“Jesus our Good Shepherd Dies, So That We May Live” John 10.11, Psalm 23, Linda Radichel Funeral Sermon…

1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Dear family and friends of Linda, on behalf of the congregation at Christ Lutheran, I want to express to you my deepest sympathies as you mourn over her death.  But, I want to tell you today that even though we grieve over Linda’s death, we don’t grieve as those who have no hope.  We can take comfort that Linda was baptized into the Christian faith through water and the power of God’s Word on September 13, 1925. Linda’s baptism gave to her the promise of eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and salvation on account of our Lord Jesus.  This is what the Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans chapter 6.  The message from God’s Word is taken from John 10:11, which contains Linda’s confirmation verse she received on the day of her confirmation here at Christ Lutheran.  The message is entitled, “Jesus Our Good Shepherd Dies, So That We May Live,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 
2. Linda wanted her funeral sermon to be from John 10:11 that says “¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  She also chose Psalm 23 as one of the Scripture readings for her funeral.  Both these passages of Scripture point to the fact that Jesus our Good Shepherd hears our cries for help and leads us to everlasting life. 
3. Over the past 2 years I’ve had the privilege of getting to know Linda.  I always enjoyed my visits with her and I know that as her pastor I will deeply miss her, but I know that one day, we who believe in Jesus as our Savior & Good Shepherd, will see her again for all eternity in the glories of heaven.  Linda was also deeply loved by her family and her fellow Church members here at Christ Lutheran.  She was a faithful member at this Church, where she served on the altar guild and the sunshine club. She also was a very active member of the Ladies Aid for many years, where she was in charge of the lunch committee. Linda enjoyed picking nuts, gardening, baking and crocheting. She was able to crochet afghans for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Linda also loved to fish, in fact, she had specific shirts that she had picked out as her “fishing shirts.”  She was a wonderful Christian woman, and even in her failing health, Linda desired to hear God’s Word and receive Jesus’ body and blood, given and shed for her for the forgiveness of her sins.  In fact, the family was amazed that even as Linda lay dying in the hospital last week, she could still sing many of the words of the hymn, “I Am Content!  My Jesus Ever Lives” with Pastor Mark Meier, showing her faith in Jesus her Good Shepherd. 
4. This last year has been very hard on Linda and her family.  Earlier this year, her son LaVan was called home to heavenly rest.  It’s hard enough to deal with the death of one child as a parent, but she also experienced the death of her son Roger some years ago.  And, almost 30 years ago Linda’s beloved husband Arthur fell asleep in Jesus.  She outlived her brother and sister too.  In the face of so much death, how can a person find hope?  Well, Linda knew the answer, and because she knew the answer, she was able to carry on in her life all these years.  The answer in the face of death is that, Jesus our Good Shepherd dies, so that we may live.  
5. As Linda’s pastor I always appreciated being able to give to her our Lord’s body and blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion for the forgiveness of her sins.  She and her son LaVan, while he was still living, truly did want to hear God’s Word and receive the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation that our Lord Jesus the Good Shepherd freely gives, whether it was in their home or at the hospital. 
6. As I said before, Linda had asked that her funeral sermon be based on her confirmation verse from John 10:11, and that Psalm 23 be read at her funeral.  John 10:11 says, “¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  And, years before Jesus spoke these words from John’s Gospel, King David wrote in Psalm 23, “¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  ³He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
7. Why does God compare us as His people to sheep and Himself as our Good Shepherd?  After all, sheep are helpless animals.  They can’t outwit their enemies.  They don’t have sharp hoofs to ward off an enemy’s attack.  They don’t have sharp teeth to tear at the flesh of an attacking animal.  They don’t have great speed to outrun their predators.  They really have only one means of defense.  That’s their shepherd.  If it were not for the faithful shepherd, the sheep would perish.  I guess it’s no coincidence then that God’s Word compares us with sheep.  We, too, are helpless, the Bible tells us that we were conceived and born sinful from birth and we could do nothing on our own power to earn God’s forgiveness for our sin.  We were at one time spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, helpless and destitute, but Jesus our Good Shepherd through His death and resurrection has raised us up through the hearing of His Word and the Sacrament of Baptism and made us one of His sheep.  Linda knew this and that’s why she took confidence in the baptism that she received here at Christ Lutheran and the hearing of Jesus her Good Shepherd’s Word for the forgiveness of her sins and eternal life. Linda knew that in and of ourselves we can’t stand against the attacks of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.  If it weren’t for the constant care of our Good Shepherd Jesus, we too would perish.
8. It’s for good reason that Jesus is called “The Good Shepherd.”  The prophet Ezekiel foretold the fact that the shepherd of God’s people would be a king descended from the line of King David in Ezekiel 34.  Zechariah prophesied that this shepherd Jesus would be struck down (13:7), sold for 30 pieces of silver, (11:2) and pierced through His side (12:10).  All of this coincides with the words of Jesus in John 10:11, “I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  Linda knew that Jesus her Good Shepherd died for her so that she could have eternal life in Him, and not just for her soul, but for her body as well, when Jesus comes in glory at the End of the Age to raise her body from the dead so she will be with the Lord for all eternity in heaven in both soul and body.  This promise is for all who believe in Jesus as their Good Shepherd who laid down His life for them, His sheep.  And, Jesus not only cares for His flock’s physical needs, he has taken care of our greatest need, the need for the forgiveness of our sins.  He did this by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.
9. Even though Jesus’ lifeless body was in the grave for a brief time, He rose from the dead triumphant on the third day.  And we too, the members of His flock, have the assurance that Jesus lives to preserve us as His own until we stand with Him in heaven.  And, we will be with Linda too in a reunion that will have no end on account of the faith we have in Jesus as our Savior as St. Paul promises us in 1 Thessalonians 4.  There in heaven we’ll see the glorious vision of St. John fulfilled from Rev. 7:17, “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 
10. When we become frightened by the troubles in our lives, by the death of our loved ones, like our dear sister in the faith Linda, and our own mortality, let us as the sheep of Jesus our Good Shepherd turn our eyes to Him.  For Jesus says to us, just as He promised Linda all the days of her earthly life, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:29).
11. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, know that as your Good Shepherd, Jesus guides you, He feeds you, and He gives you rest. He leads us through his Holy Word, where we find nourishment and rest for our souls. He guides us in the paths of righteousness, which lead to eternal life, as He’s done for our dear sister in the faith, Linda. These paths of righteousness are not our own righteousness and good works but the way to eternal life opened by Christ’s righteousness.  Our Good Shepherd Jesus gives us rest when He delivers us from the burden of sin and from our pointless efforts to save ourselves by our own works. Jesus says to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). His Word revives our souls whenever the assurance of forgiveness brings peace and joy to our hearts.
12. This brings us to the final verse of this psalm. Our Good Shepherd brings us all the way from the green pastures and still waters to His Heavenly Father’s house. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” In John 14:2–3 the Lord Jesus says to us, “… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” We have a wonderful Shepherd in Jesus.  Linda knew this and trusted her salvation in Him, and she wanted you to hear this wonderful message as well. If you can say, “The Lord is my shepherd,” through the faith you received in your baptism and the hearing of His Holy Word, then you can be sure that all the wonderful promises of this psalm are yours.  You can be assured that you will join Linda and all the sheep of God in the glories of heaven to sing praises to the Lamb who was slain and rose again for all eternity.  What a wonderful reunion without end it will be!  Amen.