Good Shepherd Sunday (4^th Sunday of Easter) – April 25, 2010

John 10 ²⁷ My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

It’s a simple picture really, the shepherd and his sheep. To imagine a hillside covered with white wool and a lone, crook-holding shepherd watching over them, is an easy thing to do. But have you ever wondered: why sheep? Why doesn’t the Bible use the picture of an ox, or donkey, or cow? Why are we sheep?

A brief inspection into the make-up of sheep will help answer that question. Sheep have no horns, no claws, no fangs. In comparison to the ox or donkey or cow, they are small. And as far as speed, well, let’s just say they are no deer. Sheep sit as easy prey for the wolf, the bear and the lion. Then there is their behavior. When they feel threatened they perform the “if-I-can’t-see-you-you-can’t-see-me” attitude demonstrated by little children, and run into a corner and huddle together, jamming their heads out of sight as far as possible – only now to find themselves in danger of being suffocated by one another. If one sheep decides to leave the barn, suddenly they are all up and running – begging the question: “If one jumped off the cliff, would they all jump; if one could find no food and water and just sat down, would they all sit down to starve and die?”

Simply put, of all the different livestock, sheep are by far the most defenseless and helpless. That is why they needed a shepherd. It is the shepherd who leads them to green pastures when the grass has been consumed where they are. It is the shepherd who leads them to water after the sun has made them dry. It is the shepherd who calms them in the midst of danger in order to keep them from smothering one another. It is the shepherd who led them away from danger to the safety of the sheep pen made of fieldstone, with four walls and a single entrance. And it was this shepherd, while standing at the entrance to the sheep pen in the morning, who would call his sheep to follow him and whose sheep would respond to his voice.

Now do you see why our Savior Jesus pictures us as sheep and himself as the Good Shepherd? We share the same characteristics as sheep. We are defenseless and helpless, having no natural weapon with which to fight Satan and his wicked forces. We are unable to outrun the devil’s tantalizing traps and escape his deadly grasp. Daily we perform the “if-I-can’t-see-God-then-God-can’t-see-my-sin” attitude; smothering, suffocating, choking ourselves with the lie that our sin isn’t so serious that God should punish me for it. Again and again we demonstrate our foolish nature as we blindly follow and chase after the things of the world without any regard to the fact that the way of the world is the broad path that leads to hell.

This is the reason we so desperately need our Good Shepherd, Jesus. He couldn’t bear to watch us devoured by the wicked foe. His heart broke to see us aimlessly wandering and spiritually starving. His pity went out to us in our helpless, pathetic situation. So he did what no one else could do. He laid down his life for us. Of you he thought when the agonies of Gethsemane pushed his soul into the dust. Of you he thought when the scourge beat his back. Of you, when the nails pinned him to the tree. Of you, when he said of sin’s payment, “It is finished.” For you he bled that you might live. His blood paid for your sins completely. And none of this was because of our doing. There was nothing in our sin-scarred soul and sin-stained life that deserved consideration by the Good Shepherd. All this and much more, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has done for us because of his amazing grace and astonishing love.

It was Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who at the baptismal font found us and folded us to his breast. It is through his Word that he wrapped his caring arms around us and brought us into his flock. When in our lives we try to avoid him, it is he who seeks us. When the woes of life surround us, it’s the Shepherd’s arms that hold us tight. Simply put, apart from our Good Shepherd we would be lost to hell!

That is why as we sit here today, already members of his flock, we still need to listen to his voice. We still need to follow him. We are fooling ourselves if we think that apart from our Good Shepherd we somehow, now, are able to fight Satan’s attacks, repel the world’s vices, or go to battle against our flesh. We are still sheep. We still need our Good Shepherd. We still need him to lead us. And he does…with his voice…in his Word! In his Word he leads us to the green pastures of forgiveness won with his blood, shed on the cross. In his Word, he leads us to drink from the living water, which was prepared for us with his resurrection from the dead. When sin swamps us, temptations tricks us, or death frightens us, he gently says, “Don’t worry. I have paid your penalty. I have bought your perfection. I have given you eternal life. You will never perish. When we remain in my flock and listen to my voice, no one can snatch you out of my hand.” Jesus is the only Shepherd we ever need.

Here is a message of comfort for the believer in the midst of an evil, threatening world. Here is the assurance that Christ is leading his believers safely to heaven. By God’s grace we each can say, “Jesus is my Good Shepherd,” and his heaven is now opened to receive me. Amen.