Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm19991201.htm

JOHN: TRIUMPHING IN LIFE'S MOST CRITICAL ISSUE
Part III: Presentation Of The Messenger Of Salvation
C. Christ's Credentials Revealed In Confrontations With Men
12. Christ's Credentials Seen In His SUPERIOR Oversight Of God's Flock
(John 10:1-21)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus of Nazareth is indeed God's true Messiah and Son, then one would expect Him to exhibit a vastly SUPERIOR oversight capacity than would exist in Israel's leaders who rejected Him. After all, Messiah was to rule God's people, competently ushering in blessing for God's Kingdom, Ps. 110:1-2; Isa. 35:1-10.
    2. In the Good Shepherd discourse of John 10, Jesus exposed the way His oversight contrasted with the oversight of Israel's rulers who had rejected Him. This contrast exposes the credibility of Jesus as being God's true Kingdom Administrator, and supplies invaluable applications for us today:
  2. Christ's Credentials Seen In His SUPERIOR Oversight Of God's Flock, John 10:1-21.
    1. The context behind Christ's discussion on the Good Shepherd in John 10:1-21 pictured a contrast in the way the rulers of Israel dealt with a healed blind man with the way Jesus had handled him, Jn. 9:
      1. Israel's rulers were not only unconcerned with the healed blind man's cause for joy over being healed, but they hurtfully excommunicated him for viewing Jesus as God's Messenger, John 9:24-34.
      2. In contrast to this, Jesus met the excommunicated man and led him to saving faith in Himself, a step that so uplifted this man that he worshipped Christ in spiritual fulfillment, John 9:35-38.
    2. Picking up on this contrast in spiritual oversight of this man, Jesus exposed Himself as the Good, true Shepherd of Israel versus the false shepherds in Israel's leaders (as follows), John 10:1-21:
      1. Instead of entering God's Kingdom through faith in Christ, Israel's leaders had rejected Him, climbing over the wall as impostor leaders to take painful advantage of God's people, John 10:1 with 10:7-8a.
      2. However, the "sheep" of God did not hearken to these robber-shepherds where they hearkened to the true Shepherd, Jesus, John 10:3a with 8b. This is evidenced in the healed blind man telling the Pharisees off for resisting faith in Christ where he readily accepted Jesus' teaching, John 9:30-34, 35-38.
      3. The true Shepherd, Jesus, releases God's sheep from the fold so that they can find additional pasture and grow unlike the false shepherds, John 10:3b, 9. Israel's errant leaders had kept back the healed blind man from believing in Christ for salvation (Jn. 9:24-25) where Jesus led the man to faith in Himself as the Son of God, producing enriching worship and fulfillment, John 9:35-38.
      4. The false shepherds took advantage of the flock for their own benefit where the Good Shepherd came to give the sheep abundant life, John 10:10. The false rulers of Israel obviously showed no c oncern or thrill for this man's release from the lifelong plague of blindness, but interacted with him solely as a means to attack Jesus; however, Jesus kept dealing with the man to help him physically and spiritual ly.
      5. The false shepherds would flee if their own welfare was put on the line where the Good Shepherd would give His life for the flock, John 10:11-15. The Pharisees excommunicated the healed blind man when he adopted a view that threatened their self-serving purposes of controlling the people (9:21-22, 34c). Opposite this, Jesus would lay down His life for the redemption of the healed man, 2 Cor. 5:21.
      6. The false shepherds would never have reached out to include Gentiles as Gentiles for inclusion into the God's flock, but would have demanded they become circumcised (Acts 15:1); in contrast, the true Shepherd would include in God's flock anyone who only believed on Christ, John 10:16, 17-18.
      7. Interestingly, the false shepherds could not accept this insight of contrasting administrations, 10:19-21.
Lesson: Jesus is the vastly SUPERIOR Shepherd and thus the TRUE Messiah of God in contrast to the leaders in Israel who rejected Him.

Application: As TRUE "undershepherds" will function in their CHIEF SHEPHERD'S style (1 Peter 5:1-4), TRUE church leaders today can be DISCERNED to be (a) themselves believers in Christ, (b) having God's people WANT to hear their teaching, (c) seeking to edify the flock so they can grow, (d) showing concern for the spiritual health of the flock, (e) be self-sacrific ing for the flock's welfare, (f) desiring all men to be saved and (g) accepting such an administrative style as the RIGHT one!