Sheep and Shepherds

Easter 4 

May 7, 2006

Rev. Steven D. Spencer

John 10:11-18

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-- and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

I.  Sheep

There are several important things I have learned about sheep over the years. But today I'd like to share these outstanding characteristics. First, they all pretty much look the alike. When you drive by and look at the animals, you can't tell whom they belong to.

Secondly, sheep have an acute sense of hearing. They can sort out similar sounds; more to the point, they can discern voices. When a shepherd calls, his sheep follow his voice; if another calls, they're not so likely to respond.

So, picture a hillside where many flocks of sheep are grazing together. The flocks intermingle and feed on the pastureland. They mix and all look pretty much alike. When the time comes to move on, the shepherds call out to the sheep. The flocks separate, and each sheep follows its own shepherd. That's the sort of picture that the Lord paints for us in the Gospel lesson today.

Jesus compares his people to sheep. For one thing, you can't tell whom they belong to just by looking at them. If you watch a camera panning the crowd at the Super Bowl, you can’t pick out who’s a Christian and who’s not. Christians don’t have some sort of visible mark that declares their faith. They aren’t extra fit or extra healthy. They look pretty much like everyone else, no matter who they follow.

So, what's the difference? What sets our Lord's people apart from the rest of the sheep? His sheep hear His voice; and because they hear His voice, they know Him and follow Him. But what does He say to them?

"I am the Good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. I was dead, but I have taken up My life again.” No other shepherd has done this - been beaten to death for His sheep. No other shepherd is a match for sin and the devil. When the wolves of sin, death and devil come to destroy, no other shepherd can save you. Don't follow false shepherds who cannot save. Hear the Shepherds voice and follow Him.

This is the voice of the Shepherd, resonating throughout the centuries. Sheep hear His voice; they believe Him, and they follow Him. That's why they are His sheep. They don't look any different for it, nor are they confined to the fold of one nation or people: The Shepherd calls out to all nations, gathering His sheep from many folds, that all who hear and believe might be saved.

All of this is what makes Him the Good Shepherd. He has laid down His life for the sheep. He has taken it up again to shepherd them unto life everlasting. And so He shepherds His sheep today with His voice. Like a shepherd's hook is designed to repel attacks and rescue the endangered, His voice declares a twofold message: Law to expose sin and warn of the attacks of the wolves, and Gospel to rescue His sheep from the jaws of sin, death and the devil - by the forgiveness of sins.

II. The Good Pastor

The Shepherd still speaks today. His voice is still heard; He doesn't speak to us with a disembodied voice out of heaven. A cloud doesn’t gather over His people and a thunderous tone fill the room. The Shepherd has other ways of making His voice be heard - a way that seems quite ordinary.

The word for "shepherd" in Latin is "pastor." (That's why a painting of a meadow is sometimes described as a "pastoral scene.") When Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd, He’s saying that He’s the good "Pastor." Likewise, a pastor of a congregation is a "shepherd" of the Lord's flock. He is called to that place to speak Christ's Word to the people. Sometimes, a pastor is called an "under-shepherd," which makes a good point: The pastor isn’t called to shepherd God's people with his own voice or own words, or ideas or teachings. He is made of sinful flesh and blood; and his words, ideas and teachings can’t save you. He’s called to serve by repeating the Word of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He repeats Jesus' Word so that you might hear your Shepherd's voice.

Our Gospel lesson depicts the life of the Christian: Christians are sheep. In saying that, remember the points of comparison: This doesn’t mean that, as sheep, you are less than smart or live only to be fleeced. Rather, it means that you have heard the Shepherd's voice and believed in Him, and so you follow Him. It also means that you are fed; by the Good Shepherd, who forgives and strengthens you by His means of grace. It also means that you are threatened; by the wolves that prowl and seek to devour you.

The pastor serves as under-shepherd, and his role is clearly defined. He preaches the Word and administers the Sacraments, for it is in these means of grace that the Shepherd voices salvation to you.

This voice includes Law and Gospel. We've mentioned the Gospel already: The Good Shepherd has laid down His life at the cross that you might be forgiven all of your sins; and He has taken it up again to give you eternal life. It is this forgiveness that feeds you, that keeps you in the faith. Along with that Gospel, the Law must be preached. It must be preached to warn you of danger. The danger of hirelings and wolves who would destroy you.

No one likes to hear the Law applied to them; no one likes to hear how their sins place them in danger, or that the wages of sin is death and bondage to the devil. It would be much more pleasurable to be fed only with the news of forgiveness and salvation. Yet, it is necessary that the pastor warn you of these wolves; it’s a necessary part of the message. You see, wolves especially like well-fed sheep. That’s why the Lord continually warns against them, even as He feeds us.

In our Gospel text, Jesus warns against hirelings those false shepherds who pretend to care for the sheep, but run away and abandon them when the wolves come prowling around. One can tell a hireling by examining any shepherd with this question: Does the shepherd repeat the Word of the Good Shepherd? It’s only that Word that warns the sheep of danger and strengthens their faith. If it is another word, it doesn’t save. It doesn’t feed the sheep. It may be a popular food, spoken with great enthusiasm and zeal; it may be a pleasurable food, one that gets the sheep salivating. However, such foods are the spiritual equivalent of potato chips and pork rinds: Your senses might prefer them to peas and broccoli, but they do little for your health. This is the case with the hireling: You might find the message of a hireling more attractive and pleasurable than the Word of the Lord; but it does nothing to feed your soul. And if your soul is not fed, it's dying or dead.

Hirelings come in more than one form. Many follow the lure of money, succumbing to a creed of greed; others submit to the seduction of sensual pleasure, believing that whatever is enjoyable must be right. Still others are drawn by the siren-song of fairness and equality, believing that getting one's self-declared rights respected is what life is all about. Personal success is another attractive faith, for who doesn't want to feel triumphant over others? You don’t need a human hireling to tempt you to such religions from a pulpit; in this case, the hireling's name is "Old Adam," and he whispers in your ear from the inside, tempting you to greed, lust, selfishness and pride. He teaches you to place your faith in your own desires. But here’s the measure of any hireling's message: When the wolf called death comes to devour, can this hireling save you? No. By telling you to trust yourself, this Old Adam hireling leaves you to save yourself; and in doing so, he delivers you…right into the wolf's mouth.

Hirelings exist outside of you as well, and exist plenty. You can easily find preachers who will encourage you to be saved by the power of positive thinking, who will tell you that religion is all about self-help, creating better relationships or holistic healing. You can easily find preachers who will tell you that salvation is all about living a good life and doing enough good works to make God happy with you. You can easily find preachers who tell you that they proclaim Jesus Christ, and Jesus just doesn't care about all sorts of sins like He used to. You can even find preachers who will tell you that all religions worship the same God; some will tell you that they still need Jesus, some will not. Many will tell you to put your trust in human rules and interpretations over and above the truth of God's Word. All sorts of preachers will tell you that religion is really about social justice, psychological principles, financial success, physical health, tolerance and catering to unbelievers.

In our pluralistic world that teaches everyone is right, it’s unpopular to warn against other voices and condemn their teachings. However, if we are to be faithful, we must do so.

We preach the Law to warn you of hirelings and wolves; and in exposing the danger of false shepherds and predators, we prepare you for this saving message of Gospel: There’s a Good Shepherd, who saves you from hirelings and wolves. Hear Him declare His mission to you once again: "The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep….Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it up again. No one takes 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."

That is the purpose of our Savior’s life, death and resurrection: Your salvation. No other shepherd lays down his life and has the power to take it up again. Jesus does, and has. Your Good Shepherd was crucified for your sin and rose again on the third day. He lives and reigns and speaks His Word to you. Not just for this life. No, He speaks His Word to you so that He may be raised to life everlasting.

It is His voice alone which delivers you from wolves and raises you from the dead to eternal life; for it is He alone who has the authority to declare that you are forgiven all of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen

Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.