I Am The Good Shepherd

Each one of the Lord’s seven ‘I Am’ sayings in John’s Gospel reveals aspects of the Saviour’s holy character and mediatorial work. As the Bread of Life He feeds and nourishes the souls of His people with spiritual food in the gospel. As the Light of the World He reveals divine truth, illuminates the kingdom of God, teaches God’s elect and dispels the darkness of sinful ignorance. As the Door He grants access into His Father’s presence by reconciling us to God. As the Door He also protects His sheep from their enemies. 

My life for yours

Now Christ tells His church, ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep’. Our precious Saviour well knew the purpose for which He had come into the world. He had ‘come to seek and to save that which was lost’ by shedding His own blood. David bravely faced a lion and a bear to protect His Father’s flock and Christ courageously undertook a greater challenge to save His Father’s flock from the just consequences of their sin and guilt. The church was given to Christ to be loved by Him, redeemed by His precious blood and delivered from the condemning curse of the law. 

I know them

As the Good Shepherd Christ knows His own flock for whom He died. He distinguishes His own people, all those committed into His care. He names the name of each of those given to Him by His Father in the eternal councils of peace. As sheep He calls each one individually to Himself and leads them providentially, all the days of their lives, guiding and directing their coming in and going out. He has defended His own precious possession to the point of self-sacrifice that He might do His Father’s will and deliver His loved ones from all harm.

Hirelings

In our verses the Lord describes Himself as ‘the Good Shepherd’ because He is the Shepherd who is ‘good’. He contrasts Himself with those who are not good; who have no love for His sheep but exploit God’s people for their own gain. These He calls ‘hirelings’. Hirelings have no vested interest in the spiritual wellbeing of the flock. They are false teachers, career preachers and religious professionals. Their interest is only in personal aggrandisement and self-promotion. They try to mimic genuine gospel preachers but their doctrine is shallow and their guidance superficial.

‘My Sheep’

A good shepherd is personally invested in the welfare of his flock and the Lord Jesus Christ is personally invested in His people’s everlasting good and happiness. He owns His sheep. They are known by name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Here the Lord continues to teach His disciples about the everlasting covenant in which God’s elect are loved, chosen, set apart and committed into the hands of God the Son by the Father. Christ knows His sheep eternally and testifies that they shall all know Him by redemption and conversion in time.

The Father’s command

Christ’s knowledge of His sheep under His covenant obligations is linked to His Father’s knowledge of and love for the Son, and the Son’s knowledge of and love for the Father. Again the Lord is emphasising the shared covenant-purpose of the Father and Son (not excluding the Holy Ghost), in the effectual salvation of the elect. He testifies concerning His covenant duty, ‘This commandment have I received of my Father’. The Son was sent as the Messiah to be Redeemer of the church and to atone for the sins of God’s elect with His own blood. The Son’s willingness to lay down His life for the sheep has earned God’s love for Him as Mediator. ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’

The Resurrection

How clearly and with what assurance does the Saviour speak of His sacrifice, death and resurrection! He has power to lay down His life and power to take it again. ‘I lay down my life, that I might take it again.’ Christ had this power as God the Son who has power over all life and all death. As the great ‘I Am’ He would lay down His life and take it again. Many tried to take the Lord’s life without success. The Jews instigated His execution, the Roman’s enacted His crucifixion but the Saviour, by Himself, dismissed His Spirit, then took it again three days later.

Our inheritance

Christ’s resurrection power will be explicitly addressed in a future ‘I Am’ statement but here He tells His disciples and the Jews He will rise again. As believers we receive and share the gift of eternal life from our living Head. These bodies of ours shall rise again to glory. He who laid down His life for the sheep has won our redemption, removed our guilt, secured our liberty and granted us spiritual life as His spiritual body. We who are Christ’s have the promise of everlasting life because He died and rose again.

Amen.