Misericordias Domini –
The Second Sunday after Easter, 2018
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
The Gospel
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #50 Lord Dismiss Us
Second Sunday After Easter
Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himselfto him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
KJV John 10:11 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.
Three of Luther’s sermons on this text:
Happy Anniversary, Brett and Amy Meyer!
Giving His Life
KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
As we have seen, from studying the Gospel of John together, the I AM sermons of Jesus do not get enough attention for the first part of each sermon - I AM, the Name of God, the Good Shepherd. In Exodus 3, the name of God is revealed - I AM. In John 8, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Only God could say such words, and the Jewish opposition knew exactly what Jesus was saying. The raising of Lazareth was the last, great miracle of all, one for the population of Jerusalem, and the tipping point for His arrest and crucifixion.
Romans 1 is a good example of apposition, putting words together to provide a clear definition, literally -
Paul, servant of Jesus Christ, called apostle, separated Gospel of God.
To translate that into English, we use more words. The lack of the article (the) and other connections places an emphasis on the content of that beginning.
1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
So the I AM sermons define God, because the Son of God is God, the Person who was born of the Virgin, performed miracles, gathered disciples, taught, suffered and died, rose and ascended to heaven.
Each I AM defines the various attributes of God and also our relationship to God's work in His Son.
the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
As Luther observed, the Gospel of John uses a phrase and takes us higher and higher. That is why the symbol of this Gospel is an eagle. As the Word takes us higher, we see more about the message given us, even though the simplest words are used.
That is where Biblical teaching is entirely different from the systems that false teachers impose upon us. Thus the false teachers tell us to start with their filters, their qualifications, whereas's, if-thens, and so forths, and then read the Scriptures their way: Calvin, Zwingli, the Pope, and the Pope of Perryville, Walther.
The Word itself teaches Christ and conveys Jesus to us with all His benefits, the forgiveness of sin, victory over death, the fruits of the Spirit. Those with a weak grasp of the Bible forever and tenaciously teach their systems as a substitute and say, "No, look at me, I will teach you."
Here is God defined - the gracious Father gave His Son, and the Son gave His life for the sheep. That is what it means to be the Good Shepherd, which really means the Ultimate Shepherd, the Shepherd above all shepherds. That is important for two reasons.
One is that the early Christians counted it a honor to die for the Faith. That was their witness to the truth - and witness in Greek is martyr. They counted it an honor because Christ died for them. Now we have under-shepherds who will not risk a penny for the Faith, let alone lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.
So the Good Shepherd, doing His job as a teacher, distinguished Himself from the hired hands. The hired hands do not own the sheep, so they run from the wolves and let the predators slaughter and scatter the flock.
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.
The hired hand is not even the shepherd. He is just drawing his wages so he runs away. This is the problem with presenting systems - defending man-made institutions. So ordained pastors will say, "This is what our denomination teaches, so it is true. They voted on it." Their faces are full of wrath when they say this, but not wrath against false doctrine - only against those disloyal to their particular institution. Only one priest was punished by Cardinal Law in Boston during their series of scandals - and that was because the priest said something was wrong with Holy Mother Rome, Boston Franchise. Law fed children into this terrible machine of corruption and found himself promoted to a very prestigious position at the Vatican.
Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, cares for His sheep, gives up His life for His sheep, but condemns the hired hands and the wolves.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
I explain the evils of this generation the way a friend does - "It's all about the Benjies (the money)." That is what they say at the factory. Luther said the world is ruled by deception and avarice. Avarice is greed for money and power; deception is covering up for the greed and power.
I pointed out someone on YouTube who covered up for a felony and the church officials (including the synod president) who had the evidence erased. "Doesn't he look Satanic?"
Later I wondered about the infamous Mark Driscoll, who made national news for abuse of power and destroying his denomination. I googled his name and found him running a giant church in Scottsdale Arizona. Critics said he salted away $30 million at his previous gig.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
The difference, which the Lutheran Reformation brought, is a break with institutions and their systems. Instead, the German Reformation taught that grace comes from the Gospel in Word and Sacrament, another form of the Word, the visible Word. This Word is so powerful that it brings the Savior to us, and brings us to the Savior. This preaching of grace enters our ears and influences our hearts.
This verse is based upon the shepherd-sheep relationship of each flock, centuries of shepherding, and the many references in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:
he shall gather the lambs with his arm,
and carry them in his bosom,
and shall gently lead those that are with young.
God as the Shepherd is already in the Scriptures, many centuries before the Incarnation, so Jesus' audience knew this and heard the same message taught again, introduced with I AM.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
The Father-Son relationship is embedded in John, the Gospels before John, in the salutations of Paul. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:7
"Show us the Father" is redundant, because Jesus us shows us the Father and we hear from the Father in all His actions. Whatever Jesus does is the will of the Father, so we know the gracious and forgiving nature of God the Father and therefore His wrath against those who teach falsehoods.
Even bad translations preserve enough of the truth to take away all excuses from false teachers. But not even the best translation, or knowledge of the languages - "I studied Greek!" can survive the overlaying of the filter of systems against the Scriptures.
These are often so subtle that the effect is felt long after the injection of falsehood. "We are not sure Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles." And there is this all encompassing zinger - "Scholars are divided." Oh no! The Bible is so complicated and opaque that not even the greatest scholars can come to a common conclusion.
When these tactics are used, they introduce uncertainty, and uncertainty weakens the response. It is the uncertain sound of a trumpet in a battle (often used in comedy). If the sound is uncertain, the troops will also waver.
This verse shows the absolute clarity we have from this Gospel especially, which helps us with the first three Gospels. We are always seeing the Father in Jesus and in Jesus we realize how closely He follows the Father. "I and the Father, We are One." This only makes sense in the context of the Holy Trinity (which Knapp - the Halle UOJist - undermined.)
and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Justification by Faith has been attacked from many angles, including the Atonement. Braaten-Jenson made fun of the Atonement, and those authors are called "confessional Lutherans," which is why I loathe the label.
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.
The Good Shepherd carried out His Father's will and that is the Gospel, but only a Gospel in a tiny province of the Roman Empire. If anyone wants the definition of a miracle, here it is. The actions of a convicted public and religious criminal became the dominant Faith of the same Empire that arrested Him, tortured Him, and executed Him. The Holy Spirit took this message across the Empire to spread this Gospel, then overseas to fulfill what Christ promised.
