April 22, 2018 – Good Shepherd Sunday

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John 10:11-18

 

As most of you know, something big happened in Lincoln yesterday. It was the annual spring game, which is a big deal every year. But this year it was even bigger than usual. It was the debut for the new coach, Scott Frost. It seems everyone considers him a good coach. But what are the marks of a good coach? In addition to winning games a good coach will be 100% committed to his team. He will know his players well so that he understands what they can do well and what they need to work on. He will enforce good discipline, and he will always be looking to recruit the best players to the team. His players will see by his words and actions that he always has their best interests in mind.

The people of Jesus’ day didn’t know anything about football, it wasn’t invented yet. But they did know a lot about sheep and shepherds. They knew that Abraham, and Moses, and David, their most well known ancestors, were all shepherds. It was still a very common profession. So Jesus talks to them about the marks of the Good Shepherd.

A Good Shepherd is the owner of the sheep. He either helped birth them and raise them from the time they were little lambs, or he purchased them to build up his flock. Either way, he is invested in them. They belong to him.

Jesus shows why this is important by contrasting a shepherd who owns his sheep with a shepherd who is merely hired to watch over the sheep. Such a hired man sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. He is not invested in the sheep. He doesn’t really care about the sheep, he is just doing a job. So when any kind of difficulty or danger comes along he starts wondering if whatever he is getting paid is worth it. If he faces physical danger he decides that he is not getting paid enough to risk his life for the sheep so he runs away.

Our thoughts might go immediately to the Pharisees and Jewish leaders who were more interested in their pay, and power, and position than they were the people under their spiritual care. As a result, Jesus describes the people as harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Unfortunately, the same is true today. There are those who are under-shepherds, pastors, teachers, elders, Sunday school teachers, who are like a hired man. They are only concerned about their pay, whether it’s a salary, or a position of power and notoriety. When trouble comes they only think about themselves and let the sheep fend for themselves.

How blessed we are that we have people who are willing to serve because they care for the sheep, for you and me, and for our children and young people. We know that they aren’t in it for themselves because they could do what they are doing for much more money and work far fewer hours somewhere else. Thank God every day for Pastors, teachers, elders, Sunday school teachers, who make it obvious by their words and actions that they truly care for the sheep and lambs under their care.

How blessed we are to know that, as THE Good Shepherd, Jesus owns us. He is the one who created us. He is the one who purchased us with the price of his blood shed for us on the cross. He is the one who gave us new birth at our Baptism so that we could be a part of his flock, sheep who are being led by him down the narrow path that leads to the green pastures and gentle waters of heaven. Because he owns us we can be sure that, when danger comes, he will never leave us or forsake us. He will “guard and protect us from all evil and defend us from all danger.”

Jesus says that another mark of the Good Shepherd is that he has intimate knowledge of his sheep. I know my sheep and my sheep know me (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). He lives with his sheep every day, 24 hours a day. He learns the unique personality of each one of his sheep, much like the dairy farmer learns the personality of each of his cows. Our Good Shepherd knows each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. He knows which of us are prone to wander and might need some discipline, and he knows which of us are prone to becoming discouraged and may need some encouragement. He knows us better than we know ourselves and he is able to give us just exactly what we need at any moment.

The omniscience and omnipresence of God is both scary and comforting. It means that nothing is hidden from his sight. He knows everything we are doing. We might be able to hide our sins from others, from a boss, or a parent, or others in authority, but not from Jesus. He sees every sinful thing we do. He hears every sinful thing we say. He even knows every sinful thing we are thinking. If he decided to let Satan the roaring lion devour us because that’s what we deserve, he would be perfectly justified. But, here’s the comforting part. Even though he knows how prone we are to wander away from him, even though he knows our every sin, he still chooses to remain our Good Shepherd. He still chooses to defend us from the wolf and the lion. He still was willing to fight to the death for us so that he could win the victory for us and then take up his life again. Because he died for us and rose again we have the comfort of knowing that he is using his omniscience and omnipresence for our good. No one is able to trick him or distract him as he watches over us. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is always present with us, always there anytime we need him, and he always knows exactly what we need and exactly what is best for us.

Another mark of the Good Shepherd is that he cares for all the sheep, not just the ones in one flock.

So often we fall into the trap of thinking like the Pharisees. Like them we are zealous to uphold the word of God, and that’s as it should be. Like them we are watching out for false teaching and working to keep ourselves morally and spiritually pure. But, if we aren’t careful, like the Pharisees, we can become very judgmental. We can think of ourselves more highly than we ought and constantly be looking at the speck in the eyes of others while ignoring the beam in our own eyes. We can incorrectly conclude, as they did, that unless someone is part of our little flock they have no hope of heaven. You know the joke that is told about people that develop such an attitude. When others in heaven were celebrating a little too loudly they were told to quiet down because that group over there thinks they are the only ones here.

Jesus tells the Jews, the Pharisees, the WELS, that he has other sheep that are not of our sheep pen. There are others out there in the world, like the 7000 Elijah didn’t know about, who have been brought to faith in Jesus as their Good Shepherd and have no outward connection with us. We may never know them, or even that they exist, until we all get to heaven. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. Then, regardless of what group we belonged to on earth, we will be able to all join together in worshiping and praising Jesus our Good Shepherd.

Until then, there will remain separate flocks. There will be divisions and denominations. And although by God’s command we cannot join in worship with those with whom we don’t have agreement on the basis of Scripture, we can rejoice that there is a Holy Christian church made up of everyone who believes in Jesus as his Savior. We can rejoice that the members of our little flock called the WELS won’t be the only ones in heaven.

Jesus was commissioned by the Father to come to earth and serve as THE Good Shepherd. He willingly and gladly took up that commission. He displays for us the marks of the Good Shepherd. He assures us that he is not a hired man, but that he owns us and purchased us to be part of his flock at the high price of his blood shed for us on the cross. He knows us intimately. He knows not only our sins, but our gifts and abilities. In spite of our sins he still chose to defend us with his life. As we think about these things he has done and continues to do for us he doesn’t want us to get a big head. We didn’t choose to be a part of his flock, he chose us, and there are many others who still need to come to know him and be a part of his flock with us. Rejoice that Jesus is THE Good Shepherd.

 

 


 

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