Easter 4—April 13, 2008

“The Loving Good Shepherd”

John 10:1-18

“I Am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the

sheep.”

In the Name of The Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. Amen.

What is your favorite painting of Jesus?

• Is it Him praying in The Garden?

• Or maybe standing in the boat reaching out to Peter?

• Or maybe it is one that depicts His death on the cross.

For many of us our favorite depiction of Jesus might be the one that

portrays Him as He describes Himself today—The Good Shepherd.

• Jesus with the children—his little lambs.

• Jesus carrying a lamb across His shoulders.

• Jesus with a staff with His little lambs following.

We love these pictures of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. And what’s

more--He loves us!

Think of the many ways that He has shown His love for you. The

most important is by giving His life on the cross. In love the Good

Shepherd became a lamb and allowed Himself to be thrown to the

wolves. Why? So that you could be saved from the ravenous wolf

named Satan. Because Jesus has walked through that valley of death,

He promises that for all who walk with Him, they shall also pass

through that valley and see the glorious light of heaven in the

resurrection.

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If that were all that Jesus did, it would be more than enough. But

He has done SO much more for you! The Shepherd King David

describes some of the ways the Good Shepherd has loved us in the

psalm WE all love—the 23rd.

He leads us in paths of righteousness. Sheep are prone to stray.

It’s our nature. Think of the times you have wandered in your life. Not

a pleasant thought. Now think of the gentle way that Jesus has guided

you back into the paths of His righteousness. That is pleasant!

He comforts you. He doesn’t use the shepherd staff to beat or

abuse the sheep. He doesn’t punish or mistreat the sheep. Rather, He

takes you into His arms and embraces you with His love, forgiveness,

and salvation.

He feeds us. He provides for you daily needs like clothing and

food and house and home. And He also provides for your eternal needs

by feeding you His precious body and blood. He provides a table for

you in the presence of your enemies. He makes your cup overflow!

He anoints your head with oil—a direct reference to baptism in

which you were anointed with the Holy Spirit—the heavenly oil of

gladness.

“Wait a second”, you might be thinking, “I don’t remember Jesus

doing any of that to me.” Do you know why? Because Jesus does it

indirectly. The Good Shepherd bestows His love on His sheep through

means of His under-shepherd, who is called the pastor.

During the year my family and I lived in Scotland we worshipped

at St. Columba Lutheran Church—one of the few, if not the only,

Lutheran churches in Scotland. Scotland is the land of green pastures,

where you see the white forms of sheep looking like cotton balls dotting

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the landscape. But the scenery isn’t what made St. Columba in

Scotland such a wonderful place. Nor was it the church architecture—it

wasn’t an old cathedral—rather a more modern building. Nor was it

that fact that because it was the only Lutheran church it had lots of

members and great programs and terrific music. It had a total of less

than twenty members, a couple of my girls were the only ones in their

Sunday school class, and many times there wasn’t anyone to play the

organ—or any other instrument for that matter. Nonetheless it was one

of the best congregations I’ve ever been in—other than Peace with

Christ, of course. With so few people it was very easy to get to know

everyone quite well. (Incidentally, though we live in a culture which

seems to believe that bigger is better, I am convinced that smaller is

best! One of the many reasons why smaller churches are best is because

you get to know people by name.) Anyway, back to St. Columba

Lutheran Church in Scotland. On one occasion we were talking about a

pastor who had recently studied to receive their PhD. And was now

known by “Doctor”. At the time I was studying at Glasgow University,

and had thoughts of continuing on for my PhD. I’ll never forget what

one of the members named Azania said—“Why would a pastor prefer to

be called “Dr.”? Being called “pastor” is the best title a person could

have.”

You know what? She was right! We don’t call our holy men

“father” or “Reverend” or “Doctor”—we call them “pastor”. Because

pastor means shepherd, and the pastor is working under and for the

Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. The Pastor’s job—or calling—is quite

simple—to do for the sheep what Jesus did, does, and would do.

Remember what Jesus said to Peter after the resurrection? “Peter, do

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you love me? Then feed my sheep.” It’s so important that He repeats it

three times! Ezekiel 34 gives us more specifics on what the pastor is to

do. Take time this week to read that chapter—it’s an oldy but a goody.

God is upset with the shepherds of Israel because they are not serving

faithfully. The words God speaks should be seared into the mind of

every man who is serving as a pastor. “You do not take care of the flock.

You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the

injured. You have not brought bck the strays or searched for the lost. You

have ruled them harshly and brutally.” What God DOESN’T say is

almost as important as what He does say. He doesn’t condemn the

shepherds for not being good administrators, or not growing a large

flock, or not building great big beautiful barns in which to keep the

flock. No, it is all about the personal care that is being neglected.

The job—the privilege—of the pastor is to care for Christ’s sheep.

To feed and comfort, to lead and guide, and most importantly to speak

to them—to you—the loving words of the Lamb of God Jesus Christ

who is the Good Shepherd.

And do you know what your job is? To listen to the Shepherd’s

voice, and to follow the Good Shepherd. Not to follow the under

shepherd. Too many people get that part confused—and that is why

when a “favorite” pastor leaves some of the sheep also leave—they have

confused the Chief Shepherd with the under-shepherd. You are to

follow the voice—of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ. Through the

voice of the pastor you should be hearing the words of the Good

Shepherd. And a good pastor will always direct your attention away

from himself and toward Christ. The church should never be a

personality cult. Let me give you an example—Confession/Absolution

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—the pastor says “As a called and ordained servant of the word I

forgive you. . . “ It is the pastor standing there—but it is the Good

Shepherd Jesus Christ whose voice you are hearing forgive you your

sins. The pastor does not have the power to forgive sins—but he does

have the privilege to do so as he stands in the place of Christ and speaks

His word.

I am grateful that Christ has given me this privilege of serving

under Him—speaking His word, feeding and comforting and caring for

His sheep. And I am grateful that He has called you to be His sheep.

That you have heard His voice—and faithfully followed. And most

important, together we are all eternally grateful that He has sent the

Good Shepherd Jesus Christ to love us, and lay down His life so that His

sheep might live forever.

Amen.

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