“Jesus our Good Shepherd” (John 10:1–10—Easter 4 Series A 2011)
1. May the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21) The Holy Gospel according to St. John beginning with the 10th chapter,1[Jesus said:] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” This is the Gospel of the Lord.” He who has ears, let him hear. (Matthew 13:9 )
2. When a young girl named Jonalyn, was learning Psalm 23 from her grandmother, she questioned the first line. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want," read her grandmother. To which, little Jonalyn innocently replied, "Why don't we want him?" Had the little Jonalyn taken the verse correctly, she would have known that when the Lord is our shepherd, we won’t lack anything we need. God will be our shepherd. He will lead his sheep to fresh food and drink. When we walk as sheep through the terrible dark valley of the shadow of death, where the wolves, lions, and bears are settled in their caverns, we have nothing to fear. (And no, I’m not talking about the NFL strike that’s going on right now). There are real enemies that seek our doom—the devil, the world and our sinful flesh. Jesus our Good Shepherd is with us to protect us.
3. In the New Testament, Jesus uses the title shepherd to speak of himself to his disciples in John 10. He’s the Good Shepherd. He knows his sheep. His use of this figure of speech for himself is another hint that he’s equating himself with the Shepherd of the Old Testament, God Himself.
4. The lover and protector that he is, Jesus teaches us as his followers in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." The thief comes as an imposter. That’s what the devil is, he’s a thief and the Father of Lies. He only seeks our doom and destructions and he’ll do everything he can do lead us away from Jesus our Good Shepherd. He comes to harm our lives, suffocate our souls, and keep us captivated by lies, guilt, greed, ignorance, and selfishness. Jesus's message is clear that the only kind of life worth living, the only fruitful life full of fresh-air, green pastures, mountain waters, and wide-open sky, is the kind of life that he provides.
5. Let us take some moments today to sit at the feet of this Good Shepherd. He’s the only one who offers the eternal kind of life full of peace, safety, and friendship. He’s the only one who can completely take care of the needs we know we have and the needs we don't yet know we have (John 10:28).
6. Be reminded that that thief, the devil, comes to boost our pride for he delights that we be aimless wanderers. He encourages us to harbor resentments and grudges because he knows it cuts us off from the love of others. He keeps us focused on other sheep and our wooly coats of self-satisfaction rather than allow our gaze to fall on the Master who keeps us clean of burrs. When the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, remember again that the Good Shepherd is the only one who will lay his life down for his sheep (John 10:11).
7. During these days of meditation on the Shepherd's sacrifice, take stock of where you are wandering in the fields of life. Are you in step with Jesus Your Good Shepherd? Or are you restless, hurried, and full of internal noise? Jesus comes to bring us rest and refreshment. His sacrifice gives us access to the holiest and most loving place. When we are sick, Jesus our Good Shepherd, helps us and brings us help and healing. In fact, Jesus not only brings to us physical healing, but also spiritual healing through His cross, by dying the death we deserve to bring to us the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus said in Matthew 9:12-13, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
8. In 1985 a man was backpacking through the country Jordan. It was late afternoon or early evening when he stopped and watched three shepherds watering their flocks at a well. As the flocks had mixed together, the man wondered how the shepherds would separate them. Eventually, one stood up and called out, “Menah,” which is Arabic for “follow me.” Unbelievably, 30 sheep immediately walked out of the large flock and began to follow their shepherd up the hill. The second shepherd shouted, “Menah,” and his flock followed after him. As for the other sheep, they acted as if nothing had happened. When the third shepherd stood, the backpacker asked, “Would your sheep follow me if I called them?” The shepherd shook his head. Having received permission to try, the backpacker called out, “Menah, Menah!” The sheep looked at him as if he had lost his mind. “Will they always follow you?” the man asked. The shepherd said, “Always, except when a sheep is sick; then the creature follows anyone.”
9. Over the centuries, the Lord, using the power that comes from the means of grace, that is Word and Sacrament, has called a great many people to Him. Many of them, in fact, all of them, in some way were sick. Some had a sickness of the body, but all of us have a sickness of the soul. When by the power of the Law of God we recognize that sickness, Jesus steps in to help us with the Gospel’s healing power. The Great Physician makes us well.
10. What’s your illness? Do you, like the ex-tax collector Matthew, feel alone and avoided? Have you been disappointed in love or hurt by uncaring hands? Are you frightened by the world’s hatred and prejudice? Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to call you to peace. Maybe you’ve been let down by those you counted on or betrayed by those who are closest to you. If so, be confident; Jesus won’t ever desert you. He will never let you down.
11. This healing transformation can be yours. Today Jesus your Good Shepherd speaks to each of us saying, “Come, leave behind your life of sin and separation. Come, believe on Me and I will give you a new life worth living. Sick and sinful souls, come as you are; believe and be saved through your Physician’s healing hand.”
12. Can we ever sufficiently thank Jesus our Good Shepherd for His complete mercy and love in dying on the cross for our sins? We’re in the sheepfold, that is the church today, not because of any great wisdom or merit of our own. But, only because of our all-powerful Shepherd Jesus, who has brought us into the fold through the innocent blood that He shed on the cross for us. Jesus our Good Shepherd has laid down His life for the sins of the whole world. He’s willingly died for all people. He’s died for you too! It’s so wonderful that Jesus our Good Shepherd had us in mind when he freely laid down His life for us to give to us eternal life. Amen.
13. The Prayer: Dear Lord, You are my doctor and my Good Shepherd, and I need Your protection, Your healing and guidance. Sometimes I hear Your voice loud and clear. At times, I hear it in the distance or not at all. I'm pleading with You today to open my ears and heart, so I can hear Your voice through Your Word. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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