Sermon on John 10vv11-21 Southwood 25 February 2007
By David Redfield
"I am the Good Shepherd"
John 10:11-21
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again. 18 No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." 19 At these words the Jews were again divided. 20 Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?" 21 But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" [NIV]
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-
The Good Shepherd is a very popular image among religious painters. Most of them show Jesus leading his sheep through rolling green pastures and alongside clear streams of water. I wonder if this is the sort of picture you had in your mind when you heard our reading?
The image the Good Shepherd is one of the most popular and enduring of all the ways that Jesus described himself. Most people, even those who have never been to Church will be familiar with it. The idea of Jesus as the comforting shepherd who leads us through life and lays down his life on our behalf is, of course, a good one - as it is true! But if all we take away from this story is the romantic image of a gentle shepherd cuddling fluffy lambs, we miss a lot of what Jesus is saying. Last week we learned that Jesus is the ultimate authority that we should be following, that he is The Shepherd who guides us to eternal life. He's already told us that - so why does he bother developing the story any further?
In John's Gospel, Jesus' parables seem to serve two purposes. Firstly, they tell us about who Jesus is - and secondly they draw attention to those things that are in opposition to Jesus. When we heard the other week about Jesus being the light of the world , we also heard about those who are living in darkness. Jesus didn't just want to proclaim himself as the light - these aren't ego trips! - but he wanted to draw our attention to those who don't have the light, and what it is like to live in the darkness.
In our reading today, Jesus isn't just telling us that he is the Good Shepherd, but making us aware of the danger of bad shepherds or, as he calls them 'hired hands', who will come after he has gone. He's warning his listeners of the need to discern the teachers who come in his name - whether they are true shepherds of God's flock, or 'hired hands' - false teachers.
This would have been of particular interest to John. In his letters you see that he is writing to a church that is struggling with false teaching - false church leaders - and early heresy, particularly concerning the denial that Jesus was both God and man. John would have been keen for his readers to be able to tell the difference between those true teachers who followed in Christ's footsteps and those that did not.
Because we looked at it last week, I want to put aside the image of Jesus as the shepherd and look at this warning to discern the difference between the false shepherds who break into the sheep pen, and the true shepherds who Christ admits in his name.
How does this apply to our modern lives? Doesn't all this talk of false shepherds belong in the 1st century churches that John was writing to, struggling to set down the basic doctrines of Christianity? Not a savvy 21st Century Church that knows what it believes. And what has all this stuff about sheep and shepherds and deserts got to do with us modern Farnborough?
There are three things we need understand:
Firstly, we need to realise that we still live in a desert. John's Gospel is very spiritual in nature, and this desert is also spiritual. Instead of a dry expanse of sand, devoid of food and water, our world is a spiritual and moral wasteland, devoid of holiness and rejecting God.
Secondly, we need to realise that we are vulnerable sheep in this wasteland. It's not an easy thing to admit because we like to be independent and strong, not comparing ourselves to weak, defenceless animals. We find ourselves living in this spiritual wilderness and there's no shortage of voices offering to lead us out of it. But we need to know that we are following the voices that will lead us closer to Christ, not those that take us away from him.
Thirdly, we need to understand that the threat posed from false teachers and shepherds is just as real and just as dangerous as it was when John wrote his Gospel. This isn't just a problem that faced 1st Century Christians, it's a problem that continues to face 21st Century Christians. There are still those so-called shepherds and teachers who would guide us into danger and desert us.
Having realised all this, we need to ask ourselves - who are these false teachers and how can we recognise them?
How Do We Know Them?
Some false teachers are easy to spot. Take horoscopes, for example. The Old Testament forbids the use of fortune tellers and psychics but most people don't need this warning because they recognise them for the rubbish they are. Sadly, there are still a few people who get dragged into trusting them and relying on them to lead them through their lives. Why? Are these horoscopes going to give you eternal life? Will any of these astrologers lay down their lives to cleanse you from sin?
The other day, I went onto a couple of internet sites and looked up my star sign.
One said:
'A stroke of luck is going to make life easier for you, at least for the short-term. Don't worry about whether it will repeat or not, just enjoy the benefits!'
Then I looked at another site. This one warned me that:
'You are facing a period of change that may cause problems for you or a loved one. Now may not be the time to lend or borrow.'
So which one is it? Should I be getting ready to spend a windfall or preparing to loose everything? And guess what happened on that day? Absolutely nothing! So excuse me if I don't trust Mystic Meg with my eternal salvation.
Some false shepherds are a bit harder to spot, though. In verse 12, Jesus talks about the hired hand who abandons the sheep when he sees the wolf coming. To all intents and purposes, the hired hand and the shepherd are the same. They are both overseers of the flock; they both lead them and provide for their needs. The casual observer would not be able to tell the difference between the shepherd and the hired hand. In fact, the only way that the difference comes to light is when the flock is attacked and the hired hand runs. Jesus explains why in verse 13:
The image the Good Shepherd is one of the most popular and enduring of all the ways that Jesus described himself. Most people, even those who have never been to Church will be familiar with it. The idea of Jesus as the comforting shepherd who leads us through life and lays down his life on our behalf is, of course, a good one -
In John's Gospel, Jesus' parables seem to serve two purposes. Firstly, they tell us about who Jesus is -
In our reading today, Jesus isn't just telling us that he is the Good Shepherd, but making us aware of the danger of bad shepherds or, as he calls them 'hired hands', who will come after he has gone. He's warning his listeners of the need to discern the teachers who come in his name -
This would have been of particular interest to John. In his letters you see that he is writing to a church that is struggling with false teaching -
Because we looked at it last week, I want to put aside the image of Jesus as the shepherd and look at this warning to discern the difference between the false shepherds who break into the sheep pen, and the true shepherds who Christ admits in his name.
How does this apply to our modern lives? Doesn't all this talk of false shepherds belong in the 1st century churches that John was writing to, struggling to set down the basic doctrines of Christianity? Not a savvy 21st Century Church that knows what it believes. And what has all this stuff about sheep and shepherds and deserts got to do with us modern Farnborough?
Firstly, we need to realise that we still live in a desert. John's Gospel is very spiritual in nature, and this desert is also spiritual. Instead of a dry expanse of sand, devoid of food and water, our world is a spiritual and moral wasteland, devoid of holiness and rejecting God.
Secondly, we need to realise that we are vulnerable sheep in this wasteland. It's not an easy thing to admit because we like to be independent and strong, not comparing ourselves to weak, defenceless animals. We find ourselves living in this spiritual wilderness and there's no shortage of voices offering to lead us out of it. But we need to know that we are following the voices that will lead us closer to Christ, not those that take us away from him.
Thirdly, we need to understand that the threat posed from false teachers and shepherds is just as real and just as dangerous as it was when John wrote his Gospel. This isn't just a problem that faced 1st Century Christians, it's a problem that continues to face 21st Century Christians. There are still those so-
Having realised all this, we need to ask ourselves -
Some false teachers are easy to spot. Take horoscopes, for example. The Old Testament forbids the use of fortune tellers and psychics but most people don't need this warning because they recognise them for the rubbish they are. Sadly, there are still a few people who get dragged into trusting them and relying on them to lead them through their lives. Why? Are these horoscopes going to give you eternal life? Will any of these astrologers lay down their lives to cleanse you from sin?
The other day, I went onto a couple of internet sites and looked up my star sign.
One said:
'A stroke of luck is going to make life easier for you, at least for the short-
Then I looked at another site. This one warned me that:
'You are facing a period of change that may cause problems for you or a loved one. Now may not be the time to lend or borrow.'
So which one is it? Should I be getting ready to spend a windfall or preparing to loose everything? And guess what happened on that day? Absolutely nothing! So excuse me if I don't trust Mystic Meg with my eternal salvation.
Some false shepherds are a bit harder to spot, though. In verse 12, Jesus talks about the hired hand who abandons the sheep when he sees the wolf coming. To all intents and purposes, the hired hand and the shepherd are the same. They are both overseers of the flock; they both lead them and provide for their needs. The casual observer would not be able to tell the difference between the shepherd and the hired hand. In fact, the only way that the difference comes to light is when the flock is attacked and the hired hand runs. Jesus explains why in verse 13:
"The man runs away because he is a hired hand and he cares nothing for the sheep."
Compare that to what the good shepherd does in verse 11:
"The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep."
So, the hardest false teachers to spot are the ones who actually look like shepherds - in our context those who pretend to be religious or church leaders.
A few months ago, I came across a book in an Oxfam bookshop. The title looked promising; "Why Christianity Must Change or Die."
I also saw that the author, John Shelby Spong, was a Bishop. In fact the back cover says that he's the:
"Episcopal Bishop of Newark in New Jersey and the author of fifteen books… he will retire as Bishop after more than twenty years and become a lecturer at Harvard University in the year 2000."
I flicked through the first chapter. It looked promising. He says that the hunger for God is deep in society, but the church refuses to engage with it and just churns out the same old answers. He says that for many people, the church is the last place they'd go to find God. It's sad, but it's true. It's the sort of truth that we need to be brave enough to face.
I was quite impressed. This sounded like a book written by a passionate man with a sound grounding in the church - in short a good shepherd.
When I got home, I read the book a bit more thoroughly. This is how the Bishop describes the resurrection. After recapping the Gospel accounts, he concludes:
"Clearly, history has been interpreted in rather dramatic and fanciful ways in these narratives, and one has trouble deciding where history stops and dramatic storytelling begins."
This, remember, is a Bishop speaking. This is the most dangerous kind of false teaching. Here is an educated man, an ordained theologian with a good knowledge of the Bible - who chooses to use that knowledge not to lead people to Christ, but twists it to lead people away from the truth. This does not represent healthy debate over the modernisation of the church, or the way we apply 2,000 year old teachings to the modern world, but an attack on the very fundamentals of our faith. It is, in short, heresy, and we should not be afraid to recognise it as such and reject it.
The good news is that Oxfam made £2 selling me the book - the bad news is that it proves that not every book on Christianity can be trusted, and we need to be on our guard against being sucked in by their glossy covers and their author's credentials.
What Can We Do?
The threat of false teachers and shepherds is very real. What can we do to make sure that when we hear all those voices calling in the wilderness, we know which to follow?
Fortunately, Jesus doesn't just issue a warning about discerning our teachers and then clear off - he gives us a way of doing it, something to measure their teachings again. And this measure is nothing less than Jesus himself: how do their teachings compare with what we know of Jesus?
Palestinian Shepherds still lead their sheep in the way Jesus describes in his parable. They either use distinctive calls or musical instruments which their sheep recognise and follow.
But the sheep do not learn their shepherd's call overnight - they learn it from continued exposure. Jesus tell us that we, his sheep, will know his voice and, in the same way, we begin to recognise Jesus' voice speaking through our teachers by continually exposing ourselves to what he has already said - and the main ways to do this is through immersing ourselves in his Word in the Bible and in prayer.
The other day I was speaking to a friend about another friend. When I was told what this other friend was supposed to have said, I found myself thinking; 'that doesn't sound like something they'd say.'
This is the easiest to identify false shepherds - because what they're saying doesn't sound like something God would say. And if it doesn't tally up with what God has said to us, odds are it's not coming from God.
"Why Christianity Must Change or Die" demonstrates that just because someone is a leader in the Church or wears a dog-collar doesn't guarantee that they're not teaching us a load of rubbish. If we know our Scripture, we'll be able to see if what we're being told weighs up against it, and realise that when a Bishop is telling you that there is no external God and that the resurrection is fanciful storytelling, then he is probably not somebody you should be listening to.
Today's reading was originally written in Greek. If this was the only version we had, then I could stand up here and tell you whatever I wanted - that this passage tells us the preacher can take the collection plate home - and you wouldn't be any the wiser.
If I did that today, all you'd need to do is look up the passage in one of our church Bibles to see that I wasn't telling you the truth.
We're lucky in this country. We have so many resources that can help us study and understand the Bible. Praise God, not only has he revealed his Word to us, but over hundreds of years he has inspired and driven people - often in the face of harsh persecution - to translate, interpret and make it accessible, so we can draw closer to him through his Word.
I had four different versions of the Bible to look at when I was writing this sermon, not to mention all the commentaries and other books filling up our bookshelves. Some people aren't so lucky.
There are an estimated 6,800 languages in the world today. Keep that figure in mind.
Half the world's languages are still waiting for even one book of the Bible.
Someone goes blind every 5 seconds, but the Bible in Braille exists in only 30 languages.
Most of the world's poorest people are Christian - but they cannot afford a Bible.
A billion people can't read, but only 3% of languages have the Bible in audio.
What a gift we have in the Bible, and how easy it is for us to pick it up, read it, and immerse ourselves in it. We have everything we need on a plate - we have no excuse. But do we do it?
This Lent, do something different. Don't promise to give up chocolate or alcohol like everybody else, but promise to take something up. When we're busy, it's so easy to squeeze God out of our lives - so make space to spend some time in prayer, and if you don't already start a habit of daily Bible reading. There are plenty of reading plans in the shops and on the internet to help you. The Gideon's International website has a plan that takes you through the New Testament in two years - that's only a few minutes reading a day. The more we know the Bible, the better we will know God. That has to be time well spent.
A few months ago, I came across a book in an Oxfam bookshop. The title looked promising; "Why Christianity Must Change or Die."
I also saw that the author, John Shelby Spong, was a Bishop. In fact the back cover says that he's the:
I flicked through the first chapter. It looked promising. He says that the hunger for God is deep in society, but the church refuses to engage with it and just churns out the same old answers. He says that for many people, the church is the last place they'd go to find God. It's sad, but it's true. It's the sort of truth that we need to be brave enough to face.
I was quite impressed. This sounded like a book written by a passionate man with a sound grounding in the church -
When I got home, I read the book a bit more thoroughly. This is how the Bishop describes the resurrection. After recapping the Gospel accounts, he concludes:
This, remember, is a Bishop speaking. This is the most dangerous kind of false teaching. Here is an educated man, an ordained theologian with a good knowledge of the Bible -
The good news is that Oxfam made £2 selling me the book -
The threat of false teachers and shepherds is very real. What can we do to make sure that when we hear all those voices calling in the wilderness, we know which to follow?
Fortunately, Jesus doesn't just issue a warning about discerning our teachers and then clear off -
Palestinian Shepherds still lead their sheep in the way Jesus describes in his parable. They either use distinctive calls or musical instruments which their sheep recognise and follow.
But the sheep do not learn their shepherd's call overnight -
The other day I was speaking to a friend about another friend. When I was told what this other friend was supposed to have said, I found myself thinking; 'that doesn't sound like something they'd say.'
This is the easiest to identify false shepherds -
"Why Christianity Must Change or Die" demonstrates that just because someone is a leader in the Church or wears a dog-
Today's reading was originally written in Greek. If this was the only version we had, then I could stand up here and tell you whatever I wanted -
If I did that today, all you'd need to do is look up the passage in one of our church Bibles to see that I wasn't telling you the truth.
We're lucky in this country. We have so many resources that can help us study and understand the Bible. Praise God, not only has he revealed his Word to us, but over hundreds of years he has inspired and driven people -
I had four different versions of the Bible to look at when I was writing this sermon, not to mention all the commentaries and other books filling up our bookshelves. Some people aren't so lucky.
There are an estimated 6,800 languages in the world today. Keep that figure in mind.
Half the world's languages are still waiting for even one book of the Bible.
Someone goes blind every 5 seconds, but the Bible in Braille exists in only 30 languages.
Most of the world's poorest people are Christian -
A billion people can't read, but only 3% of languages have the Bible in audio.
What a gift we have in the Bible, and how easy it is for us to pick it up, read it, and immerse ourselves in it. We have everything we need on a plate -
This Lent, do something different. Don't promise to give up chocolate or alcohol like everybody else, but promise to take something up. When we're busy, it's so easy to squeeze God out of our lives -
David Redfield © 2007
*Scripture quotations taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton, a member of the Hodder Headline Group. All rights reserved. "NIV" is a trade mark of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790.