The Good Shepherd, meditation by Kevin Harvey

CALL TO WORSHIP:       (singing in unison)
Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird…
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s re-creation of the new day!
WELCOME
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In the Gospel of John we find The "I am" sayings.
Seven times, Jesus uses these terms of himself.
The main point....

1. That we may have a vision of Christ as "The Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep"
2. That we may know that Jesus is still in the business of calling people to Himself, and we must be a part of that!

John chapter 6 verse 35. "I am the bread of life".
John chapter 8 verse 12 chapter 9 verse 5. "I am the light of the world" John chapter 10 verse 7'9. "I am the door"
John chapter 10 verse 11 and 14. "I am the good Shepherd" John chapter 11 verse 25. "I am the resurrection and the life" John chapter 14 verse six. "I am the Way, the truth, and the life" John chapter 15 verse 1 , 5. "I am the true vine"
Today I want to focus on one saying that is, Jesus as the "Good Shepherd"... But first a little bit of background.
Chapter 9.
We read of the blind man who received his sight. And because he received his site and testified that it was the man Jesus who had healed,,, on the Sabbath! And because he could not deny that Jesus was "a profit" and from God. He was quickly excommunicated by the Pharisees from the synagogue.
Jesus addresses his disciples question.
Because they wanted to know this.... Jn, Chapter 9 verse 2.
And his disciples asked him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
This quote was found in my study Bible. "While Jesus responded to the man who was born blind with compassion, the disciples consulted Jesus as if simply discussing theological issues. The Jews often attributed physical limitation to punishment for wrongdoing
Question............ How do we too today,,,also pass judgement on others when we see "The less
fortunate?"
So was the blindness The result of a man's personal sin?
In their minds, the disability could be attributed to 1 of 3 types of sin..

1. some pre-existing sin of the man's.
2. generation sin - a punishment for the wrong doing a man's parents. Jesus, Response in vs 3, resolves the issue and dispels any questions related to the blame:

"Jesus answered, "neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."
Jesus addresses and Points out the Pharisees blindness.
John chapter 9 vs 39 and 40.
And Jesus said," For judgement I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind". Some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to him, "are we blind also?"
Aside lesson or application we can take from this........

1. Sometimes, religious institutions, get so far away from God, that those who long for God will be targeted, excommunicated, and branded as sinners.
2. Is that sometimes in our religious activities we overlook those who are most in need, we pass judgment, we believe for whatever reason, them not worthy of God.
3. But it is for them, who Christ died.,And it is the job of the church,,,you and I, to be shepherds as well, and to make disciples, of those who are hearing the voice of Christ.

So it is in this context.
That a man who was once blind and now sees, and is excommunicated from the synagogue. Becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ!
Jn chapter, 9 vs 35-38.
Jesus Heard that they had cast him out, and when He had found him, He said to him."Do you believe in the Son of God?"
Jesus answered and said, "who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him"
Jesus said to him. "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you" He said, "Lord, I believe! " And he worshiped Him.
It is in this context that Jesus uses these terms. "I am True Shepherd , The Door, and Good Shepherd"
John chapter 10 vs 7-16.
Then Jesus said to them again, "most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep do not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly.

11. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep and am known by my own, as the father knows me, even so I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd...
When Christ spoke that, He was speaking of The Gentiles who we're called of God.
If you remember before, in one of my messages, and in our Bible study, we read of Paul in his epistles, and how he spoke of "the mystery" that is being revealed...Well Christ is referring to that same "mystery" if you will as "all" that is simply this. That,Jews and Gentiles together are making up the kingdom of God. He was referring to making us all one flock, with one common Shepherd, one God, one Father. He was referring to you and I, of people today, tomorrow, until the fulness of the Gentiles is complete. Or until the very last person on earth hears the call of God to receive and worship Christ...
We can find comfort and security in knowing that Christ, "The good Shepherd" loves us very much. Because He has laid down his life for us, and also in Him, "The Door", we find salvation, and Good pasture.
Therefore let us remind one another these truths, and be busy in the work of God, being a disciple and making disciples.
GOD BLESS
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