Pastoring For The Life Of The Sheep

While the old health-and-wealth-prosperity gospel preachers are still out there, fleecing naïve sheep with false promises, there is a new group of online Christian influencers who do the same thing with different methods. Engagement drives revenue, so engagement farming through provocative posts, stirring up Christians for all the wrong reasons and to all the wrong ends, is another means to take advantage of immature, naïve, or troubled Christians to achieve personal ambitions. Much like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day who were more a “moral authority” than an official authority as a group (though some were official rulers), so many in our media culture have found ways to manipulate algorithms and engagement farm so as to propel themselves to be “voices of the church.” Then there are pastors who, in the name of reaching people, create concert or even circus atmospheres, entertaining people to grow their brand instead of feed the sheep.

This is nothing new, and it will not end with this generation. Jesus dealt with the Jewish leadership of his day, both official and unofficial, who were bad shepherds of God’s people. In John 10, on the heels of healing the blind man whom the leadership excommunicated, Jesus tells the leaders and the people how he has come as the true shepherd.

When Jesus speaks about sheep, shepherds, and sheepfolds, the minds of scholars and laymen alike go out to the fields where shepherds keep watch over their flocks by night. There is, of course, some reference to this, but Jesus’ words in John 10:1-5, John says, are a proverb or a parable (Jn 10:6). This means that this is a dark saying, difficult to understand. It is not an illustration.

The “sheepfold” in John 10:1 is literally the courtyard of the sheep. The word “courtyard” is never used to speak about a sheep pen or corral out in the field. It is used throughout the Scriptures to speak of the courtyards of the Tabernacle, Temple, and other palaces. The courtyard of the sheep is the Temple.

The door of which Jesus speaks is the door of the Temple, the place where animals’ blood is shed so that the worshiper may have his sins forgiven and the way open for him to commune with God. When Jesus says, “I am the door,” he is saying that he is the place of sacrifice, the place where blood will be shed so that the way to communion with God will be open.

The evil shepherds who have come before him, which included priests, judges, kings, self-proclaimed Messiahs, and the present rulers in Israel, were all thieves and brigands who tried to avoid the door, the way of sacrifice, and enter another way. They are the evil shepherds spoken of by Ezekiel (Ezek 34), Jeremiah (Jer 23:1-3), and Zechariah (Zech 11). They didn’t minister to people at the Temple, instructing them in God’s law, providing sacrifice for the assurance of forgiveness, and communion with God. They fleeced God’s people, stealing what belonged to God.

Jesus has come as the new Temple. He will provide the abundant life (Jn 10:10) promised in the Scriptures.

Jesus is the Chief Shepherd (1Pt 5:4) who expects his undershepherds to image him and shepherd the flock of God (1Pt 5:1-3). While many people have all sorts of expectations of what a pastor, a shepherd, should be and do, Jesus’ Temple context is informative as to how shepherding or pastoring primarily takes place. The sheep need to be led and fed primarily in worship. The sheep need to hear that their sins are forgiven, given instruction in God’s word, and fed the Lord’s Supper. This is the place where their souls are healed. They don’t find this unique healing through reading books or listening to podcasts. This healing can only take place in the context of this worship. There are many other things that a pastor may do depending on his situation, gifts, and opportunities, but leading in worship around Word and Sacrament is the fundamental imperative for every pastor, and he is to give himself to it because it is necessary for the life of Jesus’ sheep

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