Close Encounters with Jesus – John 10 – 11.4.18

I want to start off our time this morning by asking a very simple question. This isn’t a trick question. Who’s used a door this morning? Who has opened a door or walked through a door? Unless you’re living outside in the wilderness freely roaming about we’d all have to raise our hands-and the mere fact that we’re inside this building means that we’ve used a door to get in here. There’s not a single day of our lives that we don’t use a door, unless we’re camping. And even then there’s always a doorway into our tents that you unzip. Unless you have literally spent the day outside and slept on the ground under the stars-I bet there’s hardly been a day of your life, if ever, that you haven’t used a door. It’s one of the most common everyday things of life-much like bread or light-but these are the analogies that Jesus is using. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t use bread, light, and doors. So Jesus is really intentional in selecting these items to describe Himself. We saw how Jesus is the Bread of life. Then last week we saw that He’s the light of the world, now today He’s going to say that He’s the door of the sheep.

You can open your Bibles to John 10-and as you’re doing that here’s a picture of the door I most want to visit in life-Hobbiton in NZ. But what does a door do? Obviously, it opens and closes. That’s pretty much what a door does-it’s either swinging open or staying shut. The daily life of a door is not too complicated-except revolving doors-that’s a door on a totally different level-especially the automatic ones where you have to keep walking. Entering automatic revolving doors is a risky endeavor for our family! But I want us to take a philosophical approach in our understanding of doors. What’s their purpose? Why do we use them? Basically doors keep some things out and doors let other things in. Did you ever get yelled at as a kid-Shut the door-you’re letting all the heat out or Shut the door you’re letting all the cold air in! Or consider your front door-why do you have it? I’m sure you haven’t asked yourself that question lately-a front door is sort of a given-but really why do you have a front door? So not everybody who wanders by enters your house. The door separates your guests from uninvited people. You open the door and welcome in your family and friends-but you usually only open your door halfway to strangers until you learn who they are or what they want. The purpose of the door, therefore, is a means of entry-to go from one place to another. And this is what Jesus is saying about Himself-v. 7-9.

Have you ever thought of Jesus as a door? As Jesus is speaking to the Jews I know they certainly hadn’t thought of Him in that way. But Jesus is describing a sheep pen where several flocks would have been herded together and given shelter for the night. Back in those days there was usually one large central pen where all the different individual flocks were kept. In the morning the shepherd would come to gather his sheep-and that was done by first calling out to them and as the sheep then assembled, the shepherd would lead them through the door and out of the pen. This is what Jesus had earlier described-v. 1-4. So at the start of the day the shepherd shows up at the doorway of the pen, the gatekeeper lets him in-and then that shepherd calls out to his sheep, who know his voice and gather together so that he can lead them out of the pen. And where does he take them-back to v. 9. Jesus is the doorway that provides entry from the sheepfold, from the pen, into wide, green lush pastures. So for any sheep going from the pen out into the pastures the door is the only way they can do that-if the sheep don’t go through the door then they’re stuck behind the fence. The doorway is really crucial. It’s what opens up to the wider world. I picture Dorothy from the movie The Wizard of Oz. When her house lands from the tornado everything is still black and white. Do you remember the scene-but when she opens up the door she enters into the great land of Oz where everything is in color and there’s lots of dancing munchkins and the yellow brick road. It’s considered one of the most iconic scenes in movie history.

Or here’s a famous icon of our country-the St. Louis Arch. Maybe you’ve been there before-Monica and I have and it’s really tight in there. But besides being just called the Arch-it’s properly known as the Gateway to the West. The idea is that the Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis which exists to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase and the westward movement of American explores and pioneers-most notably Lewis and Clark who made the first American expedition to the Pacific Coast and back in 1804. And they started their famous journey there traveling along the Mississippi River. It was the gateway, the door, to the vast expanse of western America. So this image of the Arch is a wonderful picture of what Jesus is describing. He’s not speaking of the Gateway to the West, but the Gateway, that is the doorway to life-vast, bountiful, sprawling life that He provides-v. 9.

And that’s the number one thing sheep want-good rich, pasture land. To them that’s a feast. This image was used in the OT because they lived in an agrarian society and clearly understood the necessity of pastureland-Ez 34:11-14. God is saying that He Himself will bring His sheep-meaning His people-to good grazing land and rich pastures. He stressed it 3 times in this verse to drive home the point. And that doesn’t mean God is saying we’re going to eat grass and shrubbery-He’s talking about our lives-and the type of life that He brings to us. Just as a shepherd seeks out what is most beneficial and necessary and satisfying for the sheep, so does God with us. It’s no mistake that God placed the first man and woman on the planet in a place of perfection. The Garden of Eden was the greatest rich pastures our world has ever seen. Why do we take vacations to warm, tropical areas? Why isn’t there big booming tourism in the far northern territories of Canada with all the ice and snow? Because we’re wired for Eden, we’re wired for lush places. And unfortunately it was lost because of our sin where we ended up enslaved. God’s people experienced this in the OT when they were enslaved under the oppression of the Egyptians. And yet God rescued them and led them to a good land. He brought them to the Promised Land-a place flowing with milk and honey and huge clusters of grapes. Look at Num 13:23. Grapes 2 men had to carry! Even if you don’t like grapes that’s impressive! But God was taking them to an incredible land. And yet the whole point isn’t the food, it isn’t even the physical place-it’s the abundance and richness and goodness of life that only God can provide for us because in our sin we lost it. Just like Adam and Eve got kicked out of Eden because of their disobedience, just like the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, so we’ve disobeyed and become enslaved in our sins and found ourselves stuck in the barrenness and hopelessness of life. We’re facing the pain and struggle and frustration from our sins-the natural consequences of trying to live our lives without God. And so the result is this visual image of living in an empty wilderness or a dry desert. Does anybody have a deep desire to move to a desolate desert where there’s no food or water, just dry parched ground as far as the eye can see and the occasional tumbleweed that rolls by? Of course not-but that’s what our lives are like without God. So what’s Jesus saying-John 10:9-10. That’s what He intends for us. Unfortunately we often think that Jesus is there to stifle our fun or make our lives dull and boring, but it’s exactly the opposite. He’s the doorway to abundance. He leads us to pastures of joy and peace and blessing. So Pt1:What did Jesus say? He’s the doorway we must enter. That’s it-bottom line!

He’s the one we have to go through. But let’s be honest-we’re all wanting to enter some sort of doorway in life. Maybe it’s the doorway to a good college and a bright future. Maybe it’s the doorway to a good career or a cool apartment in the city or a house along the water. You think if only I could save up enough and have that dream home where I can enter my front door everyday and think-yes I’ve made it! Maybe it’s the doorway to a good marriage or good health or the doorway to popularity. If I could only have the right friends and be in the right group then I’ll be set. Or maybe you’re seeking the doorway to the past. You wish things could be the way they used to be-and you’re doing everything you can to resist change. But at the end of the day, none of those doorways will actually take you where you want to go. None of those doorways will lead you to lasting peace and happiness. They might for a time-but they won’t last. That’s because none of those doorways were meant to. There’s only 1 doorway you were created to enter, only 1 doorway that brings you what you’re looking for-and that’s Jesus-v. 9-10. Do you believe those words? Do you believe the fact that He’s come to save you and give you eternal life? That in Him all the satisfaction and peace that you’re craving are completely found? Do you believe that by entering through the doorway of Jesus you’ll find abundance? I think way too many of us focus on all that we lose by following Jesus. We think of old habits and tendencies we have to give up, the sinful pleasures we have to avoid, the embarrassment we’ll face or the ridicule we’ll endure by following Him or that He’ll ask us to do something hard. Have you found yourself in that rut? We think of all that we lose by following Jesus-and yet He’s the first to tell us all that we gain by following Him. He doesn’t bring us the minimum or try to make our lives miserable, He brings us an abundance and fills us with joy. I go back to the words of Ez 34:14-15. The Lord Himself is promising to give you rest and refreshment. The Lord Himself is promising to care for you and provide for you and bless you with good things, the things He knows you need. I love how in this OT verse God is saying I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep-because what does Jesus go on to say here-v. 11a. This was a big prophecy that Ezekiel was making-the Jews would have clearly known it-and now 500 years later Jesus shows up and says that’s me. Just as we saw Isaiah last week saying a light was coming-and Jesus said that’s me, I’m the light of the world. So now Ezekiel said a shepherd was coming and Jesus said that’s me, I’m the good shepherd. But here’s where the analogy goes a whole lot deeper because Jesus is saying something that’s completely opposite from how the world operates.

Look at the verse again-v. 11. Two sentences that say something very profound. In Ezekiel’s passage the shepherd was leading the sheep to good pastures and providing rest for the sheep-things we expect a shepherd to do. His goal is to care for the flock and keep them well fed-but Jesus comes along and communicates the heart of the gospel-that not only does the shepherd care for the sheep and lead them-but the shepherd dies for the sheep. He gives up his life, he lays down his life, so that the sheep may live. And let me ask a very logical question-who’s more valuable-some sheep or the shepherd? Clearly the shepherd! You can always go and get more sheep-there’s lots of sheep out there-but there’s one shepherd. This past week our cat Callie who goes inside and outside got into a fight with a stray cat who wandered into our yard. It was a big orange cat-looked like a mean Garfield. And the kids heard it from inside the house-the hissing and meowing. We shoed away the cat and let Callie in but her leg was cut open and bleeding, she was hobbling around, couldn’t get up the stairs. So eventually we took her to the vet and got her bandaged up-and when the bill came I thought I’d laid down my life for this cat. But that’s the point. We’ll go outside and shoe the stray cat away to protect Callie-but we’re not going out there and dying for Callie. We’re not sacrificing ourself, or letting the stray cat attack us so that Callie can live. She’s a cat, we’re human-it’s a no brainer. And it should be a no brainer here-the shepherd shouldn’t die for the sheep. If one or two are lost-oh well-no big deal, it’s just some sheep! But that’s not how the good shepherd works. Even though He’s the Son of God, even though He’s the Savior, He’s willing to die for the sheep, meaning you and me. Look at v. 12-15.

So Pt2:What did the crowds hear? He’s the shepherd who must die for us. There’s no other way. You can’t earn your way to heaven by being a person or doing lots of good deeds. Faithfully coming to church or helping the poor won’t do it. Having a religious background or a good family or a mom who prayed for you won’t do it. You have to trust in the shepherd who was willing to die for you; to trust in the Savior who laid down His life for you in order to pay for your sins. That’s the heart of the gospel. The shepherd faces what the sheep deserve. It’s an incredible truth! Listen to how Jesus continues-v. 16. And that’s where you and I come into this. We’re that other flock. Jesus was initially speaking to the Jewish people-and He was saying that the gospel wasn’t confined to the flock of the Jewish people but extended to the Gentiles, to the rest of the world. And did you catch His point-that of this one flock there’s just one shepherd. Jesus didn’t say He’s one of several shepherds or that He’s one of many ways to heaven, He’s it. There’s one shepherd and it’s Him-the one who laid down His life for us-v. 17-18. Our good shepherd Jesus wasn’t forced into dying for us. He didn’t get roped into it. The Roman authorities didn’t catch Him off guard and capture Him so that Jesus went kicking and screaming to the cross demanding justice. In fact-look at how Jesus responds to Pilate-John 19:10-11a. This is Jesus willingly following the Father’s plan of laying down His life for us. When was the last time you really considered the depth of that? Jesus didn’t have to die for you, He wasn’t forced to die for you, He didn’t die for you begrudgingly or say to God the Father-Fine, I’ll die for these people-but for the record I’m not happy about it. Not at all-Jesus willingly and graciously and lovingly died for you and me so that we could be forgiven and saved. Look at 1 John 4:10.

Think back a moment-when was the last time you had to forgive someone? Did you do it willingly and eagerly? Maybe-but chances are you did it more out of obligation or even had to force yourself to forgive that person. But that’s not how the Lord operates. I love what Jerry Bridges says-Gospel, 62. I don’t know about you-but I need to hear that over and over-because way too often I think the Lord only forgives me because He’s forced to. Fine-I’ll forgive Jim-but if it was up to me I wouldn’t. That guy has blown it too many times, He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, I’m only doing this because I’m supposed to. Have you thought that way about yourself before? But that’s not the gospel. The Lord doesn’t forgive you out of obligation but out of grace. He eagerly and joyfully forgives you because He willingly laid down His life for you. Back to v. 13-14. This morning you need to simply ask yourself-do I know Him? Have I entered the doorway of Jesus and am I following Him as my shepherd? There’s so many doors to enter in life, so many people to follow. Have you turned to Jesus? Look at how personal this gets in v. 27-28. You are completely secure in Jesus. If you’ve put your faith in Him, if you’ve trusted in His death to forgive you and save you-then no one will separate you from Him ever. Not even yourself. Often we’re our own worst enemy. No one drags us down like our own hearts and our own desires-and often the guilt of our sin or the mistakes of our past or some sinful habit keeps tripping us up to make us think we’ve blown it and lost our salvation. But that’s not how it works. Jesus says no one will snatch you out of His hand, not even yourself. If you trust in Him as your shepherd, He’ll lead you in precisely the direction you need to go.

A month ago I was at our district pastor’s conference. We’re a part of the Eastern District of the EFCA-so there was about 60 pastor’s gathered in Allentown, PA. And one of the speakers was talking about Ps 23. It’s a well-known passage in the Bible-and yet he pointed out something I’d never thought of before-Ps 23:1-3. And when you read that what’s the part that may or may not happen? Probably the green pastures and still waters. It seems that life is full of stress and busyness, we’re always frantically going from one place to the next-never sitting still or catching our breath. There’s always something to do, something to worry about, or something left undone that needs to get finished, some issue or problem we’re facing. And so we conclude that if everything works out and there’s no complications then maybe we’ll have a moment of green pastures and still waters where we can slow down. But it’s maybe-and even then it’s short-lived because before we know it life is full of chaos and problems again. But here’s where I was challenged-are the green pastures and still waters the part that may or may not happen? Who’s the one in charge of those things? The Lord. It says He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. The Lord is the one promising to do those things-and they will happen if He’s in control. The Lord will do what He says. The part that may or may not happen is whether the Lord is my shepherd. That’s the part I can control-or better stated-that’s the part I can resist. And how often do I do that? I’ll lead myself, Lord. I know where I’m going. I know what I’m doing-I got this. I’ve got a plan-just let me do it. We like to be our own shepherds. But we can’t-we were never meant to. We have to constantly remember that we are sheep and Jesus is our shepherd. And so what the speaker pointed out was that if the Lord is my shepherd, then I shall not want. If the Lord is my shepherd, then He’ll make me lie down in green pastures; if the Lord is my shepherd, He’ll lead me beside still waters; if the Lord is my shepherd, He’ll restore my soul. These are promises we can count on, realities that can experience and blessings we can receive if the Lord is my shepherd. That’s what it comes down to. Pt3:What do we learn? If the Lord is my shepherd I will always have His promises-no matter how dark it gets. The green pastures, still waters, and restoration of your soul aren’t contingent on your circumstances or surroundings, they aren’t contingent on how well you’re doing, they’re contingent on whether you are surrendered to Christ and following Him as your shepherd.

And I love what He’s promising! I shall not want-total contentment in your life. How often do we want stuff? Life is filled with wants-stuff we think we need, stuff we’ve convinced ourselves we can’t live without. William circled half the Target Christmas book! But if the Lord is your shepherd that means you can wake up and not want but rest contented in Him! Can you imagine that? What wants does He need to satisfy in your life? Or what are green pastures but places of nourishment and feeding-and God will constantly nourish us as we seek Him in His Word. What are still waters but places of peace. While the world is filled with chaos you’re at peace beside still waters if the Lord is your shepherd. And what is the restoration of your soul but when you’ve made a train wreck of your life, when you’ve seen all the pieces falling and everything coming undone-God as your good shepherd puts you back together, binding up your wounds, healing your hurts-slowly and patiently. This is what He does when He is your shepherd. And when does all this take place-what’s the context of these promises-Ps 23:4-5. No matter how dark it gets, no matter where the journeys of life may take you, your cup overflows in Christ. As you start off a new week tomorrow morning. Or even tonight as a Monday is staring you in the face-let the Lord be your shepherd. Instead of trying to navigate your own way or figure things out yourself, let Him lead you. Because when the road got really dark-we have a shepherd who laid down His life for us-v. 9-11. This leads us to a time of communion.