Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-04-03
The Sunday
School Lesson
~~
Subject for April 8, 1908.

4 JcSuSy liz SooN
LIS.
Golden Text.-'"The good shepherd Civ
| eth his life for the sheep.'-John 1910.
This parable was given to show how
| Incompetent the Pharisees were to, lead
the people, for they were false shepherds.
| Jesus applies this parable in W ways.
In the first six verses He likens Him
| self to the door of the sheep fold, through
which all true preachers and teachers
must themselves 60. Beginning with
verse Z, He likens Himself to a shep-
herd. The figure Of the shepherd was
a familiar one. 1t had been used often
in the Old Testament. (See Psa. %;
lisa. 40 :11.)
Verse 1. Into the Sheepfold. The
sheepfold was a low, fat-roofed building,
in which the sheep were gathered for pro-
lection from the weather. robbers and
wild beasts. The sheepfold represents
the visible church, which is I'M
for better protection against the various
evils to which the people of God are ex-
posed. The same is a thief and a robber.
There are religious teachers to-day, IKE
these Pharisees, who climb up some 9th
er way by the ladders of HUMANITARIAN
ism, morality, ecclesiasticism, etc. Jesus
here declares that they are thieves and
robbers.
2. Is the shepherd of the sheep. The
Holy Spirit is the doorkeeper. Ihe min
istry can help the flock only as the Holy
Spirit helps them.
8. Calleth His own sheep by name. As
applied to Christ, this shows that He
knows His own. As applied to the min
istry, it shows that personal recognition
and interest that a true shepherd will feel
for his flock. Leadeth them out. Into
pasturage. The Eastern custom was for
the shepherd to go ahead, and the sheep
to follow the shepherds voice and exam
| pie. 1t means that the ministry are to
ever be finding new pasturage, new fields
of holy living.
4. ''Putteth forth his own sheep" Go
Diet says the original signifies 1.-THE rough
| act by which the shepherd helps the sheep
| which still hesitates to break away from
the other sheep and to give itself up to
| the chances of the new existence which
the shepherds call opens before it." The
shepherd is not to deal in sickly senti-
mentality, but has sometimes to be what
the sheep. would consider harsh. Many
of the church consider the call to lead
them to holier living as a kind of harsh
treatment. They do not like anything
that wounds their conscience. They know
His voice. The Spirit-filled preacher does
not put his messages in language that the
people cannot understand. Spiritual peo-
pie will quickly recognize a spiritual
preacher.
5. A stranger will they not follow
That ministry that has not come by the
way of Jesus and has not been introduced
by the Holy Spirit is a stranger-minis-
try. Jesus denominated them Blind
leaders of the blind" Such are those
ministers who lave no spiritual expert
ence.
6. They (the Pharisees) understood
not. The fact that they were not sufi-
GENTLY spiritual to understand this para
BILE proves His assertion as to their unfit
ness, for they themselves did not recog-
nize the voice of Jesus, the Great Shep-
herd.
8. Came before Me. All that ever
came before Him claiming to be the door,
claiming to be the Messiah, or that they
could save men by their own power or
create ministers Ca man-made ministry is
louuu Ill SOHe ludl lCloy /
robbers. Sheep did not hear them. A
man-made ministry may tickle the ears
of the worldly and feed the goats, but not
the sheep.
8. He shall be saved. 'The promise
is not merely, shall be saved IN the fu-
ture, but shall be s%afei. e., from the
time of entering the door" (Abbott). 60
in and out. This refers to the home feel
ing one has in a place where he dwells
Familiarity. 1t refers to the contentment
that one feels who is saved.
N 10. The thief. All false religions and
false religious teachers and man-made
preachers are thieves. Usually they are
after money and rank among men, We
may know if a religion be of God by
what it does for men.
II. The good shepherd. He here ex-
plains what He means by a good shep-
herd, and lays down a principle that ap
plies to all shepherds, as well as Him
self. A good shepherd is not only will
ing to die, if by his death he could save
the people, but he spends his life and
energy for the flock.
-. He that is an hireling. This does
not mean that the ministry should not
be supported, for the laborer is worthy OF
his hire. (I. Tim. 5:1S). The man who
goes into the ministry, save in answer to
the divine call, is a hireling. He is not
after the good of men and the glory OF
God.
13. Careth not for the sheep. All ne
cares for is his salary, his reputation anu
his appointment. There is no class OF
men who are so responsible for the spread
Of holiness.
16. Other sheep / have. He mere re-
fers to devout Gentiles outside OF the
Jewish fold, such as the centurion Luke
z 10y, Cornelius (Acts 1O) and devout
heather of every age who have lived up
TO their light. { See Acts 10:34.p Ihere
shall be one fold. Both saved Jew ana
Gentle shall be gathered into one lock
not fold. The fold represents the visible
church the flock is out OF every nation
Denomination and religion wherever SIN
cere sheep are.
II. Take it again. TIL he might take
his life again-not only by his resurrec'
tion. but by reproducing it in the exp
r;.nce Of the redeemed-his resurrection
power in the soul.
1S. No man taketh it from Me. This
shows the voluntary nature OF His death.
The glory of the sacrifice of Calvary was
that it was voluntary. This command
ment. To lay down His life. lie gladly
performed the will of His Father. So
should we, even if it leads us to the.
-H gNHn lH.T-H.