I hope to provide a thorough theological analysis by connecting the imagery of shepherd and sheep in John 10 to Old Testament passages, especially Ezekiel 34. I will explore
· the historical and religious context,
· the symbolism of Jesus as the Good Shepherd,
· and the implications for leadership and community.
Introduction
John 10:1-21 is the aftermath of Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles with the theme of Jesus as sheepgate and shepherd. The same audience is envisioned as that of Chapter 9, namely, the Pharisees. It occurs between the Feast of Tabernacles in September to October and the Feast of Dedication in December. The segment looks forward to the transition to the Feast of Dedication in 10:26-27. Contrary to some scholars, we do not need to reconstruct the text to give it a better chronological sequence. In the context of the glory of the mediator, Jesus is the light of life. He is the shepherd who guides the sheep and the voice the sheep hear.[2]
The elements of this figurative discourse are:
the shepherd, the sheep and the “own” sheep respectively,
the door, the doorkeeper,
the thieves and robbers,
the strangers.
As Jesus puts the image of the shepherd out for consideration, placing it in the context of John's gospel is crucial. Chapter 9 is the detailed story of the miracle of Jesus giving sight to a man born blind. Chapter 10 concludes with Jesus being accused of blasphemy and moves toward one of the high points of John's gospel: the death and subsequent raising of Lazarus. Jesus is heading for the ultimate tragedy in Jerusalem, and the theme of death - especially his own death - recurs in his parables and statements. Jesus' popularity is increasing, and the number of his followers continues to grow, peaking with the feeding of 5,000 (John 6), thus making the religious authorities more fearful and determined to eliminate Jesus.
The language of good shepherding during a time to remember false shepherds conjures images of Ezekiel 34. It is worth pondering what we learn about who Jesus is, how our insights deepen with this image, what makes us object to the image, and what promise is contained in it. In Ezekiel 34:1-10, the prophet recounts a period of bad shepherds who fatten themselves, take the wool for clothing, and fail to care for the sheep. These shepherds lead with force and harshness with no concern to help the weak, fallen, injured, strayed or lost. As a result of such poor leadership, the sheep of Israel are scattered to become prey for wild animals and lack any hope of rescue. In Ezekiel 34:11-31, however, God decides to search for his sheep, to gather the flock, and to attend to the weak and injured. Though imagery of God as nurturer and caregiver is prominent in the text, the language of judgment is even more overt. The necessity of the Lord to take the role of the Good Shepherd indicates the presence of false leaders and selfish hirelings. Moreover, in Ezekiel 34:17-22, the Lord must judge between the sheep and must purge the flock of those who do not belong to him. Thus, Jesus’ claim to be the Good Shepherd during the festival season suggests that, once again, there is a need for such a Good Shepherd to arise (consider John 2:13-22). Jesus’ words to the Jews who are questioning his identity in 10:26-27 sound more like an indictment: “But you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” The fact that the Jews are questioning whether he is the Christ, the Davidic-like Servant whom God will make Shepherd (Ezekiel 34:23-24), makes it painfully obvious that they do not even recognize a Good Shepherd when they see one. people. Little wonder that these "I am" statements were heard as first century fighting words. In the Old Testament tradition, to be called a shepherd was to be aligned with the Patriarchs, Moses and David. Thus, the images of shepherd and sheep did not originate with Jesus - they are often found in the Hebrew Scriptures. During the Babylonian exile, Isaiah 40:11 offers comfort in the hope of a new Exodus with the Lord as the shepherd, leading the sheep (people) home. Likewise, Jeremiah uses the image of the future "good" shepherding of the Lord, which he contrasts against the irresponsible shepherding that Israel's present kings (shepherds) are offering. The Good Shepherd can provide comprehensive care for his sheep, as Psalm 23 also notes. The other gospels also report Jesus speaking of himself as a shepherd - see Luke 15:3-7 - but it is here in John's gospel where that image is most fully developed.
Regarding sheep-shepherd, the shepherd gathers his own, those lost in the world but to whom the shepherd has the right of possession by pre-temporal predestination of the sheep, even though they may be of the most varied origin. This inter-relation of shepherd and sheep finds expression in the call of the shepherd and the hearing of the sheep, in their mutual knowledge and intimacy, in preceding and following, in the self-sacrifice of the shepherd that brings life and fullness, in the readiness of the sheep to accept the one who rescues them from peril. This shepherd is the Son, and the sheep are the community.[3] Within the context of this gospel there are also the two attempts by Jesus himself to describe his relationship with the people using the figure of speech of sheep and shepherds that his audience nevertheless “did not understand” (v. 6). The evangelist sets the two uses of the sheep imagery in the first part of the chapter (see vv. 1-6, and 7-18) on a different yet proximate occasion (note the “At that time” and changes of setting in vv. 22-23) to the exchange begun in this passage (and that extends through v. 39). Nevertheless, the evangelist tightly integrates this exchange with what has come immediately before through the repetition of key words.
The intention of the writer is to highlight the gathering together of the community of faith in Jesus, its close relationship to Jesus, the shepherd, and its separated character from false teachers. His intention holds both for the situation during the active ministry of Jesus and that of his own time. He presents the riddle right at the start in relation to the non-believers, who by reason of it remain, uncomprehending, so that he himself can thereupon disclose its essential content to the believing community through new Christological words. Seen in this light, the riddle’s relationship to the following revelatory words in “I” style can be more clearly stated. It was not a pre-existing parable from which, as from a reservoir, the writer fashioned his Christological images; rather, it is consciously related to them for the outset, the material condensed into it and which it shapes into a pastoral scene with an enigmatical meaning is then unfolded in the light of the intended perspective. Not all its features are taken up. Instead, only a number are given prominence and interpreted. Moreover, new ones are introduced according as they fit in with the Christological purpose in view. In both cases, the twofold aspect is discernible and acts as the guiding principle behind both arrangement and structure.
The precise identification of characters under attack in the polemic is a difficult matter. The shift in phraseology could be conditioned upon the pattern of images and the orientation of what is being said and does not oblige us to hold that different groups of characters are envisaged. Thieves and robbers are introduced in v. 8, being branded as destructive persons that came before Jesus, no longer being termed strangers whom the sheep will not follow in future. The hireling is brought in as someone who is the very opposite of the good shepherd, to characterize and typify those that care nothing for the sheep. Consequently, we need to allow considerable scope for the identity of those characters who are stigmatized and set in opposition to the shepherd. In context, this section is a figurative attack on the Pharisees, continuing the theme of attacking Jewish authorities from Chapter 9. Are we to assume a single parable or several interplaying ones? Do allegorical features play a part right from the start? To what extent does the discourse represent a development in line with the writer’s purpose and his theological perspective? As the writer sees it, individuals and groups from history enter the picture just as much as false claimants to reference to Judaism’s ruling circles in the time of Jesus but also in that of the writer is intimated in advance. False claimants to the title of Messiah can likewise be envisaged. Nor would a rejection of Zealot aspirations be out of the question. Regarding v. 8, we cannot altogether rule out the notion of Hellenistic savior figures. As for Gnostic conceptions about redemption, their exclusion from the pastoral discourses of John becomes evident only when one detects an exchange of ideas.
Verse-by-verse study
Verses 1-5 contain a parable. Like three parables in the synoptic gospels (Mk 4:1-9, Mt 13:24-30, 13:47-50), the parable is followed by a secondary allegorical interpretation.[4] Jesus was fond of using pictures of the symbolic call of the redeemer to describe the authority of his mission.[5] In v. 1-3a, there is a proper way to approach the sheep, namely through the gate opened by the keeper. by solemnly telling them that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate is a thief and a bandit, Jesus introduces and strengthens what he is about to say[6]Truly, truly, I say to you, one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that one is a thief and a robber. This may refer to Zealots who try to bring in the rule of God without regard to the person of Jesus and his divine approval, who thus bring the community into danger of error and destruction. In Mk 13:5-6, Jesus warns of those who might lead them astray and claim I am (ἐγώ εἰμι) he. The context places the identification on the Pharisees being thieves and robbers. The Council of Trent (DS, 1769) used verse 1 for the notion that only bishops had the right of confirmation and ordination, thereby making Luther and those appointed by him thieves and robbers.[7] 2 But one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To that one the gatekeeper opens. The shepherd enters the gate properly and the gatekeeper opens the gate for him. In the witness of John, his claim to unity with the Father, and to a present inbreaking of the divine rule for those who receive his message, met with the response of an accusation of blasphemy.[8] In v. 3b-5, there is a close relationship between sheep and shepherd. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. This naming by the shepherd was according to color, shape, and peculiarities of the animal, being a sign of ownership throughout the life of the animal.[9] 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. The sheep follow because they know his voice. To hear the voice of the shepherd is to know his voice and follow it. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. In contrast, the sheep escape from the unknown voice of a stranger by flight.[10] The proceedings such as are presented in the narrative take place in the morning, when the sheep are led out to pasture. Local conditions are explained in a variety of ways, which can be resolved into two. One, what we are dealing with is a sheepfold, such as is erected at pasture-time out in the open, outside the village. The shepherds have their camp nearby, and a man adjoins, a house, and is protected by a wall. Even people knowledgeable in Palestinian conditions are divided in their judgments. To go by linguistic usage, the door more likely signifies a yard, one that is so and abuts on another building. What may well lend support to this view is the apparent fact that the writer here has in mind several owners of small flocks who jointly pen their sheep in a secure yard, having first engaged someone to watch over them. Certainly not to be ruled as unfeasible, however, is the joint penning of several small flocks in a large fold situated out in the open. The gate can equally well denote a simple entrance to a fold as the door set in a solid wall. However, one is led to prefer to the second possibility because the gatekeeper fits in better thereby. The shepherd comes early in the morning to the entrance to the fold and is admitted by the gatekeeper. He calls and attracts his own sheep, but he must assist some so that all are brought out. Having left the fold, the shepherd positions himself at the head of the column. He leads his sheep, and they follow him because they know his voice, stressing the gathering of a new people of God.[11] Along with the polemical emphases in v. 1-2, and v. 5, another tendency can be discerned. One is to underline the bond between the shepherd and the sheep. In this connection, there comes to our attention a feature that does not altogether square with reality. The shepherd calls his own sheep. The shepherd certainly used to give names to some sheep as suggested by physical traits, hardly, however to all of them. Even in the case of small flocks, this would be scarcely conceivable. This exaggeration is brought home to us by the subject matter itself. Noteworthy is the fact that both these tendencies dominate the subsequent Christological imagery as well. The polemical resistance evinced towards those others who represent a threat to the well-being of the flock and the positive elaboration of the factors making for the welfare of the sheep decides its arrangement. In respect of the I am words, their repetition marks on both occasions the transition from a harmful aspect to one of well-being.
Verse 6 is a reaction to the parable. Jesus used this figure of speech, this hidden, obscure speech, which stands in need of interpretation, retrospectively calling the allegory of the shepherd a concealing speech of this kind,[12] but they did not understand what he was saying to them. In 9:40 and 10:19-21, the parable charges the Pharisees with destroying the flock as would thieve and robbers.[13]
“I am” (ἐγώ εἰμι) begins this section. When Jesus makes his declarative "I am" statements, he is offering a kind of symbolic discourse that freely mixes both symbolic and straightforward language. For the "I am" statements see 6:35, 51; 8:12, 24, 58; 10:7, 9; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5. The straightforwardness and forcefulness of these "I am" declarations reveal glimpses of Jesus that are clearly intended to suggest his divinity. These self-disclosures stress the uniqueness of Jesus' mission and identity, leading the listener toward Jesus' self-revelation. While the images are familiar sheep, gatekeepers, shepherds their radical disclosure opened Jesus and his followers to accusations of heresy, of di theism, by Jewish leaders. In the two verses immediately preceding this week's reading, Jesus declares himself the only doorway to salvation and abundant life (10:9-10). Obviously, such a message was viewed by the Jewish establishment as a direct attack on their unique relationship between God and God's chosen.
Verses 7-10 explain the meaning of "gate," Jesus is (ἐγώ εἰμι) the gate. The image arises out of verses 1-2, the interpretation seeing the figure of Christ as the door. V. 7, Jesus introduces and strengthens what he is about to say[14] by addressing them solemnly that he is the gate for the sheep. It is worth pondering what we learn about who Jesus is, how our insights deepen with this image, what makes us object to the image, and what promise is contained in it. The door-word is meant to show that, because of the self-revelation of Jesus, all other claimants are usurpers through being convicted of a false claim to being saviors. So long as Jesus, the shepherd, is installed in his function as door, every illegitimate claim in respect of revelation, leadership and the bringing of salvation falls to pieces when it encounters him. There is but one entrance to the sheep, and Jesus occupies it. In v. 8, people who came before him are thieves and bandits, which could refer to Zealots who try to bring in the rule of God without regard to the person of Jesus and his divine approval, and who thus bring he community danger of error and destruction. In Mk 13:5-6 is a warning to not let others lead them astray as they claim: I am (Ἐγώ εἰμι) he. The sheep did not listen to them. Jesus is the gate whereby the shepherd approaches the sheep. In context, the bandits are Pharisees, rather than false messiahs. It has to do with people claiming leadership on false messianic or religious grounds. In v. 9-10, he is the gate leading to salvation. Jesus says he is (ἐγώ εἰμι) the gate. God will save anyone who enters through this gate. Jesus mediates membership of the community and reception of the promised blessings of salvation, which includes deliverance from judgment, citizenship in the community of salvation, and eternal life. Jesus alone mediates the true pastoral office. Those who do not have this authorization are disturbers of the flock.[15] They will come in and go out and find pasture. Jesus now offers pasture, just as before he offered water and bread. This is opposed to the slaughter the bandits will bring. He reaffirms that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. In contrast, with an entry formula that that stresses the critical nature of this moment,[16] Jesus has come that people may have abundant life.
Deeper exploration of Ezekiel 34 and a meditation on the shepherd image
This passage draws upon images from Ezekiel 34, doing so for apologetic reasons. It will show how the Johannine understanding of Jesus is rooted in Jewish scripture.
Ezekiel 34 has the theme of the shepherd of Israel. The leaders of Israel have acted improperly and need to be replaced. It does not call for the overthrow of the House of David, but it does envision a form of power sharing. The image of shepherd is common in the ancient Near East to portray monarchs. It was common for rulers of agrarian cultures or kingdoms to cast themselves as shepherds of their people. Ezekiel takes up the theme from Jeremiah 23:1-8, where the prophet proclaims woe upon shepherds who scatter the flock, so the Lord will deal with them in judgment and will gather the remnant of the flock so that they can be fruitful and multiply again, and the Lord will bring new shepherds that will arise from David. The shepherds are the kings and lay leaders of the people. The issue for Ezekiel is that much of the blame for exile rests with the Israelite kings for failing to lead their people properly. These shepherds are gone now. He will stress that the Lord is speaking through him. In line with other prophets, he invited his listeners to reflect on the past, understand the present, and anticipate what God might bring in the future. The parable of the lost sheep told by Jesus in Matthew 18:12-14 = Luke 15:4-7 and the allegory of the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-18 find their inspiration in this chapter.
"The Word of the Lord came to me" (34:1) is a common prophetic formula. See verses 2, 7-11, 15, 17, 20, 24, and 30-31 for similar indications that it is God speaking through the prophet. Biblical prophets spoke words of God to God's people -- reflecting on the past, giving an understanding of the present, and anticipating what God might be bringing in the future.
In Ezekiel 34: 2-10 the Lord God indicts the bad shepherds for neglecting God's sheep and maltreating them harshly, exploiting them for their own gain. They had failed to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured or seek the lost to bring them back. Ezekiel is to prophesy against the current evil shepherds of Israel. He denounces theme as false shepherds of the flock. The word "shepherds" is common as a metaphor for leaders of God's people, most especially kings, who were to be godly people who would treat God's people well (see Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Sheep need a good shepherd -- see Isaiah 53:6a and 1 Peter 2:25. Good shepherds engage in difficult, dangerous work, providing for their sheep by giving protection from human and animal predators, guidance to adequate grazing and water, rescue from precarious circumstances, and healing from wounds. In this case, the shepherds of Israel have been feeding themselves instead of the sheep. They eat the fat and clothe themselves with the wool. They slaughter the fatlings. Yet they do not feed the sheep. They have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back those who strayed, or sought the lost. Instead, they have focused on ruling them. Without a shepherd they scattered and became food for wild animals. The scattered sheep wandered over the mountains on hill, an illusion to the high places. They have scattered throughout the earth, with no one to search for them. The shepherds are to hear the word of the Lord. The Lord God says that “my sheep” have become prey and food for wild animals. Further, the sheep have had no shepherd. Further still, shepherds have fed themselves without feeding the sheep. Therefore, the shepherds are to hear the word of the Lord. The Lord God is against the shepherds to the point that they shall no longer be shepherds. The Lord God will rescue “my sheep” from the mouths of the shepherds. Since they have not taken care of the flock, they are scattered or sent into exile.
In Ezekiel 34: 11-16, God acts as the ideal shepherd who will return the people who have been scattered. 11 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep. Such terminology as “my sheep” or “my flock” occurring throughout the chapter and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. God will lead them out from their place of exile, collect the scattered flock, and them into the land where they will find good pasture. God will feed the sheep and give them rest and they shall know the Lord. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, However, and significantly, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. They will be destroyed because they neglected the people. We can see, then, that in contrast to shepherding provided by the kings and priests before the exile, God would bring about a new exodus by seeking out the exiled people, rescuing them and bringing them back to "graze" in their own land. Ezekiel places the misfortunes of Israel squarely at the doorstep of bad shepherds. The bad shepherd ravaged and abused the people. The fat sheep got fatter and the skinny ones skinnier. The prophet promises that Yahweh will become the shepherd. We see the image among other prophets in, where the Lord will gather the scattered sheep (Jeremiah 23:1-3), where the Lord will gather scattered sheep (Jeremiah 31:10), where the Lord will gather scattered Jacob/Israel (Micah 2:12), and where the Lord will gather the lambs in his arms and gather them to his bosom (Isaiah 40:11). We see the image in the Psalms, where the Lord is the shepherd of the writer (23), where the prayer is that the Lord will be the shepherd of the people and carry them (28:9), where the Lord led them like sheep and guided them through the wilderness like a flock, leading them in safety (78:52-53a), where the writer appeals to the shepherd of Israel who led Jacob like flock (80:1), where we are the people of the pasture of the Lord and the sheep of his hand (95:7), and where we are his people and the sheep of his pasture (100:3). We see the image in Genesis 48:15, where Joseph testifies that the God of his ancestors has been his shepherd throughout his life, and 49:24, where the tribe of Joseph is strong by the name of the Shepherd. Yet, in Ezekiel 34:17-19, the Lord addresses “my flock,” saying that the Lord God will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. The Lord wonders why it seems not to be enough for them to feed on the good pasture. Rather, they must tread down the rest of their pasture. Thus, the leaders are the stronger sheep who trample the pasture. They can drink from clean water. Yet they foul the rest of the water with their feet. Thus, the leaders dirty the water that others must use. The Lord puzzles as to why “my sheep” must eat what they have trodden with their feet and drink what they have fouled with their feet. The Lord will destroy some of the flock, the stronger sheep, to save the flock. 20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them everywhere. 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. The prophet now coming to an important shift in thinking, as the rule of the Lord will be manifested in the establishment of a return of David himself, the earlier and ideal king. 23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, referring to the best human shepherd, of course, a good king from the line of David. God will judge between the members of the flock, save the sheep, and set over them one shepherd, eliminating the evils beasts and give peace to the flock. Metaphorically, shepherding is what a good leader does in relationship with his or her people. Micah 5:2-5a proclaims that a leader shall arise who will feed his flock in the strength of the Lord. Ezekiel 37:24-28 looks forward to a time when David as the servant of the Lord shall be the one shepherd of Israel, bringing peace and fruitfulness. As already mentioned, Jeremiah 23:1-6 has relevance in its promise that the Lord will raise shepherds who will not cause fear among the people, doing so by a righteous Branch arising out of David. This shepherd shall feed (ra'ah, which one can also translate "tend" or "pasture") the flock properly, he shall feed them and be their shepherd. I, the Lord, have spoken. The idea involves the whole complex of meanings of what a good shepherd does to care for the sheep. David, being a shepherd in his youth, fit the image perfectly. The tribes of Israel acknowledged that the Lord promised David that he would be the shepherd of the people of the Lord (II Samuel 5:1-2). The Lord took David from the pasture where he tended sheep to become a prince over the people of the Lord and the ancestor of the leader of the people of the Lord (II Samuel 7:8-13). The Lord brought David from tending sheep to being shepherd of Jacob/Israel, where he tended to them and guided them with upright heart and skillful hand (Psalm 78:70-72). 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince (nasi’ rather than Melech or king) among them. The prophet proclaims a theocracy. Yahweh will give a shepherd to the people who becomes another David. Ezekiel proclaims the messianic age. This shepherd recognizes the responsibility he has for the sheep. He will act solely on their behalf. He will understand the selfish tendencies of the sheep better than the sheep do. He will not reject them or despise them. He will know what they need better than they do. He will know how he can genuinely help them. He will keep them together. He will know them and call them by name. Each member of the flock will have his or her place. All will be safe in the care of this new shepherd. This shepherd will not encroach upon their freedom. This shepherd will serve them. Many will claim to be shepherds. Some from the flock may follow them. Accepting such false claims will lead the sheep down the path of isolation and confusion. They become desperate enough to make someone their shepherd. Such shepherds will feed only themselves. They say will now offer genuine help to the sheep. Yet the hopes the sheep place in such shepherds will never materialize.[17]
The New Testament considers Jesus Christ (the anointed Davidic King) to be the ultimate fulfillment of such promises. He is God's Good Shepherd. From Bethlehem will come a ruler to shepherd Israel as the people of the Lord (Matthew 2:6). Jesus taught that the shepherd would search for the one lost sheep and invite others to celebrate with him (Luke 15:1-7), just like the Son of Man, who has come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). For John, Jesus is the shepherd who enters through the gate and whose voice the sheep know. He is both the gate for the sheep and the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. He knows the sheep and the sheep know him, leading to one flock and one shepherd. The sheep hear his voice and follow him. like Ezekiel, a sentence of judgment is pronounced upon unworthy rulers of Israel, who are denounced both for robbing and killing the sheep and for abandoning them to beasts of prey, while John arraigns both those who rob, kill, and destroy the flock and the hirelings who abandon the sheep to the wolf. Jesus passes judgment upon false rulers. In Ezekiel 34, judgment upon the false shepherds leads to a promise of deliverance for the flock, while in John the robbers and hireling shepherds serve as foil to the good shepherd. However, John goes beyond Ezekiel in saying the shepherd brings the sheep eternal life. The heroic shepherd goes out to meet the wolf and lays down his life in defense of his flock. This provides a view of the passion as a voluntary and vicarious self-sacrifice. Christ will die because of the conflict with the rulers of Israel, hinted at in 6:51, but here his death is voluntary and vicarious as the heroic shepherd. His death because of the conflict with Jewish leaders will lead to life for others[18](John 10, especially 1-18 and 27-30). The risen Lord is the great shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20-21). We were going astray like sheep but have returned to the shepherd and guardian of our souls (I Peter 2:24-25). Revelation 7:17 has a remarkable shift of imagery, where the Lamb of God (the crucified and now risen Jesus Christ) becomes the shepherd of God's people, "and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." The word "pastor" comes from the Latin word for shepherd, as pastors are to be God's good under-shepherds. The Lord promises to give Israel shepherds whose hearts are for the Lord and who will feed them with knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3:15). The risen Lord commissions Peters to feed his sheep (John 21:15-17). Peter encourages the elders to tend the flock God has placed in their charge, exercising proper oversight, by being an example to the flock, so that when the chief shepherd appears they will win a crown of glory (I Peter 5:1-4). Paul urges elders to keep watch over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers to shepherd the church of God (Acts 20:28). Jesus said (Luke 12:48b), "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded."
The image of shepherd has been meaningful in hymns of the church as well.
Isaac Watts (1719) wrote a hymn, “My Shepherd will Supply My Need, a reflection based on Psalm 23. He admits that he has a wandering spirit, but the Shepherd brings him back. Even when the shades of death stalk him, the supporting breath of the Lord drives away his fears. God provides for him. He wants his abode to be the eternal home God provides, where he will find a settled rest, as will others, who will no longer be strangers to him.
Dorothy A. Thrupp (1779-1847) wrote “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.” I am thinking of the first two verses. We need the tender care of this Shepherd. We need the pleasant pastures that feed us. We belong to this Shepherd, who is the guardian of our lives. While we pray the Shepherd to defend us from sin, we also ask the Shepherd to seek us when we go astray.
Along with this good Davidic shepherding, God offers hope, initiating (Ezekiel 34:25-31) a renewed covenant along with the exiles' blessed return to a safe, fruitful land. The Lord will make with them a covenant of friendship or peace (shalom see Isaiah 54:10), suggesting the idyllic situation for those whom the lord will return to the land, and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely. Shalom is not only the absence of warfare or strife; it is also the well-being, harmony, and safety of the community. The exilic community, showered with trouble, hears an extraordinary promise of security, showers of blessing, and safe sanctuary. The scattered people now hear the voice of the lord as a flock hears its shepherd. Turning in response, they are called back into life with the Lord in obedience and gratitude. Covenant is a mutual relationship: The Lord would be their God, and they would be his people (see vv. 30-31). (See Ezekiel 18:31-32, 36:26-28, 37:26-28. See also Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Revelation 21:3-4.) The Lord will make them a blessing. The Lord will send down the showers in their season. They shall be showers of blessing. The trees will provide their fruit; the earth shall yield its increase. They shall be secure on their soil. Thus, accompanying the deliverance from exile and restoration to the land will be the absence of dangerous animals, safety from enemies, "showers of blessing" and abundant crops -- it will be like living in a new Eden, for which see Deuteronomy 30. As a result of God's actions, "they shall know that I am the Lord" characteristic language in Ezekiel (28 times; also see Exodus 29:46). In a discussion of biblical ideas of revelation, a new act of deliverance will give knowledge of God.[19] They shall know that the Lord is God with the Lord breaks the bars of their yoke and saves them from the hands of those who enslaved them. They shall not be plunder for the nations anymore. They shall live in safety. No one shall make them afraid. The Lord God will provide for them spending vegetation so that they will no longer suffer hunger or the insults of the nations. They shall know that the Lord their God is with them and that they are the people of the Lord. They are “my sheep,” the sheep of “my pasture,” and the Lord is their God.
Practical application
I hope I provide a thoughtful reflection, relating biblical themes to modern experiences of vocation, satisfaction, and purpose.
We can lead lives in which we will experience the safety of entering by the gate, hearing the voice of the shepherd, and find pasture. We can lead the abundant life. John is affirming the human desire for a happy life, even if he challenges our conception of happiness or the path to get there. We only live once, so we want a significant life, an exciting life, and a life that has a meaningful end. Sadly, some people will use the notion of only having one life as justification for living superficially, grabbing for the all the gusto one can, and wasting the one life they have. For some people, each day is like an amusement ride. It does not have to take you anywhere to be wonderful.
An incredibly significant percentage of people are unhappy with their jobs. They do not like their lives and certainly do not view it as an abundant life. Job satisfaction has little to do with salary, responsibilities, and possibilities for advancement. The millionaire sports star can be unhappy and the janitor in the stadium can be happy. A marketing executive earning a quarter of a million a year can be unhappy and the waitress who serves him coffee can be happy. In general, the difference is the relationships formed on the job, both between manager and employee, but also with other employees. Such relationships are the difference between having your dream job and having it become a soul-sucking nightmare. One example of vocational hell is anonymity. People sense they have their unique personality and gifts that they want honored and respected in the workplace. Receiving such recognition from one in authority as well as colleagues is a powerful source of fulfillment in the job. A second example is the irrelevance of what one is doing, that the job matters to someone. Someone can replace us, of course, but we want to know someone would miss what we do if we were gone. A third example is some objective criteria that gauges our progress and the contribution we make. The point here is that purely subjective opinion or the politics of the workplace do not tend to contribute to satisfaction. Misery on the job tends to spill over into other aspects of life, such as personal health, addictions, and broken relationships.[20]
We want satisfaction in something as important as our jobs. However, if you have decided to follow Jesus, your primary vocation is to learn what it means to be a Christian. We may wrestle at various stages of our lives with what that means. I want to offer some signs of living your life abundantly as a follower of Jesus.
First, you have a relationship with the shepherd of the sheep. The shepherd knows you. The shepherd calls you by name and leads you. As part of the flock, other sheep recognize you and value you. You are far from anonymous.
Second, your vocation is to witness to the saving of human life by having a relationship with the shepherd and joining other sheep. This mission matters. Having an abundant life is larger than the immediate concerns of job, family, and friendships. Abundant life is the fruit of connecting with a larger purpose of our lives. We have a reason to be here, connected to the purposes God has for the world.
Third, gauging the relevance of our vocation involves prayerful consideration of how well have represented Jesus in our word and deed this day. We prayerfully consider whether our beliefs and values represent Jesus, whether our work performance has represented Jesus, and whether our relationships in family, with friends, and the community represent Jesus.
Our vocation as Christians is not an easy one, but it is working at it patiently, enduringly, and lovingly can contribute to our experiencing an abundant life.
[1] Contrary to some scholars, we do not need to reconstruct the text to give it a better chronological sequence.
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[3] Preisker/Schulz, TDNT VI, 691.
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[10] Betz, TDNT, IX, 297.
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[12] Hauck, TDNT V, 856.
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[15] Jeremias, TDNT III, 178-9.
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[20] Lencioni, Patrick. The Three Signs of a Miserable Job. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007.
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