Lesson 38
Lesson
Text:
John 10:13-17
The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. (John 10:13-17)
Jesus taught that a time was coming soon when there would be one flock and one shepherd. At the time Christ spoke these words on earth, God’s sheep were scattered over many flocks. Do you remember when we studied that Jesus was a prophet? In this lesson He prophesied that all the sheep would be brought into one flock. What does this mean?
When Jesus spoke of one shepherd and one flock, He was speaking of Himself as the shepherd, and believers as the flock. The Israelites or Jews were God’s flock who had been chosen to bring the Savior into the world. There also were Gentiles who believed in God and Gentiles made up all the nations that were not Jews.
At the time Jesus lived on the earth, there were Jews who believed in Him but there also were many who did not. Amongst the Gentiles were believers and unbelievers too. Jesus prophesied that He would bring the believing Jews and the believing Gentiles from every nation together and they would be one flock. The prophecy Jesus made concerning the one shepherd and the one flock came true when the church began after Jesus arose from the dead. The church is His one flock.
Jesus said that there would be one Shepherd and one flock. In Ephesians 4 we find other “ones” that help us to identify the one flock.
1. In the verse below, find and list all the “ones” that you find:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph.4:4-6)
The Apostle Paul penned a letter to the church in Corinth and in this letter he gave them instructions which he received from God. He wrote:
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
From these instructions we learn that the one Shepherd wants the one flock to teach one doctrine and to go by one set of rules, the New Testament.
True
or False
2. The hireling does not care about the flock.
3. Jesus said that there is one flock but He does not mind if there are many different churches wearing different names and teaching many different doctrines.
4. The one flock is the church.
5. Before Jesus died on the cross there was more than one flock.
6. The Father loved Jesus because He died for the flock.
Crack the Code
7. Use the clues given to crack the code:
W=T Z=H B=E K=R G=F P=M L=A C=O S=L T=B
“WZBKBGCRE PU GLWZBK SCXBN PB, TBALDNB Q SLU RCJH PU SVGB WZLW Q PLU WLFB QW LILVH.”
Fill in the Blanks
Jesus said:
8. “The hireling ______ because he is a hireling and does not _____ about the sheep.”
9. “I am the _____ shepherd;...”
10. “I ______ My sheep,...”
11. “(I) am _____ by My own.”
12. “As the Father _____ Me, even so I _____ the Father;...”
13. “I lay down My ____ for the sheep.”
14. “...Other sheep I have which are not of this ______ ...”
15. “(The other sheep) also I must ________”
16. “ ...They will hear My ______;...”
17. “...There will be one ______ and one ________ .”
Family Discussion
Discuss the “ones” in Ephesians 4:4-6. Find a verse to go with each “one”:
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Eph.4:4-6)
Find the Hidden Message
18. Group all the letters of one color together and unscramble and then assemble them to make a message according to color:
O__ ddddd bbb mmm ddddhhhh
The
hireling
flees
because he is a
hireling
and
does
not
care
about the
sheep.
I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the
Father
knows
Me,
even
so I know the Father; and I
lay
down My life for the sheep.
And
other
sheep
I
have
which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear
My voice; and there will be
one
flock and one shepherd.
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life
that I may take it again. (John 10: 13-17)