Sermon preached at Zion, Beecher, IL this past week.
HT and thanks goes to Rev. Marcus Zill for many of the salient points
herein.
Pr. Ron Rock
"Of Sheep and Shepherds"
Easter 4, B / Good Shepherd Sunday
Sun. & Wed., April 29 & May 2, 2012
Zion Lutheran Church, Beecher, IL
Sermon Text - John 10:11-18
First Reading - Acts 4:1-12
Epistle Reading - 1 John 3:16-24
Gospel Reading - John 10:11-18
Alleluia! Christ is risen! [He is risen, indeed!] Alleluia!
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd! [Amen.] Our sermon is
based on the Introit and Gospel reading of the day.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
You just sang:
The King of Love My Shepherd Is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever. (Lutheran Service Book #709, st. 1)
Those words are words that we love to hear. They're based on the 23rd
Psalm - the most beloved of them all. Yet, contrary to what they say,
those words may seem to be "lacking" just a bit.
I say that when we consider the state of things around us. When we
consider the state of our world
Wars seem to never cease; but rather
seem to become more horrendous day by day. The murder rate seems to
climb exponentially higher in a population center not all that far from
us. Political corruption becomes more acute all the time, with cronyism
and political paybacks being the rule
rather than the exception
for
how the highest levels of government seem to operate.
But despite all that, these words before us remain to be words that bring
comfort to us and we eagerly anticipate Good Shepherd Sunday each year!
In fact, last Wednesday at our Ladies' Bible Study, I mentioned to them
that the coming Sunday would be Good Shepherd Sunday. Each one present
quickly remarked how much they like this day in the Church Year
for the
idea behind this day
brings us all comfort, peace, and hope.
And so
let's get on with it. In the next few minutes let's consider
the Word of God before us on this 4th Sunday of Easter, also known as
"Good Shepherd Sunday."
First, in today's Gospel reading, Jesus distinguishes between a hired man
and the Good Shepherd. What's that difference?
Put simply, it's this: For the hired man, the sheep are expendable, they
represent only a job. But for the Good Shepherd
well
He makes
Himself expendable for the sheep.
Now that
is a marked difference. In fact, a bigger difference in
attitude can't be found. The hired man has no attachment to the sheep,
except insofar that they're a source of income. His attitude is "What
can I get out of the sheep?" If the sheep have to be sacrificed to save
his life, so be it. With the wolf circling the flock, the hired man
takes off like a rocket - deserting the sheep that depend on him for
protection.
But
it's not that way for the Good Shepherd! No! His attitude is
"What can I do for the sheep?" He's willing to do the unthinkable. He
stands ready and willing to "lay down His life for the sheep." He'll do
anything possible
anything needed
to care for them and ensure their
safety.
Dear Christians, our Lord Christ, in the gorgeous imagery before us
today
likens Himself to be a Shepherd of the finest order
a Shepherd
on which we
His sheep
can fully depend!
Jesus is our Good Shepherd in the same way as Good Friday. He lays down
His life for the sheep. Our Good Shepherd puts Himself in between us
sheep and the open jaws of the very hound of hell, Satan himself.
Our Shepherd is attacked mercilessly. His body is mauled and His flesh
is torn by the very predator who seeks to feed on us. But when Satan
sinks his teeth into the Lamb of God, he takes on far more than he
imagined! He bites into the One who will break his jaw
and destroy
him!
By His sacrificial death in our place, our Good Shepherd defeated death
and the devil. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is truly God in the flesh come
to seek and to save His lost ones.
King David, himself a shepherd, begins Psalm 23 with these words: "The
Lord is my shepherd." With that, David points us toward Jesus, who would
fulfill those prophetic words. He is the Shepherd who comes to dwell
with us in the midst of our lives that so often seem to be falling apart.
He cares for His Sheep
feeding them when they hunger for love and forgiveness.
protecting them from the evil one
or even from their own foolish
actions.
And comforting them when the pain and heartache of life threaten to crush
them.
Yeah
He does all of this. He leads us with His words that are spirit
and life. He comforts us with His presence as He gives us His name in
Holy Baptism. He feeds us with His own body and blood at the table He
prepares before us in the presence of our bitterest enemies - sin, death,
and the devil himself.
Truly, behind everything that our Good Shepherd does for us - the
feeding, the leading, and the comforting - behind it all is His cross.
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. This Jesus, our Good
Shepherd, of whom we again speak today, was no wimp
at all! He was no
whining coward who ran away when Satan came after you. Satan had the
sole goal that you'd have to pay for your own sins so he could drag you
into hell to be there with him forever!
But our Good Shepherd died, as the great Lenten hymn has us sing: "
for
sheep who love to wander." (O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken,
Lutheran Service Book, # 439, st. 4)
He didn't wait for us to find our way out of the wilderness and back to
the sheep pen. No! He came to us in this world of sin and death
and He
redeemed us by dying on the cross in our place. Such is the love of the
Shepherd for His sheep.
We often use the characteristics of animals to describe how people act
themselves. For example, we might say: "He's as strong as a horse.
"She sings like a bird. "He's as wise as an owl."
Things like those are spoken as compliments. But, of course, it cuts the
other way, too. Someone might be described: "He's as clumsy as a cow."
Or
"He's as dumb as an ox."
And
what do we say in reference to sheep? Is it ever said: "He's as
smart
or as strong as a sheep?" Hardly! Actually, you're more apt to
hear something like: "They are as stupid as sheep."
Sheep are stupid. They're great at getting themselves into trouble
for
straying, for ending up lost, confused, in danger and totally unable to
take care of themselves.
Really, Jesus pays us no compliment by calling us sheep. But that is, in
fact, what we are. By nature, just like real sheep, we all so often
stray away from the Good Shepherd right into the jaws of death. We have
(as the Scripture says) "like sheep, all gone astray." (Is. 53:6, ESV)
Like dumb sheep, we mosey through life
either not realizing that the
wolf (known as the devil) is ever lurking
ready to attack
or we are
aware that that danger is around us
but in our stupidity
we actually
think that we can pet the "wolf
" or play with him in the grass
and
survive!
Dear sheep of the Shepherd, where and when you've lived that way
repent
and return anew to the loving embrace of the Good Shepherd
who
died and rose so that you might dwell with Him forever. Ignore the call
of the wolf of the devil
who beckons you to leave your Shepherd
who
IS the only One
who offers you true peace, joy, and contentment.
Once again on this day the Good Shepherd calls out to you. Listen to
Him. Hear His voice. He calls you to walk with Him on the paths of
righteousness to the green pastures of heaven!
And
where do we listen to His voice? It can be anywhere where His Word
is to be found. But right here
in His house
is where His voice can
be heard week after week. Here He calls out to those for whom He died
and rose, urging them to faithfully walk with Him
until they "dwell in
the house of the Lord forever!"
Dear lambs in Christ, in the midst of this world filled with doubt and
despair, keep your ears tuned to the voice of your Good Shepherd.
Forsake all others
for He alone has "the words of eternal life. (John
6:68, ESV)
And with that known, there's nothing to fear. For His rod and staff will
not only comfort you
but they'll also protect you all your days.
And when it's time for you to walk through the valley of the shadow of
death
you have His unbreakable promise to see you through it. Your
Good Shepherd has shut the jaws of sin, death, and the devil forever and
gives you life in His name.
And
because of Him, your song is now
and forever will be:
The King of Love My Shepherd Is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever. (Lutheran Service Book #709:1)
Thanks be to God! [Amen.] Alleluia! Christ is risen! [He is risen,
indeed!] Alleluia!
`
`
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