration as
he talked to the people, but
they didn’t understand what
he meant. 7. Jesus emphasized,
“I can guarantee this truth: I
am the gate for the sheep. 8.
All who came before I did
were thieves or robbers.
However, the sheep didn’t
respond to them. 9. I am the
gate. Those who enter the
sheep pen through me will be
saved. They will go in and out
of the sheep pen and find food.
10. A thief comes to steal, kill,
and destroy. But I came so that
my sheep will have life and so
that they will have everything
they need. 11. “I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd
gives his life for the sheep. 12.
A hired hand isn’t a shepherd
and doesn’t own the sheep.
When he sees a wolf coming,
he abandons the sheep and
quickly runs away. So the wolf
drags the sheep away and
scatters the flock. 13. The hired
hand is concerned about what
he’s going to get paid and not
about the sheep. 14. “I am the
good shepherd. I know my
sheep as the Father knows me.
My sheep know me as I know
the Father. 15. So I give my life
for my sheep. 16. I also have
other sheep that are not from
this pen. I must lead them.
They, too, will respond to my
voice. So they will be one flock
with one shepherd.
Sheep and Shepherds
I don’t know much about sheep and I’ve never been a
shepherd. I grew up in Iowa,
where agriculture is king. I’d
venture a guess that most of
the land is in some row-crop
like corn and soybeans. But
there are plenty of farms and
corporate farms with cattle,
both beef and dairy. Oh yes,
hogs! “Smells like money.” 2nd
in the nation in hogs!
Chickens, layers and fryers are
everywhere on small scales
and large factory farms. But
Sheep? Ì can only recall seeing
sheep in the agriculture
buildings at the state fair. My
impression? Stupid, stinky
animals.
and I’ve never been a
shepherd. I grew up in Iowa,
where agriculture is king. I’d
venture a guess that most of
the land is in some row-crop
like corn and soybeans. But
there are plenty of farms and
corporate farms with cattle,
both beef and dairy. Oh yes,
hogs! “Smells like money.” 2nd
in the nation in hogs!
Chickens, layers and fryers are
everywhere on small scales
and large factory farms. But
Sheep? Ì can only recall seeing
sheep in the agriculture
buildings at the state fair. My
impression? Stupid, stinky
animals.
Since I personally know so very little about sheep, I asked
Google. On a site called
very little about sheep, I asked
Google. On a site called
Modern Farmer and one called
I found these fun facts.
-
Contrary to what I have
thought, sheep are not
stupid. They rank just below
the pig and on par with
cattle in intelligence among
farm animals. (I know that
is not a ringing
endorsement of
intelligence, but they are
smarter than I previously
thought.)
-
it’s estimated their field of
vision is between 270 and
320 degrees; compair that to
humans average about 155 -
sheep don’t walk in a
straight line to make use of
that 320° degree field of
vision, and walking a
crooked path, they can see
behind them. -
Sheep see in color
-
They have poor depth
perception -
Sheep can’t right themselves
if they’re on their back. -
They can literally die of
fright due to a copper overdose that they produce
in their brains -
Sheep have excellent
hearing. their ears can
swivel to better detect from
where a sound is coming -
Loud and clanging metal
noises scare them -
if one sheep will move then
the entire flock will follow. -
Sheep have an excellent
sense of smell (which is
unfortunate because they
stink). But I suppose it it’s
sweet perfume to them.
So, all in all, sheep couldn’t be designed any more perfectly to
be eaten by predictors unless
they had no legs at all.
designed any more perfectly to
be eaten by predictors unless
they had no legs at all.
They have no real defensive weapons in their arsenal, no
claws, fangs, nor horns. Their
only defence is avoidance.
weapons in their arsenal, no
claws, fangs, nor horns. Their
only defence is avoidance.
When attacked, their only means of survival is to run
from danger and to band
together in large numbers for
protection. They huddle into a
group and face the enemy so
they can, as a group, avoid the
predictor. But the fact is,
without a shepherd, at least
one sheep is going to get eaten.
means of survival is to run
from danger and to band
together in large numbers for
protection. They huddle into a
group and face the enemy so
they can, as a group, avoid the
predictor. But the fact is,
without a shepherd, at least
one sheep is going to get eaten.
And Jesus calls us sheep! No compliment there. Helpless
human sheep. We like to think
that we are at the top out the
food chain. But in the spiritual
food chain we are at the
bottom, totally defenceless
without the Good Shepherd.
compliment there. Helpless
human sheep. We like to think
that we are at the top out the
food chain. But in the spiritual
food chain we are at the
bottom, totally defenceless
without the Good Shepherd.
Now let’s talk about shepherds. If Jesus’s calling us sheep
sounded demeaning to you, he
wasn’t elevating his status by
claiming to be our shepherd
either.
If Jesus’s calling us sheep
sounded demeaning to you, he
wasn’t elevating his status by
claiming to be our shepherd
either.
If the image in your mind’s eye of a shepherd is of sheep
peacefully eating in a lush
green pasture while the
shepherd daydreamed in the
shade of a tree, think again.
They were rough, weather
beaten men who spent their
lives in the vast wilderness
exposed to the rain, the wind,
and the ever present sun.
of a shepherd is of sheep
peacefully eating in a lush
green pasture while the
shepherd daydreamed in the
shade of a tree, think again.
They were rough, weather
beaten men who spent their
lives in the vast wilderness
exposed to the rain, the wind,
and the ever present sun.
Maybe it would help to equate them to something more
familiar to our American
culture. Think of them as the
cowboys of the old west,
without the horses, hats, guns,
and spurs. No, not the idolized,
sanitized, clamorized
Hollywood version of Roy
Rogers and Gene Autry, but the
actual men who ate the dust
riding behind beef cattle as
they herded them up the
Chisholm Trail from San
Antonio to Abilene. Always on
guard against dangers to the
animals and themselves.
them to something more
familiar to our American
culture. Think of them as the
cowboys of the old west,
without the horses, hats, guns,
and spurs. No, not the idolized,
sanitized, clamorized
Hollywood version of Roy
Rogers and Gene Autry, but the
actual men who ate the dust
riding behind beef cattle as
they herded them up the
Chisholm Trail from San
Antonio to Abilene. Always on
guard against dangers to the
animals and themselves.
Shepherds were pretty low on the social standing ladder.
They were uncultured,
uncouth, unaccustomed to the
niceties of civilized society.
They were as far removed
from priesthood as the east
from the west. And this is
where Jesus placed himself on
that social ladder.
the social standing ladder.
They were uncultured,
uncouth, unaccustomed to the
niceties of civilized society.
They were as far removed
from priesthood as the east
from the west. And this is
where Jesus placed himself on
that social ladder.
Jesus did not come to humankind to lead the people
in elaborate rituals or to
preach beautifully crafted
sermons. He did not come to
stand apart from or above his
flock. He came to be in the
midst of his flock, warning
them, guiding them, and
educating them by simple
stories to which they could
relate.
humankind to lead the people
in elaborate rituals or to
preach beautifully crafted
sermons. He did not come to
stand apart from or above his
flock. He came to be in the
midst of his flock, warning
them, guiding them, and
educating them by simple
stories to which they could
relate.
Jesus made promises for us, his sheep:
sheep:
-
He opens the gate
-
He teaches us his voice
-
He calls us by name
-
He leads us
-
He goes before us
-
Those who enter through him will be saved.
-
He knows us
-
He died for us
And guess what friends. Jesus expects us to stop being sheep.
We are in training to be
shepherds. That is what meant
in Matthew 28:19-20
expects us to stop being sheep.
We are in training to be
shepherds. That is what meant
in Matthew 28:19-20
“Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I
have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to
the very end of the age.”
So, I’ll send you out from this worship service not as sheep
or cattle, you no longer are. I
send you, my friends, into the
world into the herd to round
them up, to protect them, to
guide them to the heavenly
coral, and most of all to make
them disciples. In the name of
the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
worship service not as sheep
or cattle, you no longer are. I
send you, my friends, into the
world into the herd to round
them up, to protect them, to
guide them to the heavenly
coral, and most of all to make
them disciples. In the name of
the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Armchair Sermons 