The Marks of a Good Under-shepherd
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Jesus teaches His disciples how to tend His flock in His absence.
Text: John 10:12-13
Date: 02/04/2018, the Traditional service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 82
Description:
After revealing Himself as the glorious Good Shepherd who loves and leads His flock, and willingly lays down His life so they may have Life and have it abundantly; Jesus gives a sharply distinct example from the opposite extreme. He introduces the concept of the negligent hireling who cares little for the flock and flees at the first sign of trouble. We will discuss the imagery of this negative model and who Jesus might be referring to. But perhaps more importantly, we will also consider how during this entire allegory and confrontation with the Pharisees there have been other eyes and ears in the audience for whom these models of shepherding are of extreme importance. Those who will all-too-soon find themselves as the keepers of the flock of the Kingdom and must therefore quickly learn and adopt the marks of a good under-shepherd.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, John 10:12-13.
A. Context
1. The work of the Good Shepherd.
a. Revealing the Good Shepherd.
b. The Shepherd who must die.
c. The Shepherd who must live, John 7:33-34.
2. The work of the Kingdom.
a. Re-identifying the audience.
b. A lesson for the disciples, John 9:1-4.
c. Two vastly different models.
B. The negative model of the hireling.
1. Negative forces facing the flock, Matt. 24:9-11.
a. Robbers and thieves.
b. Strangers.
c. Wolves and other predators.
d. The thief.
2. Exposing the hireling.
a. The hired hand, 12a.
b. The missing bond of ownership, 12b.
c. The hireling flees, vs. 12c.
d. The wolf ravages the flock, vs. 12d.
e. Unacceptable behavior, vs. 13.
3. The message to the audience.
a. The Pharisees as wolves.
b. The Pharisees as rotten shepherds, Eze. 34:2-4, 10.
c. A disturbing thought.
C. Developing good under-shepherds.
1. The expanded audience.
2. The idea of an under-shepherd.
a. The idea of an owner, John 10:29, Eze. 34:15, 23-24, John 6:37-39.
b. The importance of the under-shepherd.
c. The transition from sheep to shepherd, John 21:16.
d. The eschatological work of the under-shepherd, 1Pet. 5:2-4.
III. Application
A. The good under-shepherd is a good sheep, John 10:4.
B. The good under-shepherd respects the boundaries of the owner, John 15:10.
C. The good under-shepherd reflects the Good Shepherd, Phil. 3:17.
D. The good under-shepherd "lays down his life" for the sheep, Matt. 6:33.
E. The good under-shepherd loves the flock of the Lord, John 21:17.
IV. Conclusion
