John 10:11-18 | Sermon Resources | 8 June 2025
Summary
We come this week to the fourth “I am” statement in the John’s gospel: “I am the good shepherd.” Of all the ways Jesus could have described himself as our shepherd, he choose to reveal himself as the good shepherd. Unlike a hired hand, Jesus loves us freely, not out of obligation; fully, laying down his life for the sheep; and purposefully, gathering us into one flock and empowering us to know him deeply. His goodness is not abstract but personal, sacrificial, and transformational. To know Christ as the Good Shepherd is the heart of eternal life—not merely to know about him, but to truly know him, as he knows us.
Discussion Questions
- In John 10:11–18, Jesus calls himself the “good shepherd.” What do you notice about the way he contrasts himself with the hired hand?
- How might someone today mistakenly view Jesus more like a hired hand than a shepherd? What are the dangers of this “transactional” view of God?
- According to verses 11 and 15, what is the ultimate expression of Jesus’ love for his sheep? Why is sacrifice central to biblical love?
- What does it mean that Jesus wants us to know him just as he knows the Father (v.15)? How is that different from simply knowing facts about him? Where do you most need to remember Jesus’ goodness right now—in battling sin, enduring trials, or navigating abundance?
- Which aspect of Jesus’ love (freely, fully, or purposefully) do you find most difficult to grasp personally? Why?
- How might a deeper understanding of Jesus as the Good Shepherd lead you to worship him more sincerely or follow him more closely this week?
Quotes
“I began to fast twice a week for 36 hours together, praying many times a day and received the sacrament every Lord’s Day. I fasted myself almost to death all the 40 days of Lent, during which I made it a point of duty never to go less than 3 times a day to public worship, besides 7 times a day to my private prayer.” (George Whitefield, Vol 1, Arnold Dallimore, p.60)
“God was pleased to remove the heavy load, to enable me to lay hold of His dear Son by a living faith, and by giving me the Spirit of adoption, to seal me even to the day of everlasting redemption. O! with what joy – joy unspeakable – even joy that was full of and big with glory, was my soul filled, when the weight of sin went off, and an abiding sense of the pardoning love of God, and a full assurance of faith, broke in upon my disconsolate soul! Surely it was the day of mine espousals – a day to be had in everlasting remembrance! At first my joys were like a spring tide, and overflowed the banks!” (George Whitefield, Vol 1, Arnold Dallimore, p.77)
