John 10 11-18 2003
Easter 4 B
John 10:11-18
May 11, 2003
The Voice of the Good Shepherd or Shepherd’s
Introduction: An American tourist who was traveling in the Middle East. He came upon several shepherds whose flocks had intermingled while drinking water from a brook. After an exchange of greetings, one of the shepherds turned toward the sheep and called out, "Manah. Manah. Manah." (Manah means "follow me" in Arabic.) Immediately his sheep separated themselves from the rest and followed him.
Then one of the two remaining shepherds called out, "Manah. Manah." and his sheep left the common flock to follow him. The American tourist then said to the third shepherd, "I would like to try that. Let me put on your cloak and turban and see if I can get the rest of the sheep to follow me." The shepherd smiled knowingly, as the traveler wrapped himself in the cloak, put the turban on his head and called out, "Manah. Manah." The sheep did not respond to the stranger's voice. Not one of them moved toward him. "Will the sheep ever follow someone other than you?" The tourist asked. "Oh yes," the shepherd replied, "sometimes a sheep gets sick, and then it will follow anyone."
We have seen it, haven't we? People, young and old, who are "sick", battered by the storms of life and distracted by voices urging them to go this way and that, we have seen them loose their bearings not knowing where they are or where they are going. Often it is frightening, as it leads to despair and to hopelessness. And when someone is "sick, emotionally, physically or spiritually" they may be tempted to follow anyone who will promise a moment of happiness, a brief feeling of peace.
The call of our Lord, the Good shepherd is often drowned out in a whole chorus of worldly voices which beckon us. Other would-be shepherds seek to tempt us away from the Good Shepherd. They tempt us away from the joy of his forgiveness and the security of his love. And when we are weak and confused we may fall victim to the enticements of false shepherds and eventually fall prey to the ravenous wolf that is the devil. But the call of Jesus the Good Shepherd is, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." There is no better way, no greater truth, no happier life. Our Lord reaches out to us shepherding us with his love and his life and calling us to follow Him.
Many comforting words have been preached about this text over the years, and rightly so. Truly we are comforted by the personification of our precious Lord as our shepherd and guide. Leading us to new and inviting pastures, our Lord, fills our thirst with springs of living water. This shepherd, our shepherd, is the one that tends to our every need. He carries our young and weak on his shoulders. Our wounds are healed by his tender touch. When we are lost he searches us out, leaving the flock behind to find us. He knows each and every one of us by name and more so He knows our personalities, tendencies, temperaments, habits and most of all our hearts. The rescue and protection of we, his flock, is his priority and to save us he is willing to die.
Jesus had just healed a man on the Sabbath who was born blind. The Pharisees interrogated the man not once but twice. They wanted to get as much information about Jesus as they could. They didn’t seek facts for faith but rather evidence against Jesus because they did not believe in Him. Jesus then goes to the man that He had healed and revels himself as the Son of Man. In the presence of the man once blind, the Pharisees and the disciples, Jesus speaks about Himself as the Good Shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd”. Three times in this section Jesus tells them who and what He is and he emphasizes it. “I am the good shepherd”. With these words we hear the celebration of Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled…the words of Ezekiel, Isaiah, and David. “I am the good shepherd”. Who is this shepherd? David said, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. Ezekiel declared, “I will establish one shepherd over them. And Isaiah wrote, “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them close to His heart.” As Jesus spoke these words the great day of the Lord was taking place. The shepherd took the form of man. See him, touch him, and most importantly listen to what he says.
“The good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep”. Jesus tells us that he came to rescue his sheep from the grip of the ravenous wolf, the false prophets, the propagators of lies and all those who lead to death. He storms the gates of hell, sin and death. His weapons are His word and his body and blood, prepared first in his own baptism and anointing of the Holy Spirit. These are the same weapons that he has given to us in His word and sacraments. The Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. In his death he makes the supreme sacrifice, and at that moment in time man is reconciled to God. This is the greatest of all sacrifices. The shepherd became a sheep—the very Lamb of God—and becomes the bloody Lamb of sacrifice.
Our Lord continues to give his life for his sheep. Even now He is mediating our needs before His Father, who is now our Father. He continues to give his life through His word given to his apostles, now given to us. He gives his life for us in his body and blood given to us for the forgiveness of sins and our spiritual nourishment. Jesus continues to lay His life down for his sheep, for us.
Our Lord did die for us, the Lamb of God sacrificed upon the cross. He laid down His life with the purpose of redeeming his lost sheep and with the full intent of picking his life up again. What good does the shepherd do his sheep if he dies and remains dead? The sheep are saved once, but are then free game for any and all predators. Our Lord has no intention of letting this happen. He picks up his life in His resurrection and defeats death. He returned to the glory that he had with His Father from the beginning. He has sent His Holy Spirit to guide and protect us, enabling us to hear and follow His voice, the voice of our Good Shepherd.
Our Lord Jesus warns us that we face dangers in this world. One of those dangers is the presence of false shepherds. Jesus calls them hirelings and the wolf. They do not care about the sheep but only there own passions and pleasures. They care about what they can get as they fleece the flock. Who are the wolf and the hireling? He is the false prophet and false teacher whose master is the devil. He is the personification of evil lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on the sheep when they are unaware and unprotected. As Jesus speaks these words he is first directing them towards the Pharisees. Not only are some of them hirelings, but some of them are also wolves -- the propagators of lies. What are the lies they tell? They lie and deny that Jesus Christ is the promised Savior. They deny that He is the Son of God, God that has become man. They deny that Jesus has come as the very Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. And they deny that Jesus is the good shepherd that takes care of his sheep. They deny His voice and His word.
The scriptures declare that all we like sheep have gone astray, every one to his own way. What about you? Have you gone astray? Are you in danger of being devoured by the wolf? Are you following false shepherds and listening to the propagators of lies, entertaining false notions? Are you following false shepherds and other voices, those that promote and condone abortion, divorce, and homosexuality? Are you following false shepherds and voices that promote premarital and promiscuous sex outside of Holy marriage? After all it seems like all the sheep are doing it. But is it the voice of your good shepherd or is it the voice of another? Do you follow the voices that accept other religions as valid paths to God? Do you follow after the voice of your own self righteousness, parading your pride around before God in the dress of Christian humility, relying on your own good life for God’s approval? Do you believe in all of God’s Word and does it rule your life or have you begun to choose what is right for you and forget the rest? Do you seek after voices proclaiming fortune in the stars and are you guided by horoscope shepherds. Where do you look for answers that trouble you? Is it the voice of your good shepherd or is it the voice of another? Are you like a sick sheep willing to listen and follow another? Be very careful because the wolf comes calling and he tries to look like the shepherd and he tries to look like the sheep. And He tries to sound like a shepherd.
What can we do? Is there no protection? Listen to Christ’s words. “I know my sheep and am known by them. My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.” Our Lord’s voice comes to us not through resonating sounds vibrating through the air but through His words to us recorded by the prophets and apostles. Through them we hear his voice by the power of His Spirit. Through them the Good Shepherd guides and protects us. In them we hear His voice as he comforts and leads us to a pasture beside still waters where he restores our souls. Yes, all we like sheep have gone astray, but the scriptures continue…”and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all…He was led as a lamb to the slaughter.” For the sake of Jesus, by His stripes he has healed all his sick sheep. We are forgiven for all the times we have followed other voices, other shepherds. The Lord has carried us upon His shoulders.
Conclusion: There is only one shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. We have heard his voice. Even though we all stray at times, he chases us down, gathering us in his arms and close to his heart. There he removes our burs with his nail pierced hands and tends our wounds and makes us well and gives us life…His life laid down for his sheep. Hear the voice of Jesus. “I am the good shepherd, who lays His life down for his sheep.” Such is His love for you. Amen.