The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-04-03
Jesus the
Good Shepherd
Sunday School Lesson fSr April 5. 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper


OF tabernacles John t.l. some common
tators. however. consider that John 9i-io:
q took place at the feast OF dedication
John l0s2) in November. The latter
part OF the third year OF Jesus public
ministry.
PLACE-Jerusaiem on the second
supposition as 10 time. the exact place
was Solomon's porch. on the east side OF
the temple Jesus with His audience
might have seen the shepherds gathering
their scattered hocks II they grazed out
from the courts OF the temple over the
neighboring hillS"-Puhlic Commentary.
PERSONS the blind man
whom Christ had just healed. some or
Christ's disciples, aad some OF the Phari-
sees.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Twofold Parable: the Fold, the
Shepherd.-Vs 1-6. 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
a solid door, which was closely barred
al 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 Century Bible. The door
keeper or porter" would know that
anyone found climbing in over the
wall was "a thief Ga sneak thieD.
or "a robber" "a more violent rascal)
The Twofold Interpretation Of the
Parable.-Vs TAP. What double anal
ogy did Christ draw from the parable?
He was the Door ". ~ and the Shop
herd ". ID Why did he run the
risk Of confusing his hearers? Because
truth is so many-sided. and Christ
means so much 10 men. that many
comparisons are needed to picture II
all
First Analogy: Christ, the Door
Tvs. 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 ". 81 into the
pasture" What am a doc TO, any
how? Jes' TO shet 20 out, jes' to shet
20 in or to let 20 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 I'M 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. y. W.
Lawrance. Go in and out was a
phrase familiar TO the Jews. See
Deut. IS: s; Psa. 12l: s; Jer. 81: 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
10 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 10 these
false leaders. the sheep did not hear
them"
Second Analogy: Christ, the Shep
herd Tvs. 1918, 22-30) AS opposed e
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 Of
teacher. he is the Good Shepherd. -
James NJ. Macdonald. d. d. This is
frequent metaphor Of the Old Tesla
ment. applied to God and to Gods
honored servants Mum 81: 1921
Psa. %: so: L; lisa. 40: II; Jer. 30
IA: Eek. "a: 11-16; Zech. IL: 4-l7.]
Homer often speaks of his kings and
leaders as shepherds; see also Plato'i
Republic. Book /. The figure has
impressed itself deeply on the minC
Of Christendom, and is conspicuous
in the art and literature OF thu
churches. It is still the emblem OF thu
Christian ministry. from the Office o
the bishop. with his pastoral stan. e
that Of the village preacher, who Il
known as pastor."-Century Bible
This is the favorite and most touch
ing figure in the Catacombs. Il seems
to inspire the early Christian painters
with delightful skill
How was Christ like shepherd
In (l) his care of men Tvs. 1919, IL
(2) his knowledge of men Tvs. IA. l5)
in 90 the breadth Of his love for mel
". 16). in (D the eagerness OF mems
love for him ". 2O. in 90 his divine
commission to care for men Tvs 10
II, is, 25, 29)
Two Kinds OF Hearers Tvs. 1921
31-42D Christ's words, like two
edged sword. always divided his hear
ers into two classes those thai
Knocked at him or ragged against him
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