Known Day 4 Christos: Digging Deeper

Mandy Farmer
July 13, 2023
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

John 10:11-18
I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
The Original Intent
1) How does this passage connect with Christos and Scriptures of the Old Testament?
Christos comes from the Greek meaning “Anointed One” or “Chosen One” and is related to the Hebrew word “Mashiach”, or Messiah. We understand from Scripture study that when these words are used in the Bible, we are speaking of Jesus.
The Gospel of John is filled with analogies from Jesus using “I Am” statements to describe Himself as Christ, the Son of God. Jesus used these statements as a means of declaring He was indeed the Messiah, the coming King and promised Savior of the world.
In Exodus 3 God instructed Moses to tell the people He was to be Known as “I Am Who I Am”. The Lord is the “I Am” God; He is above all things and incomparable to any other. “I Am” is a declaration of deity strung as a scarlet cord that runs through the Old Testament from Moses to Joshua to David and onward, leading us straight to Jesus.
The promises of a Messiah were now fulfilled as Jesus stood to announce He was the Chosen One (Luke 4:21), claiming the title of “I Am” for Himself, the very One who pre-existed creation (John 1:1) and through Whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).
Though all powerful, the I Am Christos describes Himself as a humble, good Shepherd. This analogy, which we easily connect with Psalm 23, identifies Jesus as The One, True Messiah.
The Everyday Application
1) How does this passage connect with Christos and Scriptures of the Old Testament?
I love to study the Old Testament looking for Jesus; it confirms my faith and strengthens my belief in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Coming King. You may have never been taught the connection between the Old and New Testaments. Or, perhaps, because of familiarity, the Old Testament has lost its luster for you. I urge you to turn its pages looking for Christos with renewed eagerness! (52 Weeks In The Word by Trillia Newbell is a great resource!)
It wasn’t until recently that “the obvious” was pointed out to me again from Old Testament truths. God told Moses, “I Am Who I Am”. John bridges this title and ties it strongly to Christ in his gospel narrative by highlighting how Jesus used the same authoritative title when saying of Himself “I Am…”
- the Bread of Life (John 6:35),
- the Light of the World (John 8:12),
- the Door (John 10:7),
- the Good Shepherd (John 10:11 and 14),
- the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25),
- the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)
- the True Vine (John 15:1)
Each of these statements fit into the whole theme of the Bible and confirms the deity of Jesus. Looking at the whole of Scripture sheds light on the Truth. Dee Brestin shared, “Failing to see that the Bible as one great story is like failing to look at the cover of a puzzle box before you dive into its one thousand pieces. You may be able to put the puzzle together, but it will be frustrating.” (The Jesus Who Surprises)
Looking at the complete picture brings such light to the story. Do you agree?
The Original Intent
2) How are the Shepherd and hired hand similar and different? (verses 11-13)
For the original audience, Jesus’ self-identifying statement as the “Good Shepherd” would have landed as an oxymoron. Shepherds were not looked upon as “good.” They were the lowest of the low. As the rejects of society, they were thieves and robbers. How could the Messiah be a shepherd?
On the other hand, consider what they knew from their Jewish history. The greatest king of Israel, David, had been a shepherd-king. Though he came from the lowest places, even the smallest tribe and the youngest in his family, yet he was exalted to the highest position in Israel as her King.
David received the promise of God that his line would lead to the Messiah. David wrote, “The Lord is my Shepherd”, the One who cares for me, leads and guides me, heals, and saves me.
Jesus was not like other shepherds. He did not run from danger, but radically gave His life to save His sheep. Hirelings, other shepherds Jesus referenced, were Sadducees and Pharisees.
These leaders had been given power and position in order to rightly shepherd the sheep of Israel, but they became infatuated with their rule, gloating in pride of all kinds. They proved they would in no way lay themselves down for Israel. They weren’t Good Shepherds, and neither were they good sheep.
They didn’t “come in” to God through the door by which God had ordained His flock to come into His fold. “The entrance to the Fold had been His free love, His gracious provision, His thoughts of pardoning, His purpose of saving mercy. That was God’s Old Testament-door into His Sheepfold.” (Alfred Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1883, page 802-803)
The Everyday Application
2) How are the Shepherd and hired hand similar and different? (verses 11-13)
Albert Barnes describes a hireling as one employed to take care of the sheep, and one to whom wages are paid. The word translated ‘hireling’ is often employed in a good sense; but in this context it denotes one who is unfaithful to his trust. This includes preachers who speak only for pay. Ones who are unwilling to stand for the welfare of the Church of God. They do not take courage for the cause of Christ. It doesn’t bother them if the church is corrupted and wasted by its spiritual foes. (StudyLight.org)
Shepherds in Jesus’ time cared for their sheep during the day while out grazing. They hired others to stay with the sheep in the fold overnight to keep wolves and other dangers away.
I grew up on a dairy farm, no sheep, but the analogy applies. We seldom took a vacation as a family because of the expense. There was more to consider financially than the vacation itself, however, for if we were to leave the farm, we needed to hire someone to feed and milk the cows. Invariably, milk production went down and many times we returned to a sick and dying animal. A hired person comes in and does the work, not taking an interest in each animal. He doesn’t call them each by name, treat them with gentleness, or talk kindly to them. No attention is given to detail or signs that a cow is ill.
Jesus knows each one of us by name. He calls us and gently leads us individually the way we need to go. He takes time with each of us and knows everything about us. I am so grateful Jesus knows my name. He knows my actions and detects when something isn’t right, because He is faithfully watching over my every step. (Psalm 139:1-6)
The Original Intent
3) How are we known by God and how can we know Him? (verse 14)
We cannot even begin to wrap our minds around the concept that God knows us perfectly, intimately, and deeply, and chooses to embrace us with His Love! (Psalm 103:11-14)
The Almighty, God of the Universe, looks down and sees us and He loves us! It’s a point that must be taken by faith because the Bible tells me so. “To know” is more than being familiar with a person but to know him intimately.
Psalm 139 tells us God knows every action we take and every thought we think. He knows what we will say before we say it. He is present with us every moment. Because we were created by Him, He knows every tiny part of our being, even the number of hairs on our head! (Luke 12:7) Not only this, He also loves us and has chosen us to be a part of His family. How wonderful that He chose us to be His! (1 Peter 2:9)
How we can grasp this great love, even in the slightest measure, is only through faith in Him. (Ephesians 3:17-19) In and of ourselves, we cannot even acknowledge Him for our sin and love affair with ourselves perpetually blinds us to His kind, gracious love.
But He knows and loves us, so He pursues us (Psalm 139:7-8, John 3:16) just as He searched for Adam and Eve in the garden despite their sinful rebellion. (Genesis 3:9)
The Everyday Application
3) How are we known by God and how can we know Him? (verse 14)
God longs to be in fellowship with us. (Acts 17:27) The problem is our sinfulness, which separates us from Him. (Romans 3)
If we want to know God, we must first acknowledge our sin. (Acts 3:19) Only through Jesus, the “I Am” Door can we find salvation. (John 10:7, Acts 4:12) Once we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:10), our desire to deeply know and love Him will increase exponentially.
The key to growing a relationship with God and His Son is by reading Scripture and listening to His voice. Through the Scriptures, we learn His character, His promises, and His will for our lives. As we seek Him through His Word, His indwelling Holy Spirit testifies that we are God’s children. (Romans 5:15-16) We will be filled with God, and we can experience the joy of knowing Him! (Knowing God by J.I. Packer)
We readily recognize the voices of family and close friends because we have spent much time together. We can finish their sentences and anticipate their responses. It is the same with God! The more time we spend with Him, the easier it becomes for us to recognize His voice.
The believer’s knowledge of God in Jesus Christ is only provisional in the present. It suffices for recognizing and trusting Him as we learn His ways and know His heart more deeply while we journey on earth. (John 17:3; Romans 10:9 ) Jesus says of Himself, “I know My sheep and My sheep know Me […] My sheep listen to My voice.” (John 10:14)
Without answering all our questions, our understanding of the Lord through His Word and by His Spirit provide an adequate light for the journeyer in this darkened world. But this knowledge is only a foretaste of knowing God ‘face to face’. (Bible Study Tools, 1 Corinthians 13:12)
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