by Pastor Darren Green, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Redwood Falls, Minnesota
“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. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 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. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:1-10).
Know the Voice of Your Shepherd Jesus! He Leads Us and Gives Us Life to the Full!
To you who are basking in the glory of Christ’s Easter Resurrection, Jesus assures you, “Peace be with you!” Amen.
I want you to think of a voice that brings you great joy and calm—perhaps a parent, grandparent, or friend. With them you can let your guard down; they listen without judgment, care deeply, and lift you up. Good memories flood in: meals, outings, or trips when time seemed to stand still—moments of life full.
Today, Jesus comes to you with His voice. He desires you to know it intimately, just as you know that comforting voice. In fact, He is the One who lovingly provided those voices in your life. He knows your needs better than anyone else and wants to fill your heart to overflowing. He desires to lead you and give you life—life to the full!
Our text today is Jesus’ words in John 10:1-10, which is the Good Shepherd chapter. Jesus spoke them right after He healed a man born blind. The Pharisees, who claimed to see spiritually, rejected Jesus and threatened to expel the healed man (and even his parents) from the synagogue because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. They accused the blind man of being steeped in sin after he told them that only someone that came from God could do something like heal a blind man. Jesus assured the blind man that He was the Son of Man and that, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” The Pharisees heard this and asked if He was saying they were blind. His response: “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:41). Then He continued, addressing these false teachers: “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.”
Jesus used an everyday scene for His listeners: the good shepherd caring for sheep. We often picture Jesus holding a lamb—and that’s beautiful. But the more we learn about sheep, the more we see ourselves.
I grew up raising sheep and know a little about them. A fellow pastor shared with me a great devotional book on Psalm 23 written by a former shepherd from Africa in an area similar to the land of Israel. It’s called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. Keller makes it very clear that sheep are animals that truly need someone to take care of them. They do not do well in the wild. They are easily scared and spooked. They are easy prey for wild animals and dogs. They will often wander off and get lost. They will eat just about anything they can get their mouths on and drink whatever they can find. For sheep to thrive, they need a good caretaker, a Good Shepherd. One that leads them to good food and clean water. A good shepherd will protect them from dangerous animals and from thieves and robbers. He knows his sheep and what they need. Sheep get to know their shepherd and depend on him for safety and protection. A true shepherd cares for his sheep, even knows each one by name. The sheep learn to recognize and follow only their shepherd’s voice.
Listen again to the voice of your Shepherd Jesus: “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 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. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
He knows them each by name. Jesus knows each of us. He knew the needs of the blind man and brought him to know his Savior and Lord. As you read the Gospels, have you noticed how Jesus knew the needs of each individual with whom He came in contact? Each one was different, and in each case, Jesus healed or taught them and strengthened them as needed. Even with the Pharisees, He was always saying what was best to cut to their hearts, wanting to save them. They truly had become blind to the true God. Here Jesus used harsh words to get them to see that the Church, even church leaders, should not be preoccupied with what they get or do or who they have following them. Rather, they should focus on fostering a relationship with the Creator and Lord God, which comes only through Jesus, the true Savior and true Good Shepherd. The church leaders of Jesus’ day had lost the voice of their God. Yes, they knew the Scriptures, but they did not see Jesus in them. They had become blind.
It was their pride and selfishness that had led them away from God. Yet, Jesus was confronting them here. We hear: “Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, ‘Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.’”
Jesus was calling them thieves and robbers. They refused to believe that HE, Jesus, was the Christ, the Savior God had promised. Now as spiritual leaders, they were not leading people to Christ but rather destroying them. Harsh words. But remember, two of these spiritual leaders—Nicodemus and Joesph of Arimathea—ended up in faith at the cross, taking Jesus down and putting Him in the grave.
Notice Jesus’ loving concern for His sheep, for us. He leads us by His voice. We know that voice. In the same way, Jesus repeatedly reminds us to listen for His voice. As we think of leaders and churches, what is important is to check their teachings and leading by the voice of Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. In Him we truly find peace and calm. In Him we can see. Jesus wants us to check the voices of the Church. They are to speak of Jesus, to share His comfort, His Word, His peace.
He is the voice that we want to always recognize. Keller talked in his book of how a shepherd brought a calm and protecting sense to the sheep. Sheep can easily get scared, even by a rabbit that bolts from a patch of grass. Sometimes sheep are mean to each other, a type of pecking order. But when the shepherd is present, he brings a sense of calm. How important to let Jesus lead us in life and bring that calm. To live each day as if Jesus were there walking with us. Remember Jesus’ words, “I am with you always.” He is. As God, the Lord that rose from the grave and did miracles, He is with us! Know the voice of your shepherd Jesus! He leads us.
Keller says that for a sheep to calmly lie down to rest, they need four things to be taken care of: a lack of fear, tensions, aggravations, and hunger. What brings fear or tension in your heart; what aggravates your mind? Isn’t it our sin, guilt, or struggles with sinners around us? Jesus comes to us with His voice. He reminds us that His Word is like a double-edged sword that judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). How important to know and keep Jesus’ voice in your daily life. It is the voice of your Good Shepherd. How important it is to have God’s Word in our daily lives and regular worship with our fellow believers. In a chaotic and sinful world, Jesus desires to lead us and to be the voice that brings calm, forgiveness, and peace.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
What is that brings this life to the full? Like sheep, we have our own ideas of what that might look like. But as worldly short-sighted creatures, our idea of what is a full life is often not in line with what truly gives life. Jesus knew this and He knows that about each of us. I remember how the sheep I tended thought they were in heaven if they broke out and got into the grain bin. However, they would quickly eat too much and get sick. Similarly, the fresh new grass of spring looks so great to sheep just turned out to pasture, but a good shepherd knows that sheep need to be held back at first because eating too much new green grass can hurt them. We often crave all the things of this world that we THINK give us life. We think we know what is best for us to spend much of our time doing. In a way, we are like sheep. Sheep will drink whatever water they can find. A good shepherd leads them to and through clear and clean water. He does not let them drink from a dirty crossing and back water filled with manure, for it is harmful. In the same way, our Lord encourages us to watch out for the filthy water and impurities that we put into our minds and lives, especially if it pushes out the voice of Jesus. So many good things—things that are gifts from God—can actually hurt us if they take the place of Jesus in our life and rob us of what is pure and healthy, the voice of Jesus. Often it is when we are such a mess that we realize how we need help.
Thank the Lord, Jesus came for sinners—for lost, helpless sheep like us. What is “life to the full” in Jesus? He knows us. He cares for us. He went to the cross for us. He takes our sins. He gives us His love and compassionate forgiveness. He brings us into His family—His flock—and nourishes us. Listen to your Shepherd’s voice, which says, “Whoever enters through me will be saved.”
Consider Psalm 23, Jesus’ words through King David: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake … Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:1-3, 6). Life to the full in God’s eyes is knowing the Lord will always be with you. He has a place for you in His house. Eternity is ours in paradise. We can be certain of this. We have Jesus’ promise, His Word!
At a time when we have so many fears and worries, maybe guilt and uncertainty, we can be assured that God is with us, leading us from pasture to pasture to the final paradise. There may be some dark valleys, but He will continue to lead us through them. He will never leave us. He knows you personally. Knows your name and individual needs. Know the voice of your shepherd Jesus! Drink of the pure water of Jesus. Take in that peace, forgiveness, and love of your Shepherd who gave His life to give you life, life eternal, even now “LIFE FULL!” Amen.