'I am the good shepherd' Flashcards
How many ‘I am’ statements does Jesus make in this discourse?
3, all of which have something to do with shepherding
Who would this kind of language been very family too?
His listeners in 1st century Palestine
Why were sheep the main farming animal in Palestine?
Because cows needed too much water, and pigs were off limits for the Jews
Describe the role of a shepherd at this time
They were the lowest paid farm workers, with little incentive to risk their life to protect someone else’s flock
Who do the sheep represent?
The ordinary Jewish people; ‘the lost sheep of Israel’, as Jesus calls them
State Jesus’ ‘I am the gate’ statement in full
‘Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are theives and robbers, but the sheep will not have listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved’
What does Jesus mean when he says he is the gate?
He is the way for the sheep to exit the pen and enter the pastures, which is a symbol for eternal life
State John 14:6
I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
Who does Raymond Brown suggest the theives and robbers are?
The Pharisees
Why did Jesus think religious teachers had hijacked the Jewish faith?
Because they don’t really represent the type of religion God promised to Abraham.
What does Jesus mean when he says ‘the sheep have not listened to them’?
Ordinary people can’t meet all the rules the Pharisees lay down, but they can believe in Jesus
Give Jesus’ ‘I am the Good Shepherd’ statement in full
I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep
What is the difference between the good shephers and the ‘hirelings’?
The hirelings only guard the flock because they are paid, whereas the good shepherd is motivated by love
How is the idea of the good shepherd linked to the theme of God’s word becoming flesh?
Because God’s word comes to the Earth to seek out the lost souls, just as a good shepherd would look for a sheep who had wandered away from the flock
How does the idea of the heroic shepherd link back to the story of King David?
David bravely fought of lions to protect his father’s flock as a youth. Jesus is in the line of David, and, like David, is defending his father’s flock - but his father is God and his flock is the entire human race
What does Jesus mean when he talks about ‘laying down his life for the sheep’?
He is predicting his crucifixion: David only had to face down lions and survived; Jesus will have to face down the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the Roman Empire, but he is prepared to die an atoning death to save people from sin
How can Jesus be seen as identifying himself with God by calling himself the good shepherd?
Because the OT often uses the image of the good shepherd to describe Jesus
Where is God referred to as the good shepherd in the OT?
Ezekial 37:24
What does Jesus mean when he says his sheep ‘know him’?
That they have a relationship with him because they know him, rather than just following the rules
How is what Jesus offers different to what the Pharisees offer?
Jesus offers a relationship of love with his followers, the same love that exists between him and God, whereas the Pharisees only offer rules to follow
What does Jesus mean when he says that he has ‘other sheep that are not of this sheep pen’?
Jesus’ other sheep are the Gentiles. Jesus’ atoning death will not just be for the Jews, but for all people
Why were the earliest Christian leaders called pastors?
It is from the Latin word for shepherd
What did early bishops use to symbolise their authority?
A crozier, modeled on a shepherd’s crook
How does Raymond Brown propose that the structure of the Johannine community and the idea that Jesus is the good shepherd are linked?
He proposes that the Johannine Community didn’t have pastors was more egalitarian than the other Christians churches of the time. Therefore this passage is meant to say that Christ, rather than any other human, is the true ‘pastor’ of the church
What type of religion did Christianity become?
A hierarchical religion, with ranks and power at the top
What was the problem with Christianity becoming a hierarchical religion?
Leaders would often abuse their power and exploit their followers
Give some examples of Christians leaders abusing their power and exploiting their followers
- Directing them to war during the Crusades
- Torturing them for their beliefs during the Inquisition
- The recent child sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic church
Why do some people criticise the idea of shepherds and sheep?
Because sheep are unintelligent and directionless; they cannot survive without the shephard in the world to protect them. By viewing Christian believers as sheep, Christianity had a low opinion of them and encourages blind faith
Why was the idea of a good shepherd particularly pertinent to Jesus’ audience?
They would have understood how maddeningly stupid sheep were. By presenting himself as the good shepherd, Christ reassures us that God loves us despite our sinfulness and failure to follow his commands; it reminds us that we depend on God and cannot survive without him
Why is Jesus accusing the Pharisees of trying to ‘steal’ sheep hypocritical?
Because the Pharisees that felt that Jesus was the one trying to hijack Judaism and start a religion of his own. If we’re supposed to be sheep, we can’t use reason to decide which shephard to follow
What does the sheep pen represent?
Heaven
What does the gate represent?
Following Jesus
What do the thieves/robbers represent?
The world
What does Jesus mean when he says that his followers ‘hear his voice’?
This is a reference to the Logos, the voice of God
State Ezekial 34:31
‘And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God
What does Schnackenburh say about the use of the word ‘shepherd’?
In ancient and Hellenic times, the use of ‘shepherd’ as a designation for a divine human leader was widespread
State Isaiah 53:5
‘A shepherd was required to lay down his life for the sheep, as was the King of Israel’
State John 10:30
‘The father and I are one’
How did people react to John 10:30?
They tried to stone Jesus when he said this
