Jesus, the Good Shepherd: In the third and fourth of the "I AM" statements in John's gospel, Jesus says he is the gate or entry point into the flock of God's people, and he is the Good Shepherd over the flock. These statements reveal much about pastoral ministry (shepherding) and God's great heart to shepherd his people. Recorded on Dec 3, 2023, on John 10:1-21 by Pastor David Parks.

Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.

Sermon Transcript

We’re working through the gospel according to John in a series called Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And today, we’re in John chapter 10, considering two more of the seven “I AM” statements of Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the gate,” and “I am the Good Shepherd.” But for today, what does it mean for Jesus to be the gate and the Good Shepherd? But this teaching is such good news because it gets at the heart of God for us, his people. How do you think God feels about you? Have you ever thought about that? How you answer that question says a lot about who you think God is and probably how you feel about yourself. Do you think that God is pleased with you? Or is ashamed or embarrassed by you? Do you believe that God is near to you and wants to be involved in your life, or that he’s far away because he doesn’t care? Well, friends, you don’t have to wonder how God feels about you. Because God has revealed exactly how he feels about you in his word. And the dual images we have of Jesus being both the entry point into a relationship with God and of Jesus watching over us like a shepherd watching over their flock are two beautiful pictures of the heart of God for you. This passage also gives us a window into pastoral ministry. So, if you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 10:1. There is so much for us here.

John 10:1–6 (NIV), “1 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 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 listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.” Ok, let’s pause here. So last week, we saw Jesus had healed a man who was born blind. And this was a picture of our need for spiritual sight, to see what is true/real about God, ourselves, and the world around us. This healing was subsequently investigated by the religious leaders who thought Jesus was a false teacher or had done some sort of trick. They sought to disprove or discredit this miraculous sign and even started throwing people out of the synagogue for saying that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. So we ended our passage last week with the ironic situation where a blind man could see, while the Pharisees who could see were actually blind to the truth, and Jesus said as much. Here, Jesus continues this line of thought by making a serious statement condemning their leadership. This teaching starts with “Very truly I tell you…” which in John means pay attention, this is important. If you do not enter the sheep pen by the gate, you’re a thief or robber,