December 23, 2007

Cawson St. Church of Christ

Hopewell, Virginia

Mural Worthey

 

The Death of the Good Shepherd

 

Text: John 10:1-18

 

From this great text, a parable about the Good Shepherd and the sheep, we have noted “The Voice of the Shepherd,” and “The Care of the Good Shepherd.”  Note that this parable also tells us about the death of the Good Shepherd.

 

Physically speaking, shepherds protected the sheep and themselves from harm while out in the open fields. The dangers came from several sources: During the rainy season, rushing walls of water threatened to sweep sheep away and drown them; robbers and thieves threatened the shepherd, wild animals (lions, bears and wolves), and the terrain (pits and cliffs, etc.). David killed wild animals that threatened him and the sheep. He killed a lion and a bear. Shepherds had to learn how to use a rod, staff and sling. Spiritually, this Good Shepherd gives his life willingly for the sheep. In fact, he came for that purpose. Evil people, including the Devil, pursued him unto death. Zechariah foretold that when the Shepherd was smitten the sheep would scatter. (Matt. 26:31, Zechariah 13:7.) The night Jesus was arrested; all of his apostles forsook him and fled.

 

This is what Jesus said about the death of the Good Shepherd. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. The wolf catches them and scatters the sheep.” (John 10:11-12.) “As the Father knows me even so know I the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice. There shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father.” (John 10:15-18.)

Different Pictures of Jesus’ Death

 

There are different images or pictures of Jesus’ death in Scripture.

 

1) The death of a shepherd;

 

2) The offering of two goats; See Leviticus 16 where two goats were selected; one for the Lord to be sacrificed, and another upon whom the sins of Israel were confessed and sent out into the wilderness. Both goats completed the picture of sacrifice and substitution. This offering for the sins of Israel occurred once each year on the tenth day of the seventh month (the Day of Atonement). Isaiah wrote, “The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa. 53:6);

 

3) One king putting to death another trying to usurp his position. It was common for kings to jealously guard their thrones. They put to death even members of their own families, their own sons, if they suspected them of treason. The sign placed over Jesus’ head on the cross noted their accusation in three languages: “Jesus: King of the Jews.” Pilate asked Jesus if were a king. Those deciding Jesus’ fate said, It is better for one man to die than for the whole nation to perish.

 

4) God laying down his life for sinful mankind so that man might be saved. This is seen from what Micah asked about how he could enter into the presence of God. (Micah 6:6-8.) Some options are: by the sacrifice of animals, by the burning of rivers of oil, by offering his firstborn son, or by the death of the innocent Son of God. The pagans had written years before Jesus’ coming that a god must be offered for man’s sins. Where did these Greek writers get such an idea? Isaiah 53 spoke of one coming who was called the servant of Jehovah who would be wounded for our transgressions. So we have all of the above options named in Scripture before Jesus came into the world. It should not surprise us that this was anticipated. Even as early as Genesis 3:15, “the seed of woman” referred to one who would defeat the serpent and his seed.

 

We can learn something from each of these images of Jesus’ death. What does the death of the Good Shepherd teach us?

 

1—Jesus not only died for us; he also lived for us. While the shepherd is alive, he protected the sheep, led them to green pastures and clean water. (Psalm 23.) The shepherd’s death for the sheep showed his complete commitment to the sheep, even while he was alive. He really cared for them in life and in death. Some mistakenly think that Jesus only died for us, but he did not live for us. Some said it this way: “Jesus died in our stead, but he was not born for us.” (Keith Mosher, Jr., Bible Light, Dec. 1992.) This is a wrong-headed view of the atonement and what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Note what Paul wrote:

 

“But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Rom. 5:8-10.) Earlier, Paul wrote,”(The Lord Jesus) who was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification.” (Rom. 4:25.) If someone were to ask what does the phrase, saved by his life, mean? Does it mean his life before the cross or his life after the cross? My answer is, Both! He was raised again, not just died, for our justification. We benefit by Jesus’ role as our great High Priest, according the book of Hebrews. We also benefit by his life before the cross. In fact, his death would have been meaningless if his life had not been without sin. His blood is pure and able to save us because his life was without sin. Besides the matter of redemption, we benefit by the Lord being tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin. (Heb. 4:15-16.) We can go confidently before the throne, knowing that we have someone who understands our temptations. Jesus created us. He was born for us; he died for us; he was raised for our justification; he ever lives to make intercession for us.

 

2—The Good Shepherd died freely, voluntarily for the sheep. No one took Jesus’ life from him; he laid down his freely. Jesus said, No man takes it from me; I lay it down of myself. The thief in the text is the Pharisees who took advantage of the flock, the people of God. They used them for their advantage. The Pharisees and scribes thought they were responsible for Jesus’ death. The Roman soldiers mocked the claim by Jesus that he was a king. They crowned him with a crown of thorns in mockery and put a purple robe on him. But they did not take Jesus’ life from him. He and the Father planned this atoning death before the foundation of the world. If the Pharisees had been better students of the Law and the prophets, especially of Isaiah 53 which the Eunuch questioned, they would have known that the servant of Jehovah would come and die for sinful mankind.

 

Note these two aspects of the voluntary death of Jesus: 1) No man took his life from him. Jesus did not die a martyr’s unplanned death; a death which only afterwards brought greater value to some cause espoused by the martyr. Often today, opponents of some cause are careful that they do not make a martyr out of some unworthy leader. Jesus’ death was not glorified after the event; it was foretold and planned long before it happened. Many did not recognize what God had in mind when it occurred, but they should have. Even the apostles were confused and fled. 2) The Father did not compel Jesus to die. Jesus said, This commandment I have from my Father. I lay down my life that I may take it up again. There was no disagreement between the Father and Son concerning the cross. This was freely done by Jesus as an act of love for the sheep.

 

The pity or martyr complex is completely removed because Jesus was raised rather quickly afterwards. His resurrection in triumph defeated the enemies of Christ and the rulers of the darkness of this world. The Good Shepherd continues to be our Shepherd. How much more now does he protect and bless us after his death and resurrection!

 

3—There shall be one fold and one shepherd. One of the great problems that the Pharisees caused was their divisive attitude toward others, especially toward the Gentiles. They rejected them, as well as other Jews who were children of Abraham. Jesus said, There are other sheep who are not of this fold. (John 10:16.) Jesus died for all men; not just for the Jews; not just for one race or nationality. This is what the death of the Good Shepherd should teach us. There have been many strained interpretations of the meaning of this reference to other sheep. Some interpret it in such a way as to make “the other sheep” the most important part of the fold and that all the other sheep must follow the voice of those other sheep. It is quiet clear that the Bible teaches that the Gospel went first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. (Rom. 1:16, Gal. 3:28.)

 

Whoever we think the “other sheep” are, the conclusion should be that there is one Shepherd and one fold. All the sheep should hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow him. Up to that day, the Jews were separated from other nations. God planned a people to make his name known among the Gentiles; the Jewish nation basically failed God in that plan. By the end of the sixth century BC, the nation of Israel was almost totally destroyed. Only a remnant remained; God used this remnant through which the Christ would come to bless all nations. It was not because of the faithfulness of Israel that God chose them, because they were not faithful. Paul explained this in Romans 9.

 

I am confident that the “other sheep” refers to the Gentiles. We have a further explanation that helps: “For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace. That he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby; and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that are nigh.” (Eph. 2:14-17.) Paul described two groups as those who are afar off and those who are nigh. Earlier he identified them as Israel and those who were strangers from the covenants of promise. (2:12.)

 

The cross tore down this wall separating the Jews and Gentiles. This wall was the Law; Jesus removed it and gave the Gospel to everyone. He has reconciled Jew and Gentile to God by the cross. He thus became the common Shepherd of all the various divisions of mankind—men and women, bond and free, Jew and Gentile, and Greek and barbarian. He accomplished that by his death for lost mankind.