The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-03-31

Subjects Jesus the GOou SnepneFos
John 1O:1-18 - Golden Text.
John aO:11-Commit Verse o.
Commentary on the Lesson.
TIME. October, 20 A. D. PLACE.
Jerusalem.
| EXPOSITION.-I. Jesus the Door,
ID. Anyone who seeks to get access
to the sheep in any other way than
| by the door, i. e.. by Christ, is a thief
/ and robber. The sheep can always
! tell the difference between the true
shepherd and the robber Tvs. 8, A,
I &c, 27). Christ's sheep have six
characteristics % They know the
| Shepherds voice (v. A.. Every sheep
| in the East, unless he is sick, recog-
nizes his shepherds voice as soon as
| he speaks. Every one of Christ's
| sheep recognizes Christ's voice. The
true sheep recognizes Christ's voice
despite all the destructive critics,
1 90 THE sheep hear His voice" Tvs.
! 3, 27) They not only know it, they
| heed it, This is one of the surest
I tests as to whether you are one OF
/ Christ's sheep. Are you needing His
voice? go The sheep follow him
"a, 27). Wherever the sheep see the
shepherd going they will follow
| Matt 1920. The way may seem
| dark and dangerous and difficult, but
they follow him" (4) They know
not the voice of strangers" A true
| sheep will not follow a strange voice.
| The voice may seem soft and silvery
1t matters not, it is not the voice OF
| the shepherd Those Christians"
who are forever running off after
! strangers, Just to hear what they
| have to say" are not sheep. CD
"A stranger will they not follow"
Evidently many professed Christians
are not sheep. (6l They will flee
from him" Jesus is also the door by
which the sheep pass in. To what is
/ Me if any man enter in he shall be
saved" This makes the way of sal
walton very plain and .;imple, just
pass right in by Jesus Christ. The
door is open to ALL any man.
Though a man be the greatest of sim
ners the door stands open Il III.
115). He is the only door (Acts
4:12l. Neither the law, nor the
church, nor morality, nor baptism,
nor creed is the door. II am the
door" This door was opened by His
atoning death Tvs. 10, IL; Gal. 3:13;
Eph. III; Heb. 1929. We enter it
by simple faith in Him (Rom. 3:25,
r. "; 4:3, S. Eph. rs; Acts 1898,
39). Any one who enters in by Jesus
| Christ will be saved no one else will
| CD To liberty, shall go in and outf
! The true acceptance of Jesus leads
not to a life of fear and constraint,
but to the perfect liberty of child
(cf. Rom, S:15) 90 To security.
This too is found in the Ego in and
out. +" The oneswho really enters by
Christ is eternally secure Tvs. rs, 29). 2
az To satisfaction, shall find pas
ture. There is no such pasture for
sheep in all the world as the one who
enters by Jesus finds. The pasture is
greer" FPS, 1922 1t is good" and
fat (Ez. 34:14 Of. lisa. 40:9, 10).
III. Jesus the Good Shepherd, To-
10. But Jesus is not only the door.
He is the Shepherd also, the Good
shepherd" False christs and leaders
had come claiming to be shepherds,
but really thieves and robbers The
Pharisees were such. They came to-
steal and kill and destroy" But
Jesus mission was glorious. II came
that they may have life, and may
have it abuRdantly. Any of us then
may not only have life, but have life
exceeding" life beyond measure -
Have you this superintendent life!
so many have such thin thread OF
life. How abundantly we may have
life appears in Jno. 1915 (cf. Col
1919; Col. 2:9, 10, r. "; Eph. 1916
19). Then comes that great declara-
lion, Il am the Good Shepherd" The
best exposition of those sweet words
is the one you will get upon your
knees bordering them, turning them
over and over, constantly looking to-
God to let you into their wealth OF
meaning. 1t is not only wonder
fully comforting thing that Jesus says
here, it is also an amazingly daring
one In the Old Testament Jehovah
is the Good Shepherd Cps. %; lisa.
40:10, II; Ez. 34:11-13). If we
aspire to be true shepherds we
must be ready to do the same. If
at the approach of danger we leave
the sheep and flee for our own safety
we are hirelings and not shepherds
(cf l Pet. 5;2). Jesus knows His
own and His own know Him even as
the Father knows Him and He knows
the Father { r. Va. Wonderful, who
can fathom that depth and intimacy
of that knowledge And there is life
and eternal security in it (Jno. 17.3:
2 I'll. 2;19; 1922. Ten great points
about the Good Shepherd: ~ He
knows the sheep even as the Father
, knoweth Him and He the Father.
I CD He is known by the sheep. go
Has personal interest In each sheen
and deals with it individually
it by name ". 81. (4) "Leadeth
them out. CD Thrust forth the lag
gard sheep ", A.. co Overlooks
none, all His own w. 4, #. w.
| CD Goeth before them. He has
trodden every step OF the way that
we must take. 80 Careth for the
sheep Nv. 49,. t9) "Layeth down
His life for the sheep VS.. IL, 15).
(10D Giveth eternal and abundant life
TO the sheep Tvs. 10, IS, 29). Jesus
has sheep outside OF Israel (v. 16).
When He has brought them they Will
become one fold (Eph, 2:14, Is;
Gal 3:2S). 1t is through hearing
His voice that they are brought. The
laying down of His life was a per
fectly voluntary act or Jesus part.
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