The Good Shepherd shepherds us to eternal life.

 

Sermon for Easter 4, April 21, 2024

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His own blood and made us a kingdom and priests to God His Father—to Him be the glory and the power forever.  Amen.

John 10:11-18  ¹¹“I am the Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  ¹²The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep.  He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away.  Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.  ¹³Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.  ¹⁴“I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my sheep and my sheep know me ¹⁵(just as the Father knows me and I know the Father).  And I lay down my life for the sheep.  ¹⁶I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.  ¹⁷This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.  ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again.  This is the commission I received from my Father.” (EHV)

The Good Shepherd shepherds us to eternal life.

Dear lambs of the Living God,

            There are some who view Jesus as a masterful teacher and showman who grew too famous for His neighboring teachers and politicians to tolerate, so tiring of His popularity and criticisms, they had Him killed.  Others view Jesus as some sort of radical who ultimately wore out His welcome with the governing authorities who feared Him leading a rebellion, so they crucified Him.  Some of His day thought Jesus to be demon-possessed or mentally ill.  Many people no longer think about Jesus at all.

To be clear, however, Jesus tells us exactly who He is and His mission in life.  Jesus came into this world in a role only He could fill, to do work that only He could accomplish.  If Jesus had not come or had not fulfilled this role, you and I would suffer eternally.  Today, we give thanks and praise the Lord because The Good Shepherd shepherds us to eternal life.

Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd.”  As soon as Jesus used that “I am,” statement, the ears of Israel’s leaders perked up.  They knew He claims to be God.  They understood that Jesus was equating Himself with the God who met Moses on Mount Sinai, who chose David as king of Israel, and promised Abraham that from his seed all nations on earth would be blessed.  This is important for you and me, because only the Son of God could be the truly Good Shepherd.

To be the Good Shepherd who would give His life in exchange for the rescue of God’s people, the Messiah had to be perfectly holy, righteous, and completely willing to sacrifice His life for people who have only sinned against Him.  He could have no regrets about the pain He would suffer, not even concerning the agony of separation from the Father.  In addition, He needed perfect knowledge of this world and everything in it.  He had to have the strength to do and control all things, and the perfect restraint to do everything needed while living the humble life of an ordinary man.  He had to have patience to deal with great sinners and powerful temptations without ever once succumbing to the baser instincts of man.

Jesus had to do everything perfectly in thought, word, deed, emotion, and feeling.  He loved with the purest love ever to exist, because it sought nothing for Himself except the hearts and souls He would rescue from darkness and death and return to His Father’s glorious home.

Not only did Jesus announce His divinity as He made these statements, but He said, “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  The world still tries to lay the blame for Jesus’ death on the people who accused Him, sentenced Him to die, and nailed Him to the cross.  Yet, those people were really no more guilty than you or me.  Jesus had to die for the whole world, because we are all sinners to the core. 

Now, no doubt many men, and women too, have given their lives for their friends, family, or country.  Yet, none of them could save a soul, not even their own.  Furthermore, not one of those brave, self-sacrificing heroes has ever raised anyone from the grave, especially not themselves.

However, from the day Adam and Eve sinned, God has comforted His people with the promise of a Savior.  No ordinary man could do.  No woman either.  However, God promised to send a Son of the woman who not only could, but would, win us back from the devil’s deceptions.  The Deceiver would be crushed for eternity, but the Son would live on even after suffering great pain and death.

In our text, Jesus compares the Good Shepherd with the hireling.  “The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep.  He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away.  Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.  Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.”  Certainly, every pastor, priest, or religious teacher should take this message to heart.  Anyone who ever gives more thought to his own benefit than to defending God’s people from the world and the devil’s schemes will fall prey to the conniving ways of Satan’s wolf.  Yet, not even Moses could stand up to every test.  Not one of the apostles Jesus sent out with His Word could stand alone to win the fight against the main predator in this ongoing war.  This is why faithful preachers and pastors rely solely on the Word of our God as they lead Jesus’ lambs in the wilderness of earth.

You might say that our Good Shepherd had to have skin in the game.  Thus, Jesus covered His divinity in human flesh to destroy Satan and rescue God’s most precious creation from the jaws of our most ancient enemy.  That’s why we needed the Good Shepherd.  Only God’s Son had the necessary desire, tools, and strength to repel every assault of the wicked ones.  He said, “I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my sheep and my sheep know me (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father).  And I lay down my life for the sheep.”  Jesus knows exactly what we need for salvation, and He knows exactly what is needed for our sanctification.  For our salvation, Jesus lived in perfect obedience to all His Father desires so that we could be counted holy.  Furthermore, Jesus gave His life in exchange for ours so that our debt of sin is paid in full. 

Still, not content just to pay the price to redeem our souls, The Good Shepherd shepherds us to eternal life.  Knowing that we need to hear the Good News of all He has done to give us life, Jesus sends pastors and teachers with the instruction, “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples.  You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) and with the command, “Go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)  He gives children to parents and instructs them to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

As Jesus gave His disciples these final instructions, He wanted those men to know that His salvation isn’t limited to only the clans of their forefathers.  God gave His Son into suffering and death because He desired salvation to be available to all people.  Thus, Jesus says, I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.” 

In our world, there are numerous religions, and nearly uncountable denominations and organizations that claim to worship God, or that pretend to have another road to peace.  However, only one way leads to everlasting life and the glory of heaven.  This side of heaven, we may not always know who are among the flock of our God, but Jesus knows.  Furthermore, it is evident here on earth that wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, and the Sacraments rightly administered, there will be those who hear the voice of the Savior and follow Him.  Someday, as we are gathered around the throne of heaven, it will be perfectly clear who has heard our Savior’s voice and loved the sound of His call.  We will be gathered forever around His throne giving praise to the Lamb who was slain, who yet lives and reigns over all things for the good of those whom His Father has elected to enjoy eternal peace.

There are occasionally those who want to blame the Jews for killing Jesus, or the Roman soldiers for nailing Him to the cross.  However, all those people who brought their false accusations against Jesus, and the crowds who shouted, “Crucify Him!”, and the governor who decreed the sentence were doing exactly what God had planned would happen to His Son so that we might believe in Him and live.  That doesn’t excuse their behavior, but God worked through their evil to bring good for you and me, and for them too, if they later came to believe in Jesus.  But none of those forces was in control of the events that day.  No, that would be Jesus, alone, for He assured His disciples, “This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again.  This is the commission I received from my Father.”

Of course, God didn’t start loving Jesus because He was willing to lay down His life for God’s flock.  No, God has always loved His Son for they abide in the perfect harmony of their shared nature.  Still, watching His Son live the life we needed, and giving up His life in exchange for ours, the Father confirmed His love from heaven, saying in thunderous voice, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)

Still today, Jesus is living to protect His flock from the wicked one, to preserve us from danger, and to work saving faith in those God has chosen.  As part of the promise that The Good Shepherd shepherds us to eternal life, Jesus promised His disciples, “Surely I am with you always until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) 

A real shepherd does more than just stand and watch, or even just walk at the head of the flock.  He observes the flock with a knowledgeable, trained eye, so that whatever they need, he is ready to supply.  When new grazing fields are needed to nourish the flock, he guides them there.  He knows when they need water and where to find it.  At all times, he remains ever vigilant against the enemies that would steal a lamb or a weakened sheep from the flock.

In like manner, our Good Shepherd always has His eye on you, ready to supply your every need, to heal your hurts, and to guide you through the perils of this cold and troubled world.  Then, especially with His Word and Sacrament, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, builds a fence around us to protect us from the wily ways of the old predator, so that the old evil foe can never again snatch us away from the Father’s love. 

Dear friends, rejoice in the love of your Lord, your Savior and Redeemer.  The Good Shepherd shepherds us to eternal life.  Amen.

Now may the God of peace—who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, in connection with his blood, which established the eternal testament—may he equip you with every good thing to do his will, as he works in us what is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ.  To him be glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Blessed to hear the Word of our Lord.

 

Sermon for Easter 2, April 7, 2024

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Amen.

Acts 18:1-11  After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.  ²There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.  Paul went to see them.  ³Because he had the same occupation, he stayed and worked with them, for they were tentmakers by trade.  ⁴Every Sabbath he led a discussion in the synagogue, trying to persuade both Jews and Greeks.  ⁵When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was entirely devoted to preaching the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.  ⁶But when they opposed Paul and slandered him, he shook out his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads!  I am innocent.  From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!”  ⁷He left that place and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.  ⁸Crispus, the synagogue leader, believed in the Lord, together with his entire household.  And many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.  ⁹One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking, and do not be silent.  ¹⁰For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, because I have many people in this city.”  ¹¹He stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (EHV)

Blessed to hear the Word of our Lord.

Dear friends in Christ,

            Thomas, our Lord Jesus’ disciple, found it impossible to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, that is, until Jesus stood before him, personally, so that Thomas could put his finger in the nail wounds and his hand in Jesus’ side.  In response to Thomas’ reluctance to believe what he hadn’t seen with his own eyes, Jesus promised people like you and me, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)  Here, in our sermon text, we see that among those whom God has called into His kingdom, they are Blessed to hear the Word of our Lord.

Many people assume that faith is a decision people make of their own volition.  Yet, in our text we find many Jews who refused to listen to Paul’s expounding of Jesus as the promised Messiah.  In fact, after hearing Paul preach a few times, many of those Jews, who had access to all the prophets’ writings, and thus should have been most eager to hear about the Savior coming into the world, were, like their brethren in Jerusalem, stubbornly refusing to believe that Jesus could be the Savior God promised to their forefathers.  In their stubborn refusal to hear God’s messenger, those who rejected the Gospel of Christ Jesus consigned themselves to eternal torment.

Now, it would be nice, marvelous in fact, if we could say this type of foolish rejection no longer happens.  Yet again, experience tells us that it is at least as common today.  Far too many are the supposedly intelligent people who rely on human wisdom rather than trust in the words of our God.  I am certain there is not a person in this room who has not lamented a child, a relative, or a neighbor who has either abandoned faith in Christ Jesus, or who has refused to listen in the first place.

St. Paul, in his love for his fellow Jews, and his concern for their eternal salvation, had diligently preached in the synagogue of every town he came to, hoping to bring the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to his own people who had been looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises for two thousand years.  Still, in city after city, Paul’s efforts among his fellow countrymen often fell on deaf ears.  In Corinth, Paul’s fellow Jews went so far as to blaspheme Jesus and slander Paul in their stubborn rejection of the Good News of all Jesus has done for them.  Finally, Paul turned his efforts to those who were willing to listen.  “When they opposed Paul and slandered him, he shook out his clothes and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads!  I am innocent.  From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!’”

Jesus had chosen Paul to be His apostle sent especially to the Gentiles, those people not of Jewish background.  Still, in his faithfulness to his Savior, Paul never neglected the Jews.  The Holy Spirit had worked faith in Paul to such an extent that he too wanted all people to know Jesus as Savior and Lord and thus believe in Christ for life and salvation.  Furthermore, as Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow to do what he promised, as some consider slowness.  Instead, he is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)  So, Paul never gave up on even the stubborn.

Even so, Jesus had commanded His disciples, “If anyone does not receive you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or that town.  Amen I tell you: It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” (Matthew 10:14-15)  The Lord has infinite patience with people and wants all to be saved.  Yet, He will not forever put up with those who refuse His grace.  Along with Paul, and in line with God’s will, we pray for those who turn away from the Lord that at some point they will again open their ears to His Word and return in faith.  At the same time, we must acknowledge that those who refuse to repent and believe in Jesus will suffer eternal condemnation.

Still, if that were our focus, how melancholy our work would be.  If we spent all our time lamenting those who refuse God’s marvelous Gospel, how many others would hear the Good News and believe?  And, that is the point of our text, that the Lord blessed Paul’s work in the same city where his fellow Jews turned him away.  One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking, and do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, because I have many people in this city.” 

In that riotous city, known far and wide for its immoral activities and idolatrous paganism, God had chosen many to hear and believe the message of Christ crucified for sinners.  Some of those new Christians were Jews, some had been Gentile proselytes to the Jewish faith who likewise now saw the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Jesus, but many were former idol worshippers who were so glad to hear of a Savior who actually did something for them rather than a religion that demanded continual efforts to appease the imagined angry, sullen, helpless idols of the pagan religions.  Those converts to Christianity of varied backgrounds were Blessed to hear the Word of our Lord.

There are some in our world who claim that God works without means and will elect believers to salvation primarily through miraculous ways.  However, there is nothing in the Bible that promises that fable.  Rather, the Holy Spirit caused St. Paul to write, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  Because God intends to work saving faith through the means of hearing His Gospel message and by the power of Baptism, God sends out believers willing to share that forgiveness and salvation with others.

Paul and the other apostles spent their lives bringing Christ’s salvation peace to the world, first, in person, and then through the words they recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  God intended that written Word to be told to any and all who might listen, and the Holy Spirit works through that saving truth to develop and grow faith in formerly lost sinners.  Always, it is the Holy Spirit giving faith, for the Bible says, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3)

Because faith came to us in just this way, we too have been Blessed to hear the Word of our Lord.  Just as the Father in heaven loved us when He sent His Son to live, die, and rise again for us, He loved us also by sending the Holy Spirit through the Word of the Gospel to bring us this saving gift.  Furthermore, this is such a marvelous message and gift, because the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf wiped away the guilt that was inherent in all of us.  Furthermore, even if we were once stubborn, rebellious, and hateful against those who willingly brought us to God’s house, our Savior has paid for our sins.

It is undeniable that we all have had moments in which we didn’t want to hear what God has said.  No person, other than Christ, has ever had a perfect faith or trust in the Almighty.  Yet, because Jesus lived that perfect trust in His Father in heaven, and He obeyed perfectly every authority placed over Him on earth, and because Jesus rejoiced to absorb every scrap of the Word of the Bible, you and I are counted as perfectly righteous through faith in Jesus which covers our guilt with His holiness.

Dear friends, last Sunday, we celebrated, again, the resurrection of our Lord from the dead.  Now, as we peer into our futures, we know that most of us are likely to face death before Jesus returns to judge the world.  For many, that can be a terrifying, disturbing reality to face, and will be even more so for those unbelievers alive when Christ returns in glory.  Yet, knowing what Jesus has done for us, and being blessed with faith in Christ, which the Holy Spirit has implanted in us by His Holy Word, we can go about our days, and even face our end in sure hope, the certain confidence that our futures are secure in heaven.  Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead so that we have living proof of His victory over sin and Satan, and the sure promise that we too will be raised, “For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive.  But each in his own order: Christ as the firstfruits and then Christ’s people, at his coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23)  We are indeed Blessed to hear the Word of our Lord.  Amen.

The Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with you all.  Amen.