The Shepherd Cares for Sheep

Introduction

Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

Today is “Misericordias Domini” Sunday, meaning “the Lord is merciful”. Sometimes we call it “Good Shepherd Sunday”, as the theme is set by our Gospel lesson where Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

While the Shepherd tends the flock and cares for His sheep, one of His most important duties is to protect the sheep.

This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus tells us, “I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” ()

The primary job of the Shepherd is to protect the sheep. When it comes to the Church, we have grave enemies: The Devil, the world and our sinful nature. Protecting us from the old evil foes would require the Shepherd to lay down His life for us. He allows Himself to become Satan’s victim. The wolf attacks not the sheep, but the shepherd Himself.

The Shepherd

The Church has a grave enemy, Satan. Satan comes as a wolf and as a robber to steal the sheep from the Shepherd.

He is good, not in the sense of “doing a good job.” The Greek word used here is really the word for “beautiful” or “noble.”

You stand no chance in fighting Satan. He is much too powerful to fight. But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, fights for us by offering Himself to Satan as the victim. That old satanic wolf slays and devours Jesus on the Cross. But it is precisely then that the Shepherd defeats the wolf, the Grave spits Him forth, and we sing our Alleluias. We are hidden from Him in our Good Shepherd.

The Greek word used for good, “kalos” does not mean that Jesus is a “Good” shepherd in that He does a “good” job of being a shepherd, though no one would dispute that He does. To the world, He looks like a lunatic; no “good” shepherd today would die for his sheep, give his life so that animals might live.

You and I cannot fight the devil. “For us fights the valiant one, Whom God Himself elected.” We, the sheep, hide behind Jesus, the Shepherd, who has won the decisive victory over him. It is for this reason we sing our Alleluias!

How does Jesus, this Good Shepherd, take care of us today? How do we find peace in Him?

The word “kalos” means “beautiful” or “noble.” And His beauty is in His death, doing the Father’s will, that we might be forever forgiven and restored to the Father through Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice.

How does the Good Shepherd care for us today? How does He tend us, lead us and most importantly save us from the devil, the world, ourselves, from sin and from death?

Our First lesson shows us.

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Our text is outlined with the word DAWN.

They Devoted Themselves

This past week, the Lutheran author, Chad Bird, offered the following controversial, yet true observation

Christians, especially Evangelicals, import this language into their faith as well. We talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus. Or working on our personal relationship with him. Or desiring that relationship to grow, to deepen, to become more intimate.

Christians, especially Evangelicals, import this language into their faith as well. We talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus. Or working on our personal relationship with him. Or desiring that relationship to grow, to deepen, to become more intimate.

Here’s the thing: Christianity is not about a personal relationship with Jesus. The phrase is never found in the Bible. And the whole biblical witness runs contrary to it.

Our life with Christ is communal, not personal or private or individual. When the Scriptures speak of believers, they are part of a community, a fellowship of other believers.

Christianity is about a church relationship with Jesus.

One does not find God inside of Himself. God comes to us through means that are outside of ourselves: Word and Sacrament. One cannot be a Christian without being a part of the Church into which the Holy Spirit placed you in your Baptism.

We see this in the early Christians.

...To the Apostles’ Teaching

When Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded the Apostles to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” The apostles taught the people to observe everything that the Lord commanded them. The people of the early church had the benefit of having the Apostles teach them directly. They could ask questions of them directly that we may have to wrestle through Scripture to answer. The teaching of the faith was vital to their lives. And it was so vastly different from anything one could come up with in his own heart or mind.

Jesus calls us to devote ourselves to the Apostles’ teaching. And you cannot do that when you are separated from the Church. It is here where we hear God’s word in all of its truth and purity. It is here where our earthly notions and opinions about God are challenged and destroyed. It is here where pure and true doctrine is taught directly from God’s Word, applied to our lives, and it is only here where God’s Word takes its full effect, convicting us of our sin, slaying us in our complacency, and calling us to faith by the Gospel.

...to the Fellowship

It is here where Christians come together to uphold one another, forgive one another, upbuild one another, and bear one anothers’ burdens, fulfilling the Law of Christ.

to the Breaking of the Bread

This is Holy Communion. The Lord’s Supper. Receiving the true body and blood of Jesus in the bread and wine, granting forgiveness, strength, life and salvation, and proclaiming the death of Christ until He comes again.

and to the Prayers

Notice here, it is not “prayer” in general, or singular. It is “the” prayer”s” - That is, the liturgical prayers that they had always said in the Synagogue and Temple, but now understanding their full implications. These were structured, written, memorized prayers. They were not ex-corde, as the Spirit led, kind of prayers (which also have their place, but these were not them!)

Awe Came Upon Them

Acts 2:43 ESV

43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

The Holy Spirit was upon them. In the early Church, He confirmed the authenticity and the truth of the Gospel through signs and wonders. We see some of them mentioned in the Book of Acts, such as the lame beggar being healed, the apostles freed from Jail, and with more to come.

They all Were together

Acts 2:44–45 ESV

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

This is an important verse. The people of God were gathered together. They were not independent agents spreading the Gospel; they were the Church. They voluntarily sold what they had and had a common pool of money so that all could be cared for. It wasn’t socialism or communism, where people are forced to give up what they have for the good of others, which by the way, never works. It was voluntary. It also should be noted that this didn’t last. God sent persecution to scatter the Church so that His Word would be spread.

The Church needs to be in the world, but not of the world. I get a little nauseated when I see things like “Christian directories” for businesses, because our natural inclination is to stick together and support one another at the expense of not engaging the world with the Gospel of Hope as a Church.

Speaking directly to Chad’s point, they were together. We are called to be together. Physically with each other, gathered around the Gifts of God.

The Lord added to their Number day by day

The Lord added to their Number day by day

There are a lot of gimmicks in the Church today to “draw in members.” From entertainment worship styles, glitzy events, “relevant preaching”, big screens with impressive effects, to Easter egg hunts, you name it. But the bottom line is that gimmicks is all that they are. True growth can only be from God. “Unless the Lord builds a house, all of our labor is in vain.” “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or understanding believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him.”

“But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctifies and keeps me in the one True Church...”

The key to growth is simple: Faithfulness to the Lord. Faithful, accurate and true preaching, and faithful hearing of it. Faithful reception of the Lord’s Supper. Faithful attendance on your part. Faithful giving of your tithes and offerings to the Lord. Faithfulness in your personal devotional life. Faithful care of your neighbor in need. You cannot do any of these things without the Holy Spirit and the faith He grants.

But as He grants it, He Himself adds to the flock . It is all about Him. It is all about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The Beautiful Shepherd. The Noble Shepherd.