I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”” (John 10:11–18, ESV)
Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
You know, I do not know many shepherds. I did grow up in a family that was well versed in cattle and corn, alfalfa, and irrigation, I am familiar with farming, but I do not know sheep. My grandfather raised a few sheep, but I do not think you could really call him a shepherd. I just remember avoiding the mean old ram we called “Ramel.” I have seen sheep not too far from here, but still, I don’t think you could call anyone around here a shepherd. So, when Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, I am not sure I really understand what that means. Do you?
I am sure you have a picture of the Good Shepherd in mind. Of course, you do, there are pictures of the Good Shepard, Jesus standing and the sheep standing around lovingly gazing at the shepherd’s face. He is usually always holding one, too. Usually a little lamb, one we imagine is too small to walk on its own, one that has been injured by the dangers of the path, or one that is tired and unable to go on. Jesus is carrying it because it is lost by itself. We love that picture. Sure, you have seen a similar picture with Jesus standing among the children. They too are standing in similar positions looking at Jesus with big dark sheep eyes. That is the Shepherd in our mind, the shepherd of Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. But I wonder is that what Jesus is talking about, is that what He is saying about himself, when He says He is the Good Shepherd, in this text.
First of all, he says that he is the Good Shepherd. He is not just a good one, the is the good one. He is the best of the best, the top of the heap. The One and Only, champion, good shepherd. But what kind of a shepherd is this Good Shepherd? What makes him a good one? What makes him the good one?
He says that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. It’s easy to let that one go by us, and not stop and think about what He’s saying, because of course we know about Jesus dying for us on the cross, that’s what He’s talking about, right? Well, probably, but really if you think about it, it’s not really very wise for the Shepherd to die? Is it? After all, if He dies who will protect the sheep? Imagine the flock out there in the rocky wilderness. They are all gathered around the Good Shepherd, lazily minding their own business, eating the green grass, and drinking the still water. Then from out of nowhere the wolf appears. The sheep get nervous and start bleating. The shepherd positions himself between the sheep and the white fangs. There is a quick struggle—but the wolf walks away and the shepherd is dead. Now what? The wolf snarls as the shepherd’s blood drips from his teeth, and is hungry eyes look over his next victim, probably that little sheep the shepherd was just carrying. If the shepherd is dead, there is no one to protect the sheep anymore. The sheep are as good as dead, too, aren’t they?
Of course, the shepherd who dies is better than the hired hand shepherd, the second hand shepherd (that's what the bible calls him). As soon as the wolf appears he hightailed it off to the hills. All he is worried about is his paycheck, and you cannot spend any money when you are dead. He does not care for the sheep. There’s no windows in the churches dedicated to the hired hand. Not picture of the hireling carrying some poor little tired sheep. If there was one it would probably have him kicking them to get them to move a little faster, and the sheep certainly wouldn’t be all around him. Instead, they would be just out of arms reach, with a wary eye on the shepherd and another on the dangerous trail. He just pushes them along the trail to get to where they are going. You would think at least when he saw the wolf he would protect the sheep, if for no other reason than to protect his pocketbook. But that is not the case. The sheep are “snatched and scattered” when he runs away to save his own skin. And again, the wolf has his bloody way.
So, what is the answer to the problem here? The Good Shepherd dies and leaves the sheep, the bad shepherd, runs and leaves the sheep. At first glance it does not look as if there’s really much difference between the Good Shepherd and the bad one. Well, that cannot be the end of the story so let us see what else Jesus says.
He says that the Good Shepherd knows the sheep, and the sheep know Him. That sounds pretty good. Back to the shepherd in the pictures, the sheep are lovingly looking up at him, they know him very well; they know him because of what he does. He leads them beside still waters. He gets them to the green grass… He knows what the sheep need, and when they need it. But there is more to knowing the sheep than just providing what they need. Knowing the sheep means that the Shepherd know the personalities of the sheep. He knows when certain sheep are likely to stray. He keeps an eye out for those who are getting a little too close to the edge of the flock. He knows the ones that like to slip away when he is not looking. He knows, so they do not get far. He knows the flock so well that he can count them without counting. He is so familiar that just a glance will tell him when one is missing, when one is hiding, when one is trying to slip away.
That really does fit Jesus. You see he knows you and me. He knows Life in Christ Lutheran Church. In fact, he knows all churches all over the world. He knows their strengths and weakness. He looks over them and knows exactly what is going on in each one, without counting he knows where they are. It does not matter that we are down up here in the tip of the Arrowhead. We are still part of God’s beloved flock. Jesus knows and cares for each of us and he knows what we need.
Do you want an example? Way back a few years after Jesus ascended into heaven from the mountain of transfiguration, the Apostle John had a vision on the Island of Patmos. Jesus spoke to him. We often hear about John’s visions of the “Last Things” in that book, but we do not very often hear about Jesus personal messages to seven little churches, seven struggling churches in way out Asia. They were like seven little lambs that Jesus was carrying. Each had problems that Jesus spoke directly to. Each had strengths that Jesus praised. Jesus knew each church by name.
“Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”” (Revelation 1:11, ESV)
And he dictated a personal letter to each one. Jesus knows his flock. He knows his churches personally. He knows Life in Christ, Grand Marais. He cares and protects us right here, and right now. That is what a Good Shepherd is, that is what The Good Shepherd does.
Ok, so we know that the Good Shepherd knows His sheep. He loves and cares for them and gives them all that they need. But there is still that troublesome problem about Him dying for the sheep. Remember we wondered what becomes of the sheep after the shepherd dies. It is easy to see that this relationship between the Good Shepherd and His sheep is not the regular run of the mill shepherd—sheep relationship. He knows His sheep better than any ordinary shepherd does. He loves His sheep more than any normal shepherd, too. We know that because He dies for them. Jesus talks about dying for those he loves all the time
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:12–14, ESV)
He died willingly for you. He lays down His life for you. But what good is that if it leaves the sheep with out a shepherd?
Remember! Jesus is not just any shepherd. He is the unique one; the one and only one; the champion; the Good Shepherd. It is not just any old kinda-good-shepherd that lays down his life. It is The Good Shepherd that gives His life for you. It is the Good Shepherd who is God himself, in the flesh. It is the Good Shepherd who can lay down His life, but who can also take it up again. He the Good Shepherd that died on the cross to save human beings from sin but rose to life again to destroy sin’s power. He proves that he is able to help helpless sheep. “Why are you troubled? He said to his disciples (and to us). “See my hands and feet, touch me, and see that I am alive again!” (Luke 24:36ff) Be at peace! This Shepherd does not leave His sheep alone. Not even death can separate Him from His sheep. Death cannot separate Him from you. He was dead but He is now alive again. No ordinary good shepherd can do that.
Remember that old wolf, the one whose only thought is fresh lamb chops. We left him as he was slowly approaching that little lamb, the one without a shepherd. But suddenly the shepherd is there; he was dead but not anymore. He grabs the wolf and flings him away. There is a great yelp as he crashes to the ground and runs away. What chance does a mere wolf have against a Shepherd that is stronger than death?
Dear Christian friends. Members of the Flock of Jesus Christ. Are you feeling alone in the world? Are the dangers of the wilderness out there threatening you? How about that wolf, the one that keeps snarling at you, and reminding you that your death is only a blink of the eye away? It is easy to think and feel that we are shepherd-less. But we are not alone. You are not alone. Your shepherd is The Good Shepherd. No matter what the danger is: weather it is inflation or wondering what is ahead in the future. No matter what the fear, weather it is a loss of tourism, or a fear of being left alone. Weather it is the danger of violent death all around us. All those dangers are just plain old wolves and what chance does a mere wolf have against a Shepherd that’s stronger than death? That is Jesus Christ for you, your Good Shepherd. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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