Third Sunday of Easter

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the picture of Jesus as our shepherd is one that brings great joy and comfort her to our hearts. David penned Psalm 23 3000 years ago to explain what our Lord does for us, and Jesus himself tells us that He is the Good Shepherd who will not abandon his sheep, but lay down his life for them. All of these point to one very wonderful and blessed teaching that we call Divine Monergism which means sounds terrifying but is a truly a comforting teaching, and this we find blessed laid out in the prophet Ezekiel.

Now some make the mistake of thinking that the Old Testament is all Law and the New Testament is all Gospel. You will find both of those teachings in all of Holy Scripture both Old and New Testament. When we look at these passages what we find is a bit of Law that reveals to us the inability of mankind to save himself but we also find the wonderful fact that the Lord is our Savior.

Consider all that a shepherd does for his sheep, when they are hungry he leads them to good pasture, when they are thirsty he leads them to gentle waters, when they are sick, he tends to them, when they are injured he binds them up, the sheep rely and depend on the knowledge, wisdom, and care that the shepherd will give to the flock, and even should a sheep become separated and lost the Shepherd goes out to find them, when they are in danger, he rescues them.

As we read these lessons, we find that we are not the shepherd, we are the sheep, we are those who are in need of help. Now that is hard for some folks to hear, especially for us as Americans, we like to be known as an independent and capable bunch that can overcome all the struggles and trials that come our way. When life knocks us down, we stand back up, we might suffer setback after setback, but we are convinced that by the power of our will we will come out on top and there is nothing that can stop us from attaining our goals.

In fact we tell our kids that they can be whatever they want to be as long as they put their mind to it, they can shoot for the stars and still land on the clouds, we have a list of things that we tell ourselves to convince ourselves to try just a little bit harder that we can get what we want. But there are some things that are outside of our power and our ability, there are some things that we cannot attain or change about ourselves. One of those things is that we cannot change is the the fact that we are sinners, and that as sinners we are not worthy of heaven, we can fight for it and push for it as hard as we want, and we can desire it with every fiber of our being, but we can not free ourselves from our sinful condition.

So we are sheep, and sheep that are in trouble, sheep that are lost in the world. When we talk about sin and the effect that sin has had on this world, is that it has wrapped the world in misery and tainted all of that which was to bring us joy. Not only will it lay us low in the grave one day, it is also the reason that people treat one another like we do, if we see people as tools for us to use and discard or obstacles that get in the way of what we want, that we can greedily hold on to money and possessions, the reason that we lie and deceive, and that we suffer from addictions looking to feel good or at least to numb the pain.

All of this we can see as we look out at the news and see how the world is being given over to death, and people commit violence against one another disrespect authority, lie, steal, and cheat, and the list goes on. You don’t have to struggle with all of these things just one is enough to bring us to the realization that we need help, but if all we are is sheep, if we are but sinners, and we don’t know where to turn, where to find food, or water or shelter in the storm that we can feel building, that storm of God’s wrath, how can we hope to weather that storm? For if we do not find shelter we will perish eternally.

Then Jesus, our Shepherd saw us in our hour of desperate need, and Jesus didn’t cast us off, but rather came out looking for us. Look there at what God says, who will search for His sheep, who will seek them out? God will. The Lord will seek out His Flock and call them home. For He knows where there is safety, and hope in this dark hour. He will lead us out of the storm and into paradise. This is what God does for His people and what Jesus did for you because He cares about you.

The Lord sees the clouds and the darkness and Jesus goes out into that storm to find His sheep because He cares about them. Jesus is even lifted high upon the cross that His sheep might see Him, and that they might hear His cry, that they might know that Jesus has come into the world to redeem them. Because He has a place for them that has been prepared, a place with good grazing land and rich pasture where God will keep them safe.

Before Christ brings them home, He brings them to a place where they can be strengthened and nourished along with the flock that He has gathered out of this world. He brings them here to the Church. That they might find a place where their injuries and weaknesses can be tended to as they are fed and nourished with the rest of the flock.as they wait that day when the shepherd has gathered all the flock and comes back with all his glory and power and might to take them to be with him forever.

Church is a place where we can draw together and be strengthened and comforted by the Word and Sacraments. For here Christ comes to us, and reminds that we are not alone, our Shepherd has not left us, but He is working to make all things right. He is working to overcome the powers of sin, death, and the devil in this World to bring us to his eternal kingdom. Until that day, he has brought us here to church to be with part of the flock here on earth that is in need of help like we were.

That is why He has also sent to us the helper, the Holy Spirit, who creates and sustains faith inside of us. Who shows us what sin is not to just cause us to wallow in guilt but to understand what is harmful to us, and that we cannot free ourselves from it. It is meant to stop us from trying to fix the problem of sin on our own, but rather to see that your shepherd is here to bring you home. To bind you up and to heal you.

There are many who don’t understand why Christ calls us to be part of the church, why He brings us here to feed and nourish us with His Word and Sacraments, why he seeks us out when we are lost, and people get caught up in trying to solve their own problems instead of seeing that Christ has come to rescue them. They think that before they can be part of the flock that they need to get their life right, or fix some other problem, and won’t dare approach the shepherd, but that is not right at all. So how can you help someone understand this? Or how can you show to others the hope that they need in Jesus. Show them that their logic is inconsistent.

What would they say about a person who refused to use GPS when they were lost, but only used it when they knew where they were going?

What of a person who refused to go to the doctor when they were sick, but would certainly go when they were feeling good?

What of a person who refused to eat or drink when they were hungry or thirsty, but would wait until they were full?

This is folly, and yet many think this way, that they need to be in good spiritual health before they can attend Church, that they need to first get their life right before their shepherd binds up the wounds they no longer have. If they are wrestling with sin, that they will first overcome it on their own, but if they have no sin, why would they come to the savior of sinners.

My Brothers and Sisters this is foolish, rather see from these texts that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who has come to save the wandering and the lost and to call them to the flock here on earth. If you ever have these thoughts recognize them for what they are, and if you encounter others who think this way, remind them that Christ came into this world to bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. For Jesus is the Savior of Sinners, and He has a place for them that is far better than this world. Let those who hear his voice take heed and not flee from Him for He has come to save them. In Jesus name. Amen.