Turn in your Bible to John 10 and also turn to Ezekiel 34.
John 10:1-6:
As we make our way through this passage, we see once again that the self-righteous don’t understand what Jesus was saying. They heard words but could not grasp the truth behind the words.
Scripture teaches us that the unsaved person (natural man) does not understand the things of God for they are foolishness to him (I Corinthians 2:14). They are spiritually discerned or empty.
Only the truly saved person understands and accepts spiritual truth because God is in them and it is God who is teaching and giving them the ability to understand truth. (I Corinthians 2:12).
Without God, we are nothing and also understand nothing. It is ONLY Christ who opens the eyes of the Spiritually blind.
2 Corinthians 3:12-14a: Only Christ lifts the veil of unbelief! Only after Christ takes away the veil will God give understanding to receive spiritual truth.
The reason why the religious leaders did not understand or accept what Jesus was teaching is because they were not saved. They had information and knowledge about God but did not know God personally or intimately.
Before we look at this passage in depth, it is important for us know the foundational reason Jesus makes these statements.
Many of the statements Jesus made during His ministry were to completely fulfill the prophecies of the OT. The statements Jesus will make in this chapter are the completion of what the Messiah must be and do. The “self-righteous” missed that the OT was being completed right in front of them.
Just like many of the Jews in the OT, they did NOT listen to the prophets and eventually killed them. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were rejecting Him and eventually would be responsible in killing their Messiah.
Let’s look at the completed prophecy they missed in Ezekiel 34.
Verses 1-2: God tells Ezekiel to prophesy against the Shepherds of Israel.
The “shepherds of Israel” was a general term for kings, priests, and prophets of Israel who were using their power to take advantage and abuse the people. Those in leadership should have used their position to serve the people but instead were using their position for personal gain, to enslave, abuse and ultimately destroy people they were entrusted over.
This is the exact same wickedness that is taking place in Jesus’ day.
The religious leaders had set up their religious system to gain personal power in order that they can abuse and control people. We read in John 9 that they would throw anyone out of the synagogue if they followed Jesus or believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Any person who associated with Jesus would not just risk being an outcast but also could be killed.
- The Failure of the Earthly Shepherds:
- Shepherds fed themselves but failed to feed the sheep (v.2-3)
In other words, the religious leaders of Israel were starving the people not just from physical food but the spiritual food that comes from God’s Word.
- They did not know God and had not received God’s Word by relationship so they weren’t giving them the complete Word of God.
- They manipulated God’s Word to create legalistic system of laws for the purpose of oppressing the people.
- They only gave what would help them retain their own power and control over the people.
This is very common today. You can go to a church building and hear a powerful, entertaining and even exciting sermon that fits within your time schedule. It’s full of stories and practical ideas that help you feel better and it gives you confidence to be able to face the week ahead. You feel good about yourself!
But when you get down to what is actually being said, you find it is full of man’s opinion and this world’s philosophies and contradicts the Word of God. Instead of being fed by God according to His truth, the flesh has been served, pride has been stroked and those who are deceived by it become even more empty than they were before.
- Shepherds clothed themselves but failed to clothe the sheep (v.3)
The material needs of those in charge were met but the people were going without.
- Shepherds failed to protect and strengthen the sheep (v.4)
- Did not heal the sick
- Did not help the injured
- Not bring back the straying
- Did not seek the lost
- Shepherds ruled the sheep by force and harshness (v.4B)
Instead of leading the sheep by your own footsteps, they gave orders to meet your own pleasures.
An ungodly leader is one who tells everyone else how to live “right” but in their own personal life disobeys scripture and lives a life that is contrary to God’s Word. They are a hypocrite.
A Godly leader will not just preach what you are supposed to do but will show you by their life how you are to live. When you look at God’s Word, you validate that what the leader is demonstrating is how God wants all of us to act.
What was the result of their actions? (v.5) The sheep scattered and became food for wild beasts.
“They were lost (v.6) with no one to search or seek for them.”
Very similar in the days of Jesus’ ministry, He described the people as being sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:35-38: “Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd.”
In other words, their spiritual needs were greater than their physical needs. Their spiritual needs harassed their life so much that it rendered them helpless.
Mark 6:34: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.”
Whose sheep are scattered in Ezekiel 34:6? God’s sheep.
They thought they controlled the sheep but they were not the owners; they were God’s possession (v.6)
Notice what God says in Ezekiel 34:7-10.
“You have utterly failed and I will be the one to rescue my sheep!!
God makes a clear point.
This world is NOT capable of creating a program that free of corruption.
EVERY institution, program, plan or organization this world creates is and will be polluted with corruption because of man’s sinful heart.
Although some programs can be a little helpful, in the end, they are not sufficient to meet the needs of the heart.
He also makes it clear that no person is capable or sufficient to meet the needs of the heart.
The most religious people, the leaders of God’s chosen people have failed to be enough for them. Their hearts were corrupted and poisoned by sin.
Romans makes that clear:
Romans 3:11-18: “None is righteous, no not one. No one understands; no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good not even one.
Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongue to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
- The success of the ONE True Shepherd
Conclusion: Because you are not an adequate shepherd and you have failed, God says, I will send my own Shepherd to rescue my sheep.
Notice Ezekiel 34:11-16
- I will search for MY sheep (v.11)
- I will rescue them (v.12)
- I will bring them out of the peoples and countries (v.13)
- I will feed them (v.13-14)
- I myself will be their shepherd (v.15)
- I will seek the lost and bring back the strayed (v.16)
- I will bind up the injured (v.16)
- I will strengthen the weak (v.16)
- I will destroy the fat and strong- “self-righteous ones” who are not in need.
Think about this prophecy!
God is saying I myself am going to do what men have failed to do!
I will be the successful Shepherd!
Jesus stated in Matthew 9:9-13 “I came not to call the righteous but sinners (lost)”.
Luke 5:31: “Jesus answered them, those who are well (think they are) have no need of a physician but those who are sick. I have NOT come to call the righteous (self) but the sinners to repent.”
Even in Jeremiah 23:1-8, Jeremiah predicted that the Messiah will come as a “branch” to rescue the sheep.
Now when we come to John 10 and Jesus steps on the scene and says, there is a difference between the True Shepherd and the thief and the robber. You need to know the difference!
For the Shepherd calls his sheep by name and leads them out!
Have we progressed in our world so that those who are in leadership no longer take advantage of their positions? Do they serve people and never use their position to hurt others, abuse the weak or control people? Do ALL this world’s leaders abuse their power or use it for personal gain!
YES! Will it get better? NO, it will get worse. Our world will continue increase its corruption.
Is there hope? Yes!
The answer has always been and will always be the ONE True Shepherd Jesus Christ!
- The world fails
- Religion fails
- Every person fails
Jesus is ONLY one who NEVER fails!!
This is why the message of the ONE TRUE Shepherd is more vital than ever before.
For Jesus came to seek and save God’s Sheep who are lost!
Is He seeking you today? Are you broken, wounded and lost? Are you in need of rescue?
Why not come to Jesus today and be saved! He is ONLY Unfailing Shepherd and He loves you!
Though many have come, there’s still room for you.
There’s room in fold for many more of God’s sheep, if HE calling you today, will you please come to the Shepherd?!