The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 54

Vere. 11-21.-Allegory of the good Shepherd. There is a ;progress of thought in ench nllegory. I. Tm~ 0HARACTER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, "I am the good Shepherd : the good Shepherd giveth his life for the shPep." 1. Heis himself" the great Shepherd of the sheep" of wlwm the prophets .~poke. (Ezek. xxxiv. 23; Gen. xlix. 24; Isa. xl. 11.) 2. His interest in his sheep is manifested in his throwin9 away his life /or their protection. Liko David, ho exposes his life freely for the sake of his Father's flock; he gives hie life in their room ancl stead. Our Lord constantly emphasizes that doctrine of atonement which tho " wis,lom of the world" rejects. II. THE 0BARA0TEil OF THE HIBELING. 1. He has no natural roncernfor the sheep. "But he that is an hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep." Hirelings of this class mind their own things, not the things of Jesus Chri8t, seeking only their gain from their quarter. They care not, therefore, what becomes of the sheep. Our Lord here refers, probably, to the natural guides of the Jewish people-the priests and the Levites, who had come to forget or ignore all their religious responsibilities. 2. He allows the wolves to scatter the ftoclc. "'l'he wolf catcheth them, and ecattereth the sheep." The wolf represents the natural enemy of the sheep. Jesus had said before," I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Matt. x, 16). The Pharisees were "wolves" from their rapacity, their falseness, and their temper of domination. III. THE RELATION BETWEEN THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP. "l know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, and as I know the Father." 1. This be8peaks mutual knowledge. (1) Jesus has an individual kn01JJledge of each member of his flock, as at once the choice and gift of his Father, and as bis own purchase. The relation between himself and his Father was the source and the pattern of this intimate relation with his sheep. (2) The sheep know Christ savingly; for their knowledge is linked with (a) trust, (b) love, (c) admiration. 2. He sacrifices hia life/or the sheep. "And I give my life for the sheep." The sacrifice was yet future, but clearly foreseen. 'l'here was no life for the sheep but through the death of the Shepherd. 3. He has also purpos/38 of mercy for the Gentile8. "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also must I bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall be one flock, one Shepherd." (1) Jewish unbelief will not defeat the Lord's purpose to establish a kingdom of believers. (2) Our Lord foresees - the hearty belief of the Gentiles in his Messiahship. (3) He regards them as already his, for they are so from all eternity (eh. xviii. 37). (4) He regards them as not "of this fold," for they are as yet" aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise" (Eph. ii 12). (5) Yet they are to be brought out of the wilderness of the world to his heavenly kingdom and glory by their hearing his voice in the gospel. (6) There will be but one Church-state for Jew and Gentile. "And they shall be one flock, one Shepherd." (a) Jesus by his death has made both one-" one new man "-breaking down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. (b) There may be many folds, that is, many visible Churches, but there is but one flock. (c) There is but one Shepherd in this flock. Our Lord foresees the great mission-work of the Church in coming ages, IV. MARK THE PERFECT FBEEDOM OF THE SHEPHERD'S DEATH. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I give my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it from me, but I give it of mysolf." 1. There is more in the sacrifice of Ghrist than in the death of a shepherd, who lets himself be torn in pieces that his flock may escape. 2. Clirist!s was a death absolutely self-determined, yet in accordance with his Father's will, and therefore does it specially challenge the Father's love. (1) There was power to lay down life. This implies the power to keep it. He could have claimed the aid of twelve legions of angels to snatch him from the grasp of his enemies. He was, indeed, "crucified in weakness;" but it was a weakness self-induced. (2) There was power to take life again in his resurrection, after he had satisfied law and justice by his obedience and sufferings unto death. V. CONSIDER THE EP.'E0T OF OUR LORD'S TEACHING. "There was a division therefore again among the Jews by reason of these words." There is always the same result : a fow accept the teaching, the rest become increasingly hostile and insulting. The question, " Why hear ye him ? " implies an uneasiness ~t the favour shown to him by a portion of the Jews.  66 THE GOSPEL AOCORDING TO ST. JOHN.