Lesson 8 -- The Good Shepherd
Daily Sunday School Readings
Preschool -- The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
Primary -- The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
Junior -- The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:20
Intermediate -- Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21
The Good Shepherd
Lesson 8
January 21, 2018
Background Scripture: John 10
Lesson Scripture: John 10:7-18
Introduction
Our only hope for eternal life is found in Christ Jesus. He is the only One able to lead us to heaven. Today we study about this Great Shepherd, as well as the impostor who is a hireling. We want to accept the Good Shepherd, choosing to follow Him, lest by disobedience we reject him. As we live for Him, we live "more abundantly".
Key Verse
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen (Heb. 13:20-21).
Lesson Scripture
JOHN 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh if 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 of my Father.
Studying the Lesson
In Bible history, particularly in the Old Testament, there are many accounts of shepherds. Abel is the first shepherd mentioned in the Bible. Abraham and Lot had flocks. Rachel, who became Jacob's wife, was a shepherdess, keeping her father's sheep. Jacob and his sons were shepherds. Amos was a herdsman (Amos 1:1). Both Moses and King David were shepherds. Undoubtedly, many things they learned as shepherds served them well when in later years they became leaders of God's people.
Webster's dictionary defines a hireling as "a person who serves for hire, especially for purely mercenary motives." These motives can include greedily seeking personal advantages. Jesus said that the hireling "seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep" (John 10:12). Satan is the hireling and is always out to cause confusion, division, injury, and ultimately death. He does not have the good of the flock in mind. He impersonates the Good Shepherd and seeks to deceive the sheep. Jesus the Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep; He is always aware of their condition and will not desert them. We can depend on Him to identify Satan as the hireling.
Although sheep are curious, they are not very intelligent and are often unable to find their way home even if the sheepfold is in sight. Knowing this tendency, shepherds try to keep track of their sheep so they will not stray away (Ps. 32:8). In the rugged Palestinian hills, sheep will often wander into a briar patch or fall over a cliff. The shepherds tenderly search for their lost sheep and carry them to safety (Luke 15:6).
Jesus said, "I am the door of the sheep" and "All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers." Jesus leaves the testimony that He alone is the Door into the eternal sheepfold of God. He is the true Messiah—no one before or after Him has a right to make this claim,
When Jesus said that He had other sheep which were not of the fold, He was speaking to the Jews about the gentiles. When He added that He would bring them into the fold, He was foretelling that salvation would be for all people in all nations until the end of time. Jews and gentiles would be together in one fold. In a spiritual sense there are neither Jews nor gentiles, but all believers are one family in Christ.
Jesus left his Father in heaven and came to this sin-cursed earth in a lowly way with a very humble birth. In His earth life He endured much of what we endure because of the curse imposed upon humanity for sin. He did not live in a garden of paradise but had to work by the sweat of his brow. He was subject to human parents, got hungry, and suffered fatigue and pain. The deaths of His friends and family were common occurrences. Finally, He was falsely accused, scourged, shamed, and nailed to the cross. As the Good Shepherd of the sheep, He laid down His life for them that they could have eternal life.
Practical Truths for Today
We are living at the end of the last dispensation of time. The end-time prophecy of Satan being loosed after the thousand year reign as found in Revelation 20:7 is being fulfilled in our day. It is not God that is loosing Satan, but rather evil men and women are letting him control their lives. People are given over to every imaginable evil, even evil hardly imaginable. The world is filled with violence, immorality, and many strange ideas. Much of this evil is promoted and perpetrated by electronic devices. We are living in the time when "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24).
Does this mean that it is very difficult to find the way to be saved? No, the plan of salvation is still the same plan that God prepared before He laid the foundation of the world. The conditions for salvation remain the same as well, such as surrender, repentance, and obedience. Because it is popular in society for everyone to have their own way and opportunities to gratify the flesh are readily available, people find it difficult to take the way of the cross.
However, those who want to be saved can enter the sheepfold and come into the security the Shepherd has promised. Peace of mind, safety in the storms of life, fellowship with other believers, and an abundance of spiritual food are all part of the abundant life Jesus came to give.
The Good Shepherd desires to guide us in "paths of righteousness for his name's sake." When we walk in these paths, we will walk in the light of the gospel. The path of the wicked is dark and gloomy; that of the righteous is luminous and open. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Prov. 4:18). This is the way of holiness. If we deny our flesh to stay close to the Shepherd, we need not fear the deceptive times we live in. The Christian who humbly follows the Shepherd can say, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" (Ps. 23:6).
The Bible is the Holy Word of God and is the infallible guide for all believers. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Word and inspires our hearts with direction. This is the Good Shepherd's way of guiding us in a safe path. To change the order and claim the leading of the Spirit in a matter that is contrary to the Bible will lead to deception. The "Spirit of truth... shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak" (John 16:13). We must be students of the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to use the Word to guide us into all truth.
The Good Shepherd is interested in our mental health. We serve him best when we are mentally and emotionally stable. When life is secure, and we do not feel threatened, generally our emotions will be stable. Although sinful living can cause and contribute to mental instability, Christians are subject to the stresses of life and can slip into a time of depression or other emotional problems. Jesus has a way for us when we face unsettled times that disturb our peace. When our mind is troubled and our emotions are frayed, the Shepherd provides an anchor for us if we put our trust in him. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isa. 26:3).
The Shepherd may use our fellow sheep in the sheepfold to nurture and instruct us in times of unusual stress. In these situations, it becomes God's will that we trust what our fellow brethren say over what our own troubled or tormented mind may be telling us. This may be very difficult; nevertheless, we must exercise our will and surrender to the light of the sheep who are inspired through the direction of the Master Shepherd. We must accept the direction of our brethren in the spirit of Paul when he told the Galatians, "I have confidence in you through the Lord" (Gal. 5:10).
God alone knows who all His scattered sheep are, but we know that He would like to bring them into his sheepfold. Those who are born again and have learned to understand, at least in part, the voice of the Shepherd may be watching the members of the church. The question arises: are these scattered sheep seeing in us the fruit of living the abundant life? Are they being drawn to the protection of the sheepfold? Jesus said, "Them also I must bring." If we are living our lives under the care of the Good Shepherd, dwelling contentedly in His sheepfold, the scattered sheep who are looking for security will know where to go.
Illustrations
In Isaiah 32:2 we read a prophecy of the coming Messiah. "And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land?'
There are contrary winds blowing today, devastating winds that beat against the Christian, leaving him parched and weary. The tempests are raging against anything godly. People are challenging long-standing principles and trampling underfoot doctrines of the Word. The moral fiber of society is being stretched to the breaking point. This world is in a spiritual famine.
The Good Shepherd is that hiding place from the winds that are blowing. He is the covert from the tempest. He is the River of Life for those who are thirsty, and He is the Great Rock in a weary land. It is in the shadow of this Great Rock that we can find a hiding place to rest with a drink to slake our thirst.
God has placed His church, the sheepfold, in the shadow of the Great Rock. Here is protection for all: those in their youth, the young married couples with their little children, the middle-aged and older ones. Here we support each other and are cared for by the Good Shepherd. The doctrines and teachings of the church are precious to us. Here we can live together in peace and safety.
Questions
1. Why do some leave the sheepfold? Are they not finding the needed care to be faithful, or is it entirely their responsibility?
2. What are ways that the rod and staff of the Shepherd are a comfort to us?
3. How do we express our love to the Shepherd?
4. Relate experiences of the Shepherd's care in your life.
1 Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, s.v. "shepherd.'