1. In John 10:11, our Lord identified Himself as "the good shepherd."
2. In John 10:15, our Lord said, "I lay down my life for the sheep," i.e., He gave His life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He died in our place, to redeem us from our sins (cf. 10:17, 18).
3. Our Lord said in John 10:16, "and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Our Lord already said He is "the good shepherd" (10:11, 14).
4. Psalm 23:1 says, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."
5. "The LORD is my shepherd." Not Allah!
6. Hebrews 13:20 says Jesus is "that great shepherd of the sheep."
7. First Peter 2:25 says Jesus is "the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
8. First Peter 5:4 says Jesus is "the chief Shepherd."
9. This morning we will consider our Lord's words here in John 10:15. "I lay down my life for the sheep."
10. The shepherd died so that His sheep can live (cf. 10:10b).
11. The most important thing in this world is knowing your sins are forgiven, and knowing you have eternal life (cf. John 10:27-30).
12. I read a sad story yesterday. In February, a woman in Florida was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and told she didn’t have long to live.
13. She decided to write her own obituary and it was published in a Florida newspaper, and then other newspapers, and eventually all over the Internet, etc.
14. I read the obituary. It is very sentimental as she reflects on the good things in life -- her family, including children and grandchildren, and her career as a school teacher.
15. But there is no mention of God, Sunday School and church, the Bible, or salvation. Apparently this woman was raised in a godless home, married an unsaved man, and they raised their children the same way.
16. In her obituary she wrote these words, "I was born; I blinked; and it was over." But it is not over. We are going to spend eternity somewhere -- either in heaven or in hell (John 10:28).

1. OUR LORD'S DEATH WAS VOLUNTARY
2. OUR LORD'S DEATH WAS VICARIOUS
3. OUR LORD'S DEATH WAS VICTORIOUS

I. OUR LORD'S DEATH WAS VOLUNTARY

1. No mere mortal man could ever make such a claim. But Jesus said it, and He did it because He was no mere mortal man. First Timothy 3:16 says Jesus Christ is God "manifest in the flesh."
2. In Hebrews 1:8, God the Father says to the Lord Jesus Christ, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever."
3. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
4. The great Messianic prophecy, Isaiah 9:6 says, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God..."
5. After His resurrection, Thomas said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
6. As far as His physical life was concerned, no man took Jesus' life from Him (John 10:15, 18).
7. Men attempted to catch Him and kill Him on several occasions, but He would not allow that to happen until God's appointed time (cf. John 10:36-39; Luke 4:24-30).
8. Finally, our Lord allowed His adversaries to arrest Him, after first demonstrating their powerlessness to do so (John 18:4-12).
9. Our Lord remained silent before His accusers, although He could have called twelve legions of angels to come to His assistance (Matthew 26:53, 54).

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where He prayed;
They led Him thro' the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said, "Crucify Him; He's to blame."

He could have called ten thousand angels
To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels,
But He died alone, for you and me. — Ray Overholt

10. Our Lord remained silent before His accusers, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 53:7 says, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth."
11. Pontius Pilate said to our Lord, "Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee" (Mark 15:4)
12. "But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled" (Mark 15:5).
13. I was driving in my car listening to the radio, and I heard Bill O'Reilly promote his book, Killing Jesus, which is totally unscriptural. I understand they recently made a movie based on the book.
14. Mr. O'Reilly is not saved and he doesn't know what he is talking about. The book (and movie) is full of bad history and bad theology.
15. Let us be careful not to get our theology from the television or the radio or from movies, etc. The Bible is our only authority.
16. Our Lord's death was voluntary. Philippians 2:8 says our Lord "humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
17. Our Lord voluntarily subjected Himself to the cruel death of a criminal on the cross. This was a necessary part of God's plan of salvation for men (cf. Acts 2:23; 4:25-28).

II. OUR LORD'S DEATH WAS VICARIOUS

1. The vicarious death of the Lord Jesus Christ is the grand theme of the New Testament (John 3:16).
2. The vicarious death of Christ is the heart of the Gospel -- "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:1-4).
3. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
4. Romans 8:34 says, "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."
5. Romans 14:9 says, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living."
6. First Thessalonians 4:14 says, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
7. These Scriptures all refer to our Lord's vicarious death and His resurrection.

• "Jesus died and rose again" (I Thess. 4:14).
• "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).
• "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived" (Romans 14:9).
• "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (I Cor. 15:3, 4).

8. Before He was taken into Heaven, our Lord gave the Great Commission to His disciples. He told them that it had been necessary for Him to suffer, and to rise from the dead before repentance and remission of sins could be preached in His name.
9. Therefore, this is the grand message of the Gospel we have for the nations today.
10. Tonight we will remember our Lord's vicarious death as we meet at the Lord's table. First Corinthians 11:26 says, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come."
11. For this purpose our Lord instituted the Lord’s Supper. He gave us the emblems of the bread and fruit of the vine to remind us of His body broken for us, and of His blood shed for many for the remission of sins.

III. OUR LORD'S DEATH WAS VICTORIOUS

1. Our Lord said that He had the power to lay His life down, and He had the power to take it again (10:17, 18).
2. He demonstrated that power when He died on the cross. Matthew 27:50-54 says, "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."
3. And our Lord demonstrated that power when He rose from the dead. Romans 1:4 says the Lord Jesus Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."
4. First Corinthians 15 is the great resurrection chapter in the Bible. Verses 42 and 43 say, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power."
5. The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."
6. Our Lord's death and resurrection was victorious. First Corinthians 15:57 says, "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
7. Lifted up was He to die;
   “It is finished!” was His cry;
   Now in Heav’n exalted high.
   Hallelujah! What a Savior! — P.P. Bliss
8. Isaiah 53 is the greatest Messianic prophecy in the Old Testament.
9. Isaiah's prophecy was written 700 years before the cross.
10. The first half of Isaiah 53:10 looks to the cross -- "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him..." Then the second half of the verse looks beyond the cross to the empty tomb -- "He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

CONCLUSION:

1. "The Descent from the Cross" is a painting by Peter Paul Rubens. He painted it about 400 years ago, and it is displayed in a church in Antwerp, Belgium.
2. It is considered to be among the world’s most priceless masterpieces.
3. The painting shows the body of Jesus being removed from the cross after his crucifixion. Workers are pictured standing on two ladders, lowering the body of Christ from off the cross.
4. Several Biblical characters are featured in this beautiful painting, including Mary the wife of Cleophas, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus.
5. Mary, our Lord's mother is also seen. She is pictured extending her arms in grief toward her fallen son.
6. A 19th century New York City pastor, T. De Witt Talmage, told a story about a man who stood in that cathedral, transfixed before the painting.
7. The man was absorbed in the scene of our Lord's suffering and death, unaware of the time. Finally, the janitor came and said, "Sir, it is time to close up for the night. You need to leave now."
8. The man turned around and said to the janitor, "No; not yet. Wait until they get Him down."
9. Thank God, they did get Him down. And they buried Him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. But He didn't stay in the tomb.
10. Matthew 28:5 and 6 says, "The angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
11. This is the real Easter story -- not bunny rabbits, and colored eggs, etc.
12. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9).