The Seven “I AM” Statements in the Gospel of John PART 5

The Seven “I AM” Statements in the Gospel of John PART 5

I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

[“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep” (John 10:11)][1]

There are not a lot of people who would desire to be a shepherd. It is one of the most isolated professions that a person could have, but it is one of the oldest and humbling occupations known to man. Historically shepherds have been known to spend months away from civilization and live where their sheep were housed and grazed to provide protection and care for them. The shepherd was responsible for ensuring that his sheep had food and water, care for their injuries, protection against robbers, assistance with their birthing process, sheared their wool and so much more. Their basic essentials and every day care were provided for by the shepherd.  

One of the vulnerabilities of sheep is that even though they have a wide peripheral vision to see prey, they have poor visionary depth. Sheep have been known to follow other sheep to their demise due to their lack of perception.[2] Yet, what they lack in sight, they compensate for in their excellent hearing skills. Therefore, the sheep listens for the voice of their shepherd and follows him wherever he goes because they have learned to trust his voice. 

Sheep naturally like to flock together, but the shepherd has to a duty to care for them both collectively and individually. Sheep can never be left to wander the fields alone, for they will follow one of their own such as an Ewe into trouble. They are not able to fend for themselves and if they get caught in a bush or even land on their backs, they are unable to readjust themselves independent of their shepherd’s help and would die. Therefore, shepherds would sometimes hire help to assist with their care of the flock, but the hired help was never as dedicated to the sheep as the shepherd was. They would not defend the sheep against danger if it became a matter between their lives and that of the sheep. The shepherd, however, would fight danger to the death to defend those that were his.

Jesus declared in John’s Gospel that He is the Good Shepherd and that His sheep knows and obeys His voice. Earthly shepherds must dedicate time towards educating themselves about sheep’s behavior whereas Jesus, being the Good Shepherd, already knows His sheep by name and their traits because He is the one who created and love them.[3] The sheep are never in danger of the enemy getting inside the pen if they learn how to discern His voice and stay close to their Shepherd. They will run away from the stranger whose voice they do not know such as the sound of strange doctrines, compromised churches, false prophets and seducing spirits. 

 Jesus has provided a banner of protection against any wolves or potential robbers to prevent his sheep from being led astray through prayer and the study of his Word. He has already laid down His life so that His sheep do not have to be in fear of the enemy’s tactics. As the Shepherd, Jesus loves the sheep by providing for them, heals their wounds when they get injured, shears them so they can experience new spiritual growth, and uses His rod of correction to realign them when they try to err off the narrow path, for sheep are known to be stubborn animals. He defends them against the enemies of temptation used to distract them because sheep are not able to defend themselves and will only run during danger but can easily be caught by prey. Jesus also looks for the missing sheep who have gotten lost so that they never feel alone even when they made poor choices. He uses His staff to bring them out of life’s entanglements that got them trapped when they felt there was no way out. The Shepherd leads, guides, watches, protects, and comforts all of those who not only hears but listens and obeys His voice. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep which was the ultimate act of love that a shepherd could have.[4]

A.    Overview of Divine Qualities as the Good Shepherd.

a.)    Oneness with the Father

aa.) Jesus is the Good Shepherd who watches over His sheep, for He never slumbers nor sleep just as God watched over Israel while they were under enslavement by Pharaoh. He had not forgotten nor forsaken them even during their darkest times. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, watches constantly in Oneness with the Father over those who are His.

b.)    Incarnate nature

bb.) Jesus is the Good Shepherd for He has the same love, care, and concern of the Father within Him and through His wondrous works on earth showed God’s traits that are everlasting.

c.)    Transcendent qualities

cc.) Jesus’ voice stands out to those who know Him and because they know Him, they will also know the Father for He is the Guardian for all who will follow.

d.)    Redemptive works

dd.) God gave His only son Jesus to die for the sins of the world thus showing that He is the Good Shepherd who was willing to lay down His life for His sheep. The world did not deserve Him, but He loved them so much that He was unwilling to let them perish without having the chance for redemption. 

B.     Application of the Believer

a.)    Jesus is the Good Shepherd and those who know His voice will follow Him. One may ask, “How can I know the voice of the Shepherd?” Jesus is the Word that was made flesh for man to know the knowledge of God. Therefore, all one has to do is pray and ask for wisdom as they feast upon His WORD daily by which they are able to become familiar with the voice of God.

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[1] John 10:11 (New International Version).

[2] BBC News Staffer, "BBC NEWS Europe Turkish Sheep Die in 'mass Jump'," BBC, last modified July 9, 2005, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4665511.stm.

[3] Alex Sosler, "Love In The Ordinary: Leadership In The Gospel Of John," The Journal Of Applied Christian Leadership 11, no. 2 (Fall 2017): 11, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/2093227885?accountid=12085.

[4] Sosler, "Love in the Ordinary," 12.