The Good Shepherd – Part ii
His Acts of Sovereignty
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17)
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:29)
I and my Father are one. (John 10:30)
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (Psalm 23:6)
  In this study we will consider the Lord’s acts of sovereignty in both the 10th Chapter of the gospel of John, and the 23rd Psalm. The fullness of salvation is an act of sovereignty of a sovereign God who accomplished ALL to redeem His sheep. Christ as the sovereign God came to Calvary to defeat both sin and death. Adam has given up his place in exchange for both sin and death, and there could be NO human recovery on Adam’s part or his descendants. It took a divine act of sovereignty by a sovereign God to put away our sin and to defeat death and the works of the devil. We seldom look at our salvation as a sovereign act of God. And yet, ONLY God in Jesus Christ could redeem us. For God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Once we understand God’s position of sovereignty in our salvation, we have the confidence of our OWN eternal life given to us by our sovereign Savior Jesus Christ. The Good Shepherd, MY shepherd IS the sovereign God. The first act of sovereignty that we see in Chapter 10 of John is His position above all others as the Good Shepherd; He gives Himself to redeem His sheep. No other could perform this sovereign act. All the children of Adam (throughout time and history) could not obtain forgiveness of sins and freedom from death because they were subject to both. Only One who possesses life could give life to that which was dead, and this had to be a sovereign act because Christ proved His power over sin and death and the devil. The Holy Spirit wants us to have the confidence of this power by giving us the awareness of His presence.
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14)
Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; (2 Corinthians 1:10)
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15:54)
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:55)
The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56)
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)
  In these scriptures we have three aspects of death: 1) the Lord Jesus WENT into death to OVERCOME death so that we might be free from death; 2) He has delivered us from so great a death, and each and every day He delivers us, and He will continue to deliver us from the sting of death. We will not experience Adam’s death because we are IN Christ (and those in Christ will sleep in Jesus). The 3rd point: we should rejoice greatly knowing IN Christ WE (His sheep) have the victory over death IN the very Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, all these things in these verses could not have taken place if the Lord Jesus Christ was not the sovereign God for it was His acts of sovereignty that set us free. For if the Son shall set you free you shall be free indeed. God has performed many sovereign acts. The very act of creation by Jesus Christ was His sovereign act of creation. His sovereignty over death and sin is just as important (or even more so) than creation. For the combination of both sin and death caused mankind (in Adam) to die first spiritually to God, and then physically. In John 10:11,we have another act of sovereignty: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. In the matter or our salvation we see that ONLY the good shepherd could give His life so in turn He could give us THAT life, for the true life is IN the good shepherd. He reaffirms this in John 10:17 and 18.Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17) No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18)
  The Lord Jesus declared of Himself, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This shows again His sovereignty over death, and His sovereignty over life itself. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. (Hebrews 7:16)
  In John 1:4 the Spirit of God relates to us that ALL life dwells and comes FROM the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Lord Jesus who first breathed life into Adam. It was the breath and Spirit of the Son of God that made Adam a living soul! Therefore, in redemption it is the breath and Spirit of the Son of God that gives His sheep eternal life in Himself.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27)
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)
  In verse 28 we have three acts of sovereignty on the Lord’s part: 1) He has sovereignty over the power of life; 2) He gives His sovereign life to His sheep as eternal life IN Himself. This life is not only BY Him, but IN Him. He also declares His POWER over His own sheep. For He stated that His sheep SHALL NEVER, NEVER, EVER PERISH, and because He is the sovereign God there is no one on earth, nor any other creature in creation that can remove His sheep from abiding in Christ. This is confirmed by their heavenly calling in Hebrews 3:1. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. Both our calling and our profession of faith depend solely on our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have received our heavenly call from our heavenly Master so that no one or any being can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33)
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36)
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (Romans 8:38)
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
  The Spirit of God (in Romans Chapter 8) spreads the facts of our glorious salvation so that we might see the depth of God’s sovereignty in His love in Christ Jesus our Lord. For it was the fullness of the Godhead bodily that so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Sovereignty belongs completely to the Godhead bodily which was manifested and revealed in Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is brought before us in John Chapter 10 verses 28 and 29.And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:29)
  We know the Spirit of God brings in equality of the Son with the Father through this statement, I and my Father are one (John 10:30). We are introduced to the manifestation of the fullness of the Godhead bodily in Jesus Christ, which is confirmed by the Spirit of God in Colossians 2:9, For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. We also have the statement of the Lord Jesus Himself in John Chapter 14, verses 8 through 11.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. (John 14:8)
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (John 14:9)
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (John 14:10)
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. (John 14:11)
  We again see the unity of the Father and the Son that as Christ was manifested before man He was revealing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  The Comforter that was to come was the Holy Spirit of God which was sent by the Son from heaven’s glory. This Spirit of truth came from the Father and proceeded from the Father to specifically testify of the Son of God. I realize that to some this might be like braille, for truly the world is under great blindness; however, the Spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit of God) is here on earth to testify concerning the Son of God, and His work of reconciliation on the cross of Calvary. This, once again, brings in the fullness of the Godhead bodily in Jesus Christ that was the manifestation of God Himself in the body of flesh in His Son Jesus Christ. In the fullness of time God had waited until the very moment that He would reveal Himself and be seen by man, as well as of angels. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
  We should remember that God is Spirit. And that realm has been removed from our sight; however, that realm is very real. In John Chapter 4, verse 24, we have the proclamation of the Son of God revealing that God is Spirit; however, He was there at the well of Jacob to manifest God in a bodily form in the flesh of Jesus Christ. That body was prepared before the foundations of the world, before the creation, the Being of the Son of God was brought forth so that He would act as the Creator, as the God of the whole earth, as the Shepherd of mankind, and as the Redeemer to reconcile man unto God. Adam knew the manifestation of Jesus Christ in the garden, and this was declared by the Lord Jesus in John 10:36. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? First, He is the Son of God; secondly, He was set apart or sanctified by the Father. This put Him in existence before the world was. He was set apart to be manifested in the fullness of time. When He declared Himself as the Son of God all the religious leaders, and the rulers of the Jews, knew in fact that He was proclaiming Himself as God Almighty. For He was sent into the world, showing His preexistence to be the Redeemer of mankind in the body that was prepared for Him as recorded in Hebrews Chapter 10, verse 5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In Hebrews Chapter 10 the body was prepared prior to the manifestation of the Son of God for the Son of God would be the offering for sin. This is proven by Abraham’s statement to Isaac while on mount Moriah, And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8) If that is not enough to prove the preexistence of the Lord Jesus as the divine sacrifice of God then we have further witness by the Spirit of God in Hebrews Chapter 1, verses 1 – 3.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (Hebrews 1:1)
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2)
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)
  The second verse in Hebrews Chapter 1 is often overlooked because of the majesty and glory that is revealed in verse three, however, in verse 2 Christ is made heir of ALL things, and this took place before the creation. So it is in the proper order in Hebrews 1:2 that He being the heir of all things, being the Son of God, He was the Creator or the Maker of the worlds. The plurality of the word ‘worlds’ has many truths. For example: we have the tangible world in which we dwell (that is called both earth and the world). And with the tangible, the world that we see, the material world around us we also have a spiritual world: the world that we cannot see. We also have the many phases of the world: the earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof, the world, and they that dwell therein. Also, we have the present evil world, and the world to come, and the world to come is greatly denied by the present evil world. Psalm 24 first deals with the creation earth, and this belongs to the Lord, and the fullness thereof. And then God deals with the world of humanity in the phrase, and they that dwell therein. The Lord Jesus not only created Adam, but breathed life into Him. It was the breath of Christ and the life that was IN Christ that made Adam a living soul. When Adam had full consciousness of His presence, and his environment then Christ manifested Himself to Adam in the garden. Adam was well aware that it was Christ who had created him, and that gave him life so that he had become a living soul. In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1:4). Both life and light came from the Son of God. In Genesis Chapter 1, verses 3 and 4 we have the Author of light. In Genesis 2:7, we have the Author of life. In Genesis 1:2, we have both light and life. After the fall, when Christ is revealed in the gospel of John, we see Him as life and then light to mankind, for man is in a great cloud of darkness. In Genesis Chapter 1, verses 26 and 27, the Lord Jesus (as the Creator) created man in His own image, in the image of the Son of God. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:36) The One who was set apart, the One who was sanctified by the Father, the One who was sent from heaven’s glory to be the Redeemer of man, the One who is the revelation of the Godhead in bodily form was/and is the Lord Jesus Christ.And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Through Genesis 1:26 God declared that the image of Adam would be made after OUR image (which contains the fullness of the Godhead bodily). This was the complete Godhead revealed in Jesus Christ who created Adam. This was a sovereign act of a divine God, in Jesus Christ, in the very body that was prepared for Him as was documented in Hebrews Chapter 10.Â
  The apostle John gives us further insight into the Being of the Son of God in John’s first epistle in Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (1 John 3:1)
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
  John spells out our position in detail as children of God. He does not vacillate as many today when it comes to the phrase ‘sons of God.’ We have been put into this position as joint heirs with Jesus Christ by a sovereign Creator, and by a sovereign Savior. Our position in Jesus Christ is so unique that when He reveals Himself to us in His future glory we will be like Him. The reason that the world cannot handle this is that they still love Adam. They still love the world they live in, but the sons of God have been delivered from this world, and they have been translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. We have become heavenly creatures for the Spirit of God dwells within us, and Christ (who we are in) has set down at the right hand of God. The first two offenders (Adam and Eve) are credited with bringing sin into the world. Even though Adam bears all the responsibility as being the federal head of mankind, it was Eve who was first tempted, and it was Eve who related the message of the serpent to Adam. Thus, Adam partaking of the forbidden fruit of the tree of good and evil brought sin into the world. God was prepared for this. For Christ had already been set apart for the sacrifice of sin to redeem mankind. At the very moment of Adam’s transaction, the Son of God knew that He would come forth in the fullness of time. We deal with an omniscient God. He KNEW the scope of creation before He created. He KNEW the beings and creatures that He would create, both angelic and human. He KNEW every step of mankind in man’ s time frame and period. And He still KNOWS every step of Adam (or humanity). The omniscient Son of God KNEW that He would be made of a woman as the divine seed. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15) The omniscient Son of God KNEW the fullness of time, and that He was the unique seed who would redeem mankind. The Spirit of God reveals this to us in Galatians 4:4. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law. Pay special attention to the word ‘sent’ and the word ‘made.’ He was ‘sent’ of God showing His preexistence, and as the divine seed He was ‘sent’ forth to be ‘made’ or manifested through a woman chosen of God to be the bearer of the divine seed which the Holy Ghost placed within Mary’s womb. This was not a natural seed. It was a heavenly divine seed as we see in Galatians 3:16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. The phrase that the Holy Spirit gives us, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ, is a sovereign act of God giving the seed of Himself for the redemption of mankind. This fully goes with the declaration of the angel Gabriel in Luke Chapter 1, verse 35. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. It was the power of the highest Himself that came upon Mary through the Holy Spirit to place that holy thing which was the true divine Seed, who would be called the Son of God. Notice that His divine title as the ‘Son of God’ preexisted before His birth, and this was proclaimed by Gabriel. Once again, I will repeat: the Lord Jesus was the One and only divine Seed who was anointed as God’s Christ whom God the Father had sanctified, had set apart to be the Redeemer of mankind. Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:36) Whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, the Lord Jesus was set apart by God the Father BEFORE He was sent into the world. And BEFORE He was sent into the world, He already had the position of Heirship for He was Heir of all things. BEFORE He was sent, He was the Creator of the world. BEFORE He was sent He was the Redeemer of the world. In Chapter 1 of Hebrews we are introduced to the last days, meaning when Christ laid down His life on the cross of Calvary He satisfied the claims of God against mankind so that prior to His manifestation He satisfied those claims by His own righteousness, and His righteous works on the cross of Calvary. He also satisfied God in our present day, and satisfied God in our future day which are all contained in these last days. God hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2) At the manifestation of the Son of God the world went blind, deaf, and dumb, and remains so to this present day. It is only the supernatural movement of the Son of God through His Spirit that calls out His sheep, and this is a sovereign act of the Son of God. It is the Son of God breathing life into His sheep who one day will stand before Him IN His image.
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17)
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)
  The image of Christ will complete His Church. As God made Adam IN His image, the sheep (the saints of God) will bear the image of Christ and the glory of God in that very Image and Person: the Son of His love. As darkness came over all the earth when Adam brought sin into the world, they believed not in their divine Creator because they were not His sheep. Only those of faith knew the guidance and the care of the Good Shepherd so also the sheep of today (that is under the divine care of the Good Shepherd) know Him through faith. As the Lord Jesus declared, other sheep He has which are not of this fold, that He would also bring them into His divine care because of His work of redemption. And through this work of redemption He gives unto them eternal life. In John Chapter 10, verse 26, the Spirit of God erases the doctrine of the ‘free will people,’ (click on this link to understand the difference between ‘choice’ and ‘free will.’) But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. This is understandable for they are not His sheep, but goats. And they will not hear His voice because they have not been born of His Spirit. They will not share His eternal life for they are trying to climb up some other way. They cannot accept the sovereignty of God, the sovereignty of a Redeemer, and the sovereignty of a Savior. They would rather think that through their determinate counsels they have the right to deny or accept God’s salvation, however, the sheep are all counted. He knows them by name, their names were written in the book of life before the creation of the world, and they hear His voice as we read in John 10:27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: The world at large is still blind, deaf, and dumb. They do not hear the voice of the Good Shepherd for they are not His sheep, but the sheep of His pasture (who dwell with Him) listen to His voice. They know that He is the door of the sheep, and that door remains open to them for communion, fellowship and worship in the very presence of the Good Shepherd. He remains the Door to all truth of the Scriptures. In John 10:9, He is the door of salvation. In Revelation 3:7 and 8 He is the door of revelation through the Word of God. And one must realize that this door is the highest Himself. He has all sovereignty over His sovereign plan of redemption. He will not let one of His sheep go missing for they are safe in His everlasting arms of His love. Now in verse 12 of Revelation Chapter 3, consider the phraseology of the sovereign Son of God where He proclaims, I will write upon him (speaking of the Overcomer) the one who is covered by the divine blood of the divine Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ. – I will write upon him my new name. This has led to much speculation. Notice that the name is not given, for once more, we are seeing a sovereign act of the Son of God. Only He has the right to give this name for as life everlasting, the new name will endure for all eternity. To give an example, our life in Christ from the time that we are born again is a continuous line of eternal life that cannot be broken. He (the Lord Jesus) who is the sovereign God of His sheep proclaimed Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you (John 15:16). Amen
© Copyright 2019, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)