The log cabin Democrat., 1908-04-02
Jesus the Good Shepherd Sunday School Lesson for April 5, 1903 Specially Prepared for This Paper

GOLDEN TEXT-"The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."-John 101L TIME. September, A. D. 29, at the feast of tabernacles John f:2). Some comnen- tators. however. consider that John 9:1-lO: q took place at the feast of dedication
 Gohn 10:22) in November. The latter part of the third year of Jesus public ministry.
 PLACE.-Jerusalem On the second supposition as to time, the exact place was Solomon's porch, on the east side or the temple. Jesus with His audience might have seen the shepherds gathering their scattered fiocks if they grazed out from the courts of the temple over the neighboring hlls"-Public Commentary. S.-Probably the blind man whom Christ had just healed. some of Christ's disciples, and some of the Phari- | sees.
 Comment and Suggestive Thought. The Twofoid Parable: the Fold, the epherd.-Vs 1-G. First let us try
 to put ourselves back among the sheepfolds of Christ's time. How were they arranged? "The fold was
 walled enclosure open to the sky, with
 solid door, which was closely barred at night by the doorkeeper, and opened by him in the morning, when the shep- herds came to claim their sheep,
 which they had left in the fold the
 previous evening, in order to lead out to pasture. e."-Century Bible. The door, keeper or porter" would know that anyone found climbing in over the wall was "a thief" Ga sneak thief), or "a robber'' Ca more violent rascalO
 The TwofoId Interpretation of the ParabIe-Vs. TAP What double anal ogy did Christ draw from the parable!
 He was the Door (v. ? and the Shep-
 herd (v. ID. Why did he run the risk of confusing his hearers? Because truth is so many-sided, and Christ
 means so much to men, that many comparisons are needed to picture It all
 First Analogy: Christ, the Door (vs. 7-9). How is Christ like the door of a fold? Through him alone can men enter into the peace and Safety
 that fold implies-safety from the ravening beasts of sin, peace in the consciousness of safety. Through the
 door, too, they go out (v. 9 into the pasture" What am doc fo', any how? Jes' to shet yo' out, jes to shet
 yo' in or to let yo' thro. Jesus am de Doc, de way into de Kingdom; an
 he am de Doc, de way out into life.
 He sho' did say, If yo' enters in by
 me- yo' shall be saved'-no evil can git by de Doc Jesus. An yo' shall go out an in!' Honey, dat am de free dom what he am all de time promisin'. An yo shall find pasture Dat am de fullness of life what he am all de time
 tellin' bout When yo' passes out an
 when yo' passes in, yo' sho' nuf has
 to pass right by de Mastah, and look him plum squar' in de eyes. .'-J. w. | Lawrance Go in and out was
 phrase familiar to the Jews. See Deut. 2S: 6; Psa. 121: 8; Jer. 37: 4.
 Why did Christ say he was the
 door of the sheep, rather than "of the fold?" Because Christ was thinking of
 his individual followers, the sheep,
 rather than of the fold, his church.
 He is the door of both.
 Who were those that came before Christ, the thieves and robbers, whom the sheep did not hear? Not the
 prophets, who humbly pointed forward
 to Christ, but the Jewish leaders of
 the time just before Christ, and es-
 pecially the Pharisees. They had laid
 many heavy burdens upon the people.
 who had been compelled to obey the
 severe requirements of formal religion, but their hearts never yielded to these
 false leaders, "the sheep did not hear them"
 Second Analogy: Christ, the Shep-
 herd (vs. 1918, 22-3O) As opposed to
 the Pharisees' wrong way of enter
 ing the Kingdom, Christ was the
 Door; but as opposed to the charac- ter of the Pharisees, he was the Shep-
 herd. AS mediator between God and
 man, he is the Door; as prophet or teacher. he is the Good Shepherd. -
 James M. Macdonald, D. D. This is a freouent metaphor of the Old Testa-
 ment, applied to God and to Gods
 honored servants (Num. 27: 15-21;
 Psa. 23: SO: 1; lsa. 40: II; Jer 23: IA: Ezek. 34: 11-16; Zech. Il: 4-17)
 Homer often speaks of his kings and
 leaders as shepherds; see also Plato's Republic. Book l. The figure has
 
 impressed itself deeply on the mind of Christendom, and is conspicuous
 in the art and literature of the
 churches. It is still the emblem of the Christian ministry, from the office of
 the bishop, with his pastoral staff, to
 that of the village preacher, who is known as pastor. Bible,
 ssThis is the favorite and most touch ing figure in the Catacombs. It seems
 to inspire the early Christian painters
 with delightful skill
 How was Christ like a shepherd?
 In CD his care of men (vs. 1O-l3), in
 CD his knowledge of men (vs. IA, 15),
 in (3) the breadth of his love for men
 (v. 16), in (4) the eagerness of mems
 love for him (v 2O, in (5) his divine
 commission to care for men (vs. 15.
 F. Is. 25. 29.)
 Two Kinds of Hearers tvs. 1921. .l