The Good Shepherd- John 10
Ezekiel 34: 7-15; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2: 19-25; John 10: 1-10
The readings today center around the image of shepherds. The image of the shepherd is a beloved way for Christians to think about Jesus. My family wasn’t particularly religious when I was growing up, but I remember having a picture of Jesus holding a lamb on a wall in our house. I’m sure that was a pretty common image in many homes. So, when we look at a reading like Psalm 23 and read “The Lord is my shepherd” we rightly feel comforted by the reality that God is looking out for us like a shepherd would look out for the sheep.
That pastoral image is good and beautiful, but there is actually a lot of depth to the image of the shepherd, and we can miss the depth of what Jesus is saying if we don’t see how the image of shepherds and sheep are used in the Bible. What might be surprising is that the image of a shepherd is often used in a negative way. We heard that in our Old Testament reading today, where the image of the Shepherd is used to talk about bad rulers. Ezekiel chapter 34 is one of the places in the Old Testament that does this most powerfully.
Ezekiel 34 focuses on how Kingship has failed in Israel. The kings are the shepherds, reflecting the idea that King David was a shepherd and David is the standard for a good king. He wasn’t perfect, for sure. But when he messed-up he responded with repentance. So, King David is the standard for a good king in the Bible. …
These king-shepherds have failed. They were supposed to care for God’s flock, but they have not been protecting the flock from wild animals. The shepherds haven’t searched for the sheep, in order to feed and care for them. Instead, the king-shepherds have fed and cared for themselves. Not only are wild animals devouring the sheep, but the shepherds are consuming them as well. So, God turns against the shepherds and demands the sheep be returned to Him. God then says that He will rescue the sheep from the shepherds. God will seek out his scattered sheep and return them to the good pastureland where they can be safe and nurtured. So, God will be their shepherd.
In contrast to the bad shepherds (that the people have had since before the days of Ezekiel), in John 10, Jesus is announcing that he is the Good Shepherd. Jesus says,
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11).
Jesus is leaning on that biblical understanding of what “shepherd” is referring to. … He is claiming to be at least the king of Israel, which (in his context) is a claim to be the Messiah. But if Ezekiel is saying that God will be the Good Shepherd, then Jesus is probably saying something about his divinity, as well. So much more is going on than a comforting pastoral image of Jesus caring for his followers like a shepherd. That is true, but he is also making a bold declaration about being the divine Messiah.
Jesus’ use of this shepherd imagery would have caused people to think about the bad kings and rulers of the past, and it would have been a live criticism of the leaders in Jesus’ day as well. For example, the ruthless King Herod, in his paranoia to hold onto power, even executed a number of his own family members. And the Chief Priests often abused their positions, and the priests under their direction, for their own gain.[1]
So, the judgement of the prophets against the leaders of the past was still an active judgement that could be easily applied to leaders in their own day. The corrupt leaders of Israel are false shepherds who exploit the sheep for their own personal gain. In contrast to these bad shepherds, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
That’s the historical and biblical weight behind the image of the shepherd that we will miss if we reduce the image to a metaphor of pastoral care. But of course, it is also an image of a leader’s care. The image of the shepherd is used because it is an image of a leader caring for those they are responsible for. The image of the good shepherd is an image of leadership, protection, and care.
We also don’t want to get stuck in what that image meant in he past. This is also an image for us here and now. That is why Psalm 23 is probably the most memorized psalm and one of the readings that is most desired at funerals. Psalm 23 is very personal. It is prayed in the first person: “The Lord is my shepherd.”
Psalm 23 is so comforting because it isn’t a poem about having avoided trouble. It is a poem, a song, about facing the troubles of life. It talks about dark valleys, and evil, and enemies. It also speaks about not being abandoned. The Shepherd is present in the midst of the difficulties we face in life. We aren’t guaranteed to be rescued from the pains of life. But we are told that we don’t have to face them alone. The comfort of the Psalm isn’t about being saved from dark valleys, evil, and enemies. The comfort is that the Shepherd is with you. His rod and staff don’t decorate the wall; they protect and guide as he walks with us.
John 10 sharpens and strengthens Psalm 23. Jesus says that his sheep hear his voice. He calls his own by name and leads them. In other words, the Shepherd’s care is personal- he calls them by name. Think of Jesus saying “Mary” at the empty tomb. Think of Jesus saying, “Lazarus, come out” at his friend’s tomb. His care is personal and active- he speaks, he guides, and he brings his people to safety. 2 Peter 2:25 describes Jesus as “the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”
The image of Jesus as the Shepherd is familiar, and that’s the part of John 10 that we gravitate towards. Our Gospel reading today highlights the part of John 10 that uses the image of Jesus as the gate, which is sort of strange and impersonal.
A sheepfold was a kind of enclosure- often stone walls with an opening. At night, the opening was the vulnerable point. So, the “gate” wasn’t just a piece of wood on hinges; it was the place the shepherd would stand guard, and in some cases even lie down across, so nothing could come in to harm the sheep, and no sheep could wander out to be lost.
To say “I am the gate” is Jesus’ way of saying, “I place myself between the flock and the danger.” I am the one who protects, the one who watches, the one who keeps you in God’s care. But he is not promising a cramped prison. He says, “Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” In him there is safety and there is freedom- rest and nourishment- This is the kind of care Psalm 23 describes.
So what does the image of the Shepherd mean for us? … It means that when you don’t know where to go next, that you can trust that you have a Good Shepherd that is offering guidance if you know how to listen. Regardless, we are assured that we aren’t alone in that moment. … When you feel thin and worn out, the Shepherd is with you offering to restore your soul. … When you are walking through a dark valley- maybe a serious illness- maybe someone you love is sick- maybe you are wrestling with an addiction, maybe you have a relationship that is falling apart- maybe you are even facing the valley of the shadow of death- you can say, “I fear no evil, for you are with me.” When you know you have that Good Shepherd caring for you, then you can rest in the assurance that you have everything your soul needs to be healed and restored.
And so, on this Good Shepherd Sunday, we’re invited to rest again in the One who knows us by name and walks with us through every valley. The Good Shepherd who stands between us and the dangers we cannot see, who leads us toward life, who restores our souls when we are worn thin. … In a world full of false shepherds- voices that promise much and care little- we turn our ears toward the voice that Good Shepherd that is willing to lay down his life to save us. May we be a people who recognize that voice, who follow where he leads, and who learn to live with the quiet confidence that comes from knowing we are held, guarded, and guided by the Good Shepherd. AMEN
Jesus’ use of this shepherd imagery would have caused people to think about the bad kings and rulers of the past, and it would have been a live criticism of the leaders in Jesus’ day as well. For example, the ruthless King Herod, in his paranoia to hold onto power, even executed a number of his own family members. And the Chief Priests often abused their positions, and the priests under their direction, for their own gain.[1]
So, the judgement of the prophets against the leaders of the past was still an active judgement that could be easily applied to leaders in their own day. The corrupt leaders of Israel are false shepherds who exploit the sheep for their own personal gain. In contrast to these bad shepherds, Jesus is the Good Shepherd, willing to lay down his life for the sheep.
That’s the historical and biblical weight behind the image of the shepherd that we will miss if we reduce the image to a metaphor of pastoral care. But of course, it is also an image of a leader’s care. The image of the shepherd is used because it is an image of a leader caring for those they are responsible for. The image of the good shepherd is an image of leadership, protection, and care.
We also don’t want to get stuck in what that image meant in he past. This is also an image for us here and now. That is why Psalm 23 is probably the most memorized psalm and one of the readings that is most desired at funerals. Psalm 23 is very personal. It is prayed in the first person: “The Lord is my shepherd.”
Psalm 23 is so comforting because it isn’t a poem about having avoided trouble. It is a poem, a song, about facing the troubles of life. It talks about dark valleys, and evil, and enemies. It also speaks about not being abandoned. The Shepherd is present in the midst of the difficulties we face in life. We aren’t guaranteed to be rescued from the pains of life. But we are told that we don’t have to face them alone. The comfort of the Psalm isn’t about being saved from dark valleys, evil, and enemies. The comfort is that the Shepherd is with you. His rod and staff don’t decorate the wall; they protect and guide as he walks with us.
John 10 sharpens and strengthens Psalm 23. Jesus says that his sheep hear his voice. He calls his own by name and leads them. In other words, the Shepherd’s care is personal- he calls them by name. Think of Jesus saying “Mary” at the empty tomb. Think of Jesus saying, “Lazarus, come out” at his friend’s tomb. His care is personal and active- he speaks, he guides, and he brings his people to safety. 2 Peter 2:25 describes Jesus as “the shepherd and guardian of your souls.”
The image of Jesus as the Shepherd is familiar, and that’s the part of John 10 that we gravitate towards. Our Gospel reading today highlights the part of John 10 that uses the image of Jesus as the gate, which is sort of strange and impersonal.
A sheepfold was a kind of enclosure- often stone walls with an opening. At night, the opening was the vulnerable point. So, the “gate” wasn’t just a piece of wood on hinges; it was the place the shepherd would stand guard, and in some cases even lie down across, so nothing could come in to harm the sheep, and no sheep could wander out to be lost.
To say “I am the gate” is Jesus’ way of saying, “I place myself between the flock and the danger.” I am the one who protects, the one who watches, the one who keeps you in God’s care. But he is not promising a cramped prison. He says, “Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” In him there is safety and there is freedom- rest and nourishment- This is the kind of care Psalm 23 describes.
So what does the image of the Shepherd mean for us? … It means that when you don’t know where to go next, that you can trust that you have a Good Shepherd that is offering guidance if you know how to listen. Regardless, we are assured that we aren’t alone in that moment. … When you feel thin and worn out, the Shepherd is with you offering to restore your soul. … When you are walking through a dark valley- maybe a serious illness- maybe someone you love is sick- maybe you are wrestling with an addiction, maybe you have a relationship that is falling apart- maybe you are even facing the valley of the shadow of death- you can say, “I fear no evil, for you are with me.” When you know you have that Good Shepherd caring for you, then you can rest in the assurance that you have everything your soul needs to be healed and restored.
And so, on this Good Shepherd Sunday, we’re invited to rest again in the One who knows us by name and walks with us through every valley. The Good Shepherd who stands between us and the dangers we cannot see, who leads us toward life, who restores our souls when we are worn thin. … In a world full of false shepherds- voices that promise much and care little- we turn our ears toward the voice that Good Shepherd that is willing to lay down his life to save us. May we be a people who recognize that voice, who follow where he leads, and who learn to live with the quiet confidence that comes from knowing we are held, guarded, and guided by the Good Shepherd. AMEN
[1] Eugenia
Constantinou in “The Crucifixion of the King of Glory” (P. 84). Her source is
Josephus.
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