1.
Please pray with me. May the words of my mouth and the meditation
of our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our
Redeemer. Amen. The message from God’s Word this Good
Shepherd Sunday is taken from John 10:22-30 and is entitled, “Jesus Our Good Shepherd,” dear brothers
and sisters in Christ.
2.
In the movie Field of Dreams,
Kevin Costner has done everything he's been told to do. He builds a baseball field
in the middle of his Iowa cornfield. He brings Terence Mann and Archie Graham
to this field of dreams. But, he’s not invited to go with the others out into
the corn. When asked what he wants, in frustration he asks what he will stand
to gain. Suddenly it comes out: the hero hasn't been doing this for the love of
the game or to "ease" someone else's "pain." He's been
doing it for himself. That's the
approach of the hired hand who watches sheep. He's paid to be there. He's in it
for the money. He's there to earn a living, not to give up his life. So when he
sees the wolf coming, he knows what's in store, and he flees, leaving the sheep
to fend for themselves. Not at all so with Jesus Christ as our Shepherd.
3.
When
death comes rushing in, the Good Shepherd dies and lives for the sheep. The field of dreams has been built, the fans
are gathered, and the game is going on. Archie Graham, the farm boy Kevin
Costner picked up who'd always wanted to hit in the majors, is getting his
chance. But then Costner's daughter falls; her windpipe is closed. One person
knows how to save her, but if he crosses the line and leaves the field, his
dream of playing in the "bigs" will be over. Graham does it,
willingly, giving up a life in baseball for a career as a small-town
doctor---and to save this little girl.
4.
So too as sheep surrounded by wolves
on every side, the Good Shepherd calls out: "Here is My blood and body,
which I have laid down for you for the forgiveness of your sins. I have taken
it up again that you may have abundant life. Take and eat, that you may safely
graze in the green pastures of My kingdom." In John 10:22-30 the Apostle John tells us, “22At
that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and
Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So
the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in
suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered
them, “I told you, and you do not
believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but
you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27My sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them
eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my
hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30I and
the Father are one.”
5.
Here we see that the Jews had
circled around Jesus asking him point blank, “Are you the Christ? Tell us
frankly.” Let there be no doubt
about the answer. Many thought that
Jesus was the Messiah. The one who was
promised to save the people of Israel.
What did Jesus have to say for himself?
The important question about Jesus was whether he was the promised
Messiah.
6.
It’s sad to say though that those
people who came to Jesus didn’t really want to know the truth. What Jesus had already told them, what he had
done, and the way he had lived in His Father’s name was clear evidence that he
was the Messiah. But, they didn’t want
to believe. In the same way today, many
people claim to want to know exactly who Jesus was, yet they ignore his own
words and ways. Some people want to
believe in Jesus as a Great Teacher who shows us how we ought to live our lives. Others want to look at him as a great leader,
like Jesus as our CEO, who can help you to succeed in life to run a big company. There are those who want to see Jesus as a
Guru who can teach to us the mysteries of the universe. It seems everyone has their own idea as to
who Jesus is, but the sad fact is that many people don’t want to call Him their
Lord and Savior, let alone their Good Shepherd.
7.
Why do you suppose that is? Why don’t people want to acknowledge Jesus as
their Good Shepherd? Well the answer
lies in the fact that if we acknowledge Jesus as our Good Shepherd, then we
must also admit that we ourselves are sheep.
But, sheep have unpleasant characteristics. They are prone to wander
from the flock. The sight of some greener grass catches their attention, and
they wander until they find themselves far away. Sheep can be stubborn and
headstrong creatures.
8.
Dear friends in Christ we are God’s
sheep, God’s flock. And just like sheep in the field, we Christians have an
amazing ability to pick up dirt from our surroundings. How often we find our
thoughts and words reflecting those of our non-Christian neighbors! We may not
be able to help passing through the valley of the shadow of death, but when we
begin to walk like those who are spiritually dead, that’s peril of our own making—and
we should be afraid! As God’s sheep we
have a tendency to wander too. Maybe something hurtful is said to us, maybe by
someone from our own church. Or we experience some shocking event—a sudden
death we can’t explain in our understanding of a loving God. A rejection by a loved one that doesn’t make
sense when we’ve been committed and faithful. Or maybe we catch sight of
greener grass just over the next ridge—those worldly goods that draw us away, a
catchier sounding philosophy or religion. We wander from God’s house—become
angry with him, lose faith in him, lose confidence that his simple Word and
Sacrament are the richest table anyone could ever spread before us. The next
thing we know, months or even years have gone by, and we find ourselves alone,
without him, maybe without the dear ones he’s given us.
9.
The sad thing is that the Jews in
John 10 who came to Jesus had lost their way.
They had wandered from Jesus as their Good Shepherd. They didn’t really want to know the truth
from Jesus that He is the Christ the Son of God. That’s why Jesus says, “You do not believe, because you are not my sheep.” Those who are not among God’s chosen
flock turn deaf ears and blind eyes to Jesus.
10.
In contrast to the unbelieving Jews,
Jesus’ sheep hear his voice. He knows
them and they follow him. In fact, the
relationship between Jesus and his followers is close and personal. And because he is the Christ, the Son of God,
the relationship is eternal. He gives
His sheep eternal life. They won’t
perish forever and no one can snatch them out of his hand.
- What words of comfort for us as Christians! We are secure forever with Christ as our Savior. In Him we believe and live. Our security is locked up with the Father in heaven. No one can take us from Jesus’ hands because that would mean taking us from God the Father’s hands. And no one can do that. As Paul says in Romans 8:35-39,”Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
12.
Dear friends because Christ holds us
in the palm of his hands nothing can snatch us from him. He has saved us from our sins by laying down
his life for us through His death on the cross.
He paid the penalty for our wandering away from Him. But, more than that our Jesus the Good
Shepherd rose from the dead to show his victory over sin, death and the power
of the devil for us. Through His
resurrection from the dead Jesus proves to us that He is able to give us
eternal life. Thanks be to God for His
grace and mercy in Jesus our Good Shepherd.
Amen.
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