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| He shall feed His flock, like a shepherd. He shall carry the lambs in His arms, and gently lead those with young. |
Mid-Week Lenten Vespers, April 9, 2014
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Daylight Time
The Hymn #245 God Love the World 4:6
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Hymn #245 God Love the World 4:6
The Order of Vespers p. 41
The Psalmody p. 128
The Lection The Passion History
The Sermon Hymn #525 As Pants the Hart 4:36
The Lection The Passion History
The Sermon Hymn #525 As Pants the Hart 4:36
The Sermon – I AM the Good Shepherd
The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer
The Collect for Grace p. 45
The Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
The Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4:24
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| His last painting. |
John 10
King James Version (KJV)
10 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
No one should ignore that one of the most comforting passages of the Bible begins with a warning - about those who pretend to be shepherds but are thieves and robbers.
This beautiful image reflects the reality of shepherding during the time of Jesus. The flocks were kept together in a pen and watched over by someone sleeping across the entry-way (the door of the sheepfold).
Thieves and robbers would not enter by the gate, but climb over the side, to scatter, steal, and destroy.
The primary characteristic of the false shepherd is his lack of faith. He sees a good thing, in terms of comfort and security. He realizes that believers are trusting and generous. So he preys upon them instead of praying for them.
Just as in Luther's day, there are those who buy one of these positions. In various ways these false shepherds are placed where they can gain the most advantage for themselves while doing the least amount of work.
That is quite different from the faithful shepherd. Here Christ portrays Himself not just as the faithful shepherd but as the Ultimate Shepherd, the unique Shepherd. There is no good way to translate the original meaning of The Good Shepherd, except to write - The Shepherd above all shepherds.
He is different because He leads the sheep but also lays down His life for the sheep.
Leading them is an interesting image too. The shepherd goes to the sheepfold and calls his own sheep by name. They know his voice and their names (as in baptismal name). They hear His voice and follow Him to green pastures and still waters.
Sheep know their own shepherds and follow them. They run away from strangers.
This reminds us that believing the Gospel also means to avoid the false teachers who pretend to be shepherds while fleecing and barbecuing the sheep.
I asked my English students to prepare a research essay where the only experts are Biblical verses. "Scripture interprets Scriptures." Since the Bible is God's Word, the best commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself, not a man-made commentary.
There is far too much of comparing one opinion with another. Then an essay (or sermon or book) becomes a game of piling up opinions, which becomes very much like the Jewish Talmud, where opinions about opinions about opinions are lined up, almost excluding the original text.
This passage unites all the great passages about the Shepherd and explains the meaning of that term, even more important, what it means for Jesus to be the Good Shepherd.
Only one Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Jesus did this by command from the Father, but He also did it on His own. He willingly gave up His life to give eternal life to believers.
This is important, because the crucifixion was not Rome and the Jewish leaders taking away His life by force - although they used force and twisted the law. Jesus gave up His life, sacrificed Himself, the Lamb of God for the sheep who so often go astray.
All the references to sheep teach how we are weak and willful, often getting ourselves into trouble. And yet the chief characteristic of God is to be merciful, to seek and save the lost, to forgive and to bless us with peace.
