If you would turn with me tonight to Psalm 23, as well as John chapter 10. For those of you who are visiting tonight, we have been considering over the past couple of Sunday evenings the I Am's of the suffering servant. We've already considered, I am the bread of life, I am the light of the world, I am the gate for the sheep. Tonight, our Lord's saying, I am the good shepherd. I want to read together Psalm 23, first of all, then John 10, verses 11 to 21, with verse 11 being the text. Psalm 23, hear now the Word of God. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. John 10, beginning at verse 11. You recall that the first ten verses there, Jesus talks about Himself as the gate. And those who do not enter by the gate are nothing more than thieves and robbers. Verse 11, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. At these words, the Jews were again divided. Many of them said, He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to Him? But others said, these are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of a blind? Dear people of God, in our study of the I Am's of the suffering servant, as we just mentioned last week, we considered our Lord's teaching that He is the gate for the sheep. Salvation is only through the gate of Jesus. It is only through Him that one enters the kingdom of God and that one becomes one with the Father. Paul talks about this in Romans 5, verses 1 and 2, when he says, Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. In those verses, clearly Paul talks about access. Access to something. Access to peace and reconciliation with God. And access to God's kingdom where there is no more warfare with Him. Sin is a barrier to that access to God. We see that in the Garden of Eden already as God placed a cherubim with a flaming sword in the way to guard the way to the tree of life after Adam and Eve had been banished from the garden. And we know that when Jesus Christ died on the cross, the curtain in the temple, that curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, really separating the Holy of Holies from the world, that curtain which was a message which said, Keep out! No admittance. When our Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, that curtain was torn from top to bottom representing the truth that God's people through Christ now had access to that which had been closed to them before, namely the very presence of God. When Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Although His disciples and His hearers at the time did not yet understand what He was talking about, they would only understand later. Yet, you see, He was teaching them about how He would secure access for His people to His Father. With this I am of Jesus, more than any other, Jesus points directly to His work on the cross and His death. Again, as we said last week, since the shepherding business was well known to the people of that day, they could identify in a particular way with our Lord's claim, I am the Good Shepherd. Beloved, this claim is the comforting claim for God's people. Now we need to remember once again the context and particularly the events of chapter 9. You may recall that there we read about the fact that Jesus had healed the beggar who was born blind. He did it on the Sabbath day, which caused quite a stir among the Pharisees. The truth is they really didn't care a whole lot about the fact that this man was cured of his blindness, but they were furious that Jesus did this on the Sabbath. You see, He broke the law in their eyes and certainly no truly religious man would ever do that. And the Pharisees go on to interrogate the healed beggar, trying to get him to agree with him that Jesus was a sinner. But this beggar, standing strong in his newfound faith by grace, says whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know, I was blind, but now I see. And he goes on to say, we know that God does not listen to sinners. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. And again, that's what was said basically in verse 21. But others said, these are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Congregation, while the Pharisees worked to prove the sinfulness of Christ, this uneducated beggar beautifully and boldly testifies to Christ's sinlessness. And as we noticed last week, this made the Pharisees angry, so angry that they threw him out of the temple. The same word for threw him out is used when Jesus cast out demons and evil spirits never to return. They threw him out never to return. In other words, as we said last week, they excommunicated the man. Remember, the Pharisees were, or at least they were supposed to be, the shepherds of that day. But they had not entered the sheep pen by the gate or the door of Christ. They did not come in the name of Jesus. Instead, compared to Christ, the gate, they were the thieves and the robbers who came to steal and to kill and to destroy. Their own agenda was that which was most important to them in doing what was right in their own eyes, not the care of the sheep. You see, their task was to lead and to feed the flock of God, but they fed with lies of their own making and they led toward eternal danger. The Pharisees, in comparison to Christ the Good Shepherd, were nothing more than hired hands, working for wages, for a paycheck, trying to earn their way into God's favor, not working at all for the welfare of the sheep. And therefore, with our Lord's claim here, He was contrasting Himself with them. What then exactly is our Lord saying with this claim? Remember that the metaphor of a shepherd and a sheep being used for God and His people is seen throughout Scripture. We find it in many, many places. As we read, David said, the Lord is my shepherd. Asaph begins Psalm 80 with, Give ear, O shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. Isaiah 40, verse 11 says, He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs with his arm. In Ezekiel 34, we read there of both bad shepherds and the good shepherd. And there He condemns the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves and neglect the care of the flock. But the Lord God, the true shepherd, says there, Indeed, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. He speaks of delivering them from being scattered. He speaks there of feeding My flock and making them lie down and healing and protecting. He speaks of establishing one shepherd over them and He shall feed them. And then in verse 31 of Ezekiel 34, you are my flock, the flock of my pasture. And in Matthew 26, verse 31, when foretelling that His disciples would forsake Him, Jesus applies the prophecy of Zechariah 13, verse 7 to Himself, strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Now we know that the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep is to be an intimate one. When the shepherd's away, the sheep will play and get into trouble. They can't take care of themselves. They need the undivided attention of the shepherd. They depend upon the shepherd for absolutely everything. For food, for shelter, for safety. They depend upon the shepherd for their very survival. And in turn, the sheep trust the shepherd. They know the shepherd. They know His voice. They recognize His smell. They associate those things with the tender, loving care the shepherd has given to them in the past. And therefore, they will follow the shepherd. But there is a difference between the shepherd and the hired hand as Jesus makes clear. The shepherd owns the sheep. They are His very own property. He has affection for the sheep. He cares for them. But also His livelihood, His source of living comes from the sheep. And therefore, He will see to their health and to their nourishment and to their safety. The hired hand, you see, doesn't have any vested interest in the sheep. His own safety and his own well-being comes before the safety and the well-being of the sheep. His wage, his paycheck, is that which is most important to him more so than the sheep. And again, he has no added affection for the sheep. Beloved, once again, the shepherd-sheep relationship is a distinctive relationship. And Jesus says that's what describes the relationship that I have with My people. You see, congregation, the fact that Jesus is a shepherd, that fact all by itself is comforting. He's not a thief that desires to damage the sheep. He's not a hired hand who only cares for Himself. He is the shepherd, the owner, the protector, and the supplier of the sheep. But this fact, you see, becomes even more comforting as Jesus makes it clear that His relationship with His sheep is unique. It's one of a kind. He identifies Himself as the good shepherd. Now, first of all, He is not a good shepherd, simply one of many who just happens to be pretty good at shepherding. But Jesus Christ is the Shepherd, the Good One. He is the one and only Good One. There is none other. And good here refers to His excellence and beauty. And you may recall that we have said before on occasion that when something is good, it is able to answer to its purpose. Boys and girls, that means that when something is good, it is able to do what it is meant to do. For example, a good shoe is one that fits well and doesn't have a hole in it. Good food satisfies not only my hunger, but also my taste buds. A good car is one that is reliable and gets me from here to there and doesn't spend most of its time at the mechanic. Jesus is the beautiful and excellent shepherd who answers to the ideal in both His work and in His character. You see, He alone was able to carry out and fulfill the purpose for which He came to do what He was meant to do. He is in a class all by Himself which He shares with no one. None other is nor can be like Him. But also, good, remember, is one of God's attributes. And therefore, here, just like with the other claims as we have considered, Jesus is reinforcing His claim to be God along with the words, I am. I am that I am, the Lord said to Moses. Jesus is plainly telling His audience and us that He is God. His very essence is goodness. And as the Good Shepherd, Christ's inner love and beauty was revealed in His outer tenderness for those around Him as well in the perfection of His work. Congregation, this is the ultimate comfort of this claim. That God Himself is our Shepherd. And that's why this I Am of the suffering servant also gives a clear picture of the comprehensive care of this shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. Jesus, as we know, talks about the thief and his desire to destroy the sheep. And He talks about the hired hand and his lack of willingness to protect the sheep, to protect the flock from the wolf, but it runs away and lets the wolf have its way. And David in Psalm 23 talks about the shepherd's care in contrast to those things. You see, the shepherd does not leave the sheep wanting, but instead provides for them and fills them. The shepherd looks for it and provides the safety and the abundance of quiet streams and green pastures. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, feeds His people through His earthly shepherds who are called to preach the Word. What an important and awesome and even a scary task for the preachers of God's Word. The good shepherd as well feeds his people by giving peace and joy in life and contentment in whatever lot in life we find ourselves in. The shepherd's rod is used to fight off dangerous animals that are looking for fast food from out of the flock. And the shepherd's staff, the crook of the staff, the hook of the staff, boys and girls, is used to draw sheep back from or rescue them from dangerous places. Our Lord's rod and staff gives strength to resist temptation. And when God's people fall into evil, He draws us back with His crook around our consciences. David reminisced to King Saul before he went out to face Goliath. He reminisced about his own days as a shepherd. He was experienced in fighting to protect the sheep. And as you recall, he was victorious over the lion and over the bear. But David knew that with the Lord as his shepherd, he enjoyed complete safety and security and provision. The thief comes to steal and to kill and destroy. And notice the progression there with the final intention of completely eliminating. And that's what our adversary the devil wants for us. But the good shepherd comes for the very opposite reason. And as verse 10 says of chapter 10, I have come, Jesus says, that they may have life and have it to the full, that they may have it abundantly. Now what kind of life is that? It is life with overflowing measure, everlasting life that begins already in this life with the hope, the living hope, as Peter says. It is life with the blessings of God's grace and joy and peace. And this abundant life includes all of the benefits of Christ's saving sacrifice. We can name them one by one. Regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, sanctification, preservation in this life. And glorification. And how did He accomplish this? You see, beloved, when the hired hand runs away at the sight of the wolf, what does the Good Shepherd do? The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. And laying down His life is a demonstration of or reflects the goodness of the shepherd. You see, He is everything to the sheep and He sacrifices His all for the sheep comprehensively. He gives His life in place of or instead of the sheep. Beloved, the objects of the good shepherd's love benefit because He replaces them. He is their substitute in the midst of deadly danger. But why does the good shepherd lay down his life? Because danger was very near. There was an urgent need to intercede. It was either the shepherd or the sheep. And the shepherd removes any danger from the sheep by giving his whole self. Isaiah 53 verse 12 says, He poured out his soul unto death. Paul says in 1 Timothy 2 verse 6, who gave Himself a ransom for all. Now normally we would think that the death of the shepherd would mean more danger for the sheep than in the deed of a real shepherd and a real sheep, physical sheep. That would be true because the sheep are left unprotected. The sheep are an easy target when the shepherd is dead. But that's not the case with the good shepherd. His laying down His life for the sheep means the gaining of life for the sheep. And this is where the spiritual truth is far greater than any earthly metaphor. Why does the good shepherd's death result in abundant life for his sheep? Congregation, Satan would claim us as his own because of our sin. He is the wolf. He knows that apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we deserve eternal separation from God in hell. But Jesus Christ, the suffering servant, suffered the curse of our sin and the punishment of God in our place as He crushed the wolf's head. And He entered into death. But you see, He didn't stay there. He reclaimed His life. He conquered death. He took His life up again. And He was able to do that, you see, because He voluntarily gave it of His own power in the first place. Notice verses 17 and 18. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. You see, beloved, many well-meaning Christians, and at one time I thought this way too, many well-meaning Christians think that they are the ones who nailed Jesus to the cross. They are the ones who put Him there as if Christ didn't have anything to do with it, as if He couldn't stop it. But this verse wipes that out. I gave My life. I lay down My life only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. We know that our Lord Jesus Christ orchestrated it all. When His time had not yet come, He didn't go to the cross. But when it was time, He set His sight resolutely on Jerusalem. He is the one who orchestrated everything. He is the one who voluntarily went to the cross in our place. He is the one who died and rose again. And beloved, His payment, His payment is perfect. His payment is sufficient. And best of all, His payment is accepted by His Father. And He lives. This is the key, beloved. Jesus Christ rose again. He lives. And because He lives, His sheep also live. He has completely removed the deadly danger. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 8, verse 9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. The Good Shepherd has been highly exalted and given the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. We sometimes sing those beautiful words, because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives. Satan has no claim or hold on us because Jesus Christ lives and we belong body and soul in life and in death. And I can face tomorrow, I can face today, and beloved, I can face death through the strength of my Savior. And the added beauty here is that no one or nothing can undo what Jesus has done. He laid down His life, but the idea in the Greek that we don't get from the English translation, the idea there is that He laid it down with continuing results. The results last and last and last. Never to be lessened. Never to be wiped out. No one can take that abundant eternal life away from God's people. My sins are forever paid for. Satan cannot eternally harm or eternally touch Christ's people. We know he tries. Oh, he tries. He tries through persecution. He tries through death. sometimes even of children. He tries through financial difficulty. He tries through war. He tries through depression. He tries through insults. He tries so many ways. But our Lord Jesus Christ gives to us His comprehensive care. And most of all, God's people are still protected in the face of death. All fear is gone. David says, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. You see, unless Jesus Christ comes first, we will all enter and walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But remember, boys and girls, what's that truth about the shadow that we said some time ago? A shadow can't hurt you. And for the sheep of the Good Shepherd, for the child of God. Death is just the doorway to the eternal crown of life. Not one of God's children, you see, will face death alone because Jesus Christ already entered death alone in our place and He conquered it. And He strengthens His people in the face of death by His Holy Spirit. But those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, those who despise Him and laugh at His call to repent and believe in Him, they will face physical death alone and they will suffer the eternal torment of hell with no one to give them any relief. But those who are the Father's gift to the Son, those whom the Father has given and who will be drawn to the Son and turn to Him in repentance and faith, they enjoy life to the full. Their eyes are opened. The blindness of sin has been removed. And the glory of God and salvation in Jesus Christ is revealed to them. And we as God's people, beloved, are called to walk, to stay close to and walk with Christ day by day. God's people will enjoy goodness and love all the days of this life and they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Beloved, what comprehensive care from the Good Shepherd in body and soul and in life and in death we belong to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ what comprehensive care so that we can confess with David the psalmist praise the Lord oh my soul all my inmost being praise his holy name praise the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles. Indeed, congregation, this is love so amazing, so divine, that it demands my soul, my life, my all. May we be led by Christ through the pastures of His Word. May we live in the safety of His rule for living. And may we desire to commit our lives to Him in thanksgiving for the gift of His life for us. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, again in Jesus' name, in the name of our Good Shepherd, we bow before Your throne of grace. We thank You for the wonderful truth of Your Word that the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ laid down His life that we might have life and have it to the full. We thank You, Father, for the assurance that You give to us that no one can take our life from us. No one can snatch it out of Your hand. That we are safe and protected and secure forever. Father, let us not become lazy with that truth and therefore think that we might live the life we want and therefore give evidence that we do not own that truth. But may that truth lead us and guide us and spur us on to more grateful living before the face of the Most High God. Father, we pray for those who have not yet heard the Gospel that Your Word may continue to go forth in all of its beauty and all of its truth and others, maybe even someone here tonight might be transformed by the power of Your Holy Spirit and have the assurance of life forevermore. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray these things. Amen. Thank you.