"The Good Shepherd"
John 10:11-16, 27-30
Easter 2
April 26, 2009
Pastor Aaron A. Koch
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church
Greenfield, WI

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd." You may remember that the Latin word for shepherd is "pastor." So Jesus is saying here that He is your real pastor, the Good Pastor. Those of us who bear that title are just undershepherds of Him who is the Chief Shepherd, given to do His bidding. In the Epistle, Peter wrote, "You were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Your true pastor and bishop is Jesus. That's an important and comforting thing to remember, especially at those times when His undershepherds in this world don't behave like they should.

So what is it that makes Jesus the Good Shepherd, the Good Pastor? Well, first of all, Jesus is not like a hireling. The hireling doesn't own the sheep; he's just there to earn a paycheck. He doesn't really care at all about the sheep, but about providing for himself. And so when the wolf comes to attack the sheep, the hireling flees and runs away. He's not going to sacrifice himself for these miserable sheep. Let them fend for themselves. He's going to do whatever it takes to save his own skin.

This is the picture of all so-called pastors who are only in it for personal gain and self-advancement and the honor it brings. As long as all is going well, everything is fine for the hireling-pastor. But when the wolf comes, when the false teacher and the false teaching enters into the fold, the hireling-pastor avoids the conflict and doesn't do what it takes to defend the flock. Instead of exposing the wolf and his lies and half-truths, instead of condemning sin and calling for repentance, the hireling-pastor seeks dialogue and compromise and in the end allows the saving truth of Christ to be watered down and diluted, to the great harm of the sheep. He flees the battle and seeks peace and growth at all costs so that his own desires and agendas will continue to be fulfilled.

The Lord condemns this through His prophet Ezekiel, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Behold, I am against (such) shepherds, and . . . I will deliver My flock from their mouths." The image that is pictured here is one where the shepherds aren't feeding the sheep, they are feeding on the sheep. They don't bring them into the rich green pastures of God's pure Word, but instead allow them to be fattened up on pop spirituality for the benefit of their own appetites. You can fill in the blank as to who that might apply to–from TV preachers with their "ministries" raking in big donations, to local large church pastors making six-figure salaries and collecting cars like Jay Leno, acting more like they're running a business than shepherding a flock. And of course every pastor, including myself, knows the temptation to just be a hireling, to just do the easy thing and earn a paycheck; every pastor has plenty of reason to repent based on these words of the Lord.

Jesus is not like a hireling. He is the Good Shepherd who cares deeply about the sheep, who created and formed the sheep, who loves them as His own. On one occasion it is written that when Jesus saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Unfortunately, that is what we are by nature. It is written, "All we like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way." We don't like following a shepherd. We want to choose our own path, run our own show, go our own way. But in the process of doing that we become like mindless sheep, following the crowd to destruction. Untended sheep will always follow each other, circling over the same paths until that pastureland is completely trampled and useless. They'll starve before they know what's happening. In the same way, when we follow the broad path of the world, we eventually find ourselves spiritually empty and starving and lost.

But even though we have gone astray from our Shepherd, Jesus does not leave us alone to fend for ourselves. He comes for us. He searches us out. He says in the OT reading, "As a shepherd seeks out his flock . . ., so I will seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day." Jesus gathers us together into this sheepfold, the church, where we are marked as His own with the sign of the cross in baptism, and protected in His presence.

You see, our Lord knows that we sheep have no real way to defend or save ourselves. Sheep can't run fast to escape from predators. They have no powerful paws or jaws to fight with. In the end, they're an easy meal for a bear or a wolf or a lion. So also we are defenseless against the predators that would rip us apart: the devil, death, even our own sinful nature within. We can't run; we can't fight for long. In the end Satan and the grave would devour us and tear us limb from limb.

But then our Good Shepherd steps in. He has compassion on us. When the predators are set to attack us, He gets in between to protect and save us. That's ultimately what Jesus was doing for us on the cross. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. The predators lunged at us. Sin and death and the devil attacked and sought to destroy us. But Jesus stepped in between and took the ravaging in our place. He bore the full brunt of the attack so that the flock would be left unharmed. Like David the shepherd boy who killed both the bear and the lion with his sling and his knife, so the Son of David, our Lord Jesus brought our predators down to the place of death and overcame them by the power of His blood, rising victoriously over them on the third day for the life of His sheep.

In fact, Jesus Himself actually became a sheep in order to renew the life of His flock. After all, is He not the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? Jesus is the Shepherd who is also a sheep. He is God who became man so that we might be restored to fellowship with God again. That's why we sing in the liturgy, "For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia!" Jesus now reigns at the right hand of the Father as our Good Shepherd. It is written in Revelation 7, "The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd and lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

There's one brand new thing that stuck out for me from the Gospel this year. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to My voice and they follow Me." Usually when we think of herders dealing with animals, we have in mind something like ranchers who drive their animals and push them to go where they want them to go from behind, forcing them to stay in a tight bunch–lots of yelling and dogs barking and that sort of thing. But here Jesus says, "My sheep follow Me." Jesus is out in front. The sheep stay together and follow because they recognize His voice, His voice of mercy and forgiveness in the Gospel. There's no force and coercion involved here, but the gentle invitation of Jesus' Word. Do you see the difference? We're not just nameless cattle to our Lord. We are beloved sheep whom He calls each by name. Jesus says, "I know My sheep; and My sheep know Me." You follow Him, for you love and trust in Him. You stake your life on Him. For You know His voice and you listen to it; it's unlike any other out there in the world. Your ears perk up at the sound of it. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you fear no evil; for He is with you. Even if you can't see Him, if you can hear Him, you know it will be alright; you know it's safe. You're in His care. He restores your soul. He leads you beside still and gentle waters to drink of His Spirit in the Word and in Holy Baptism. He prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies, the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, which draws us into communion with Himself and with His Father; for Jesus and the Father are one. It is for all of these reasons and more that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. It is for all of these reasons and more that we follow Him.

We dare not forget, of course, that following Him means following His example, too. We heard about this in the Epistle, that Christ left us an example, that you should follow in His steps. Being a sheep of the Good Shepherd's flock means living a different kind of life, walking the path of the cross. Since the Son of God became the Lamb of God, He gives each of you to become little lambs, little Christs to the world. When Jesus suffered, He did not threaten but forgave. So also, it is not for you to seek revenge on your enemies but to do them good. When Jesus was reviled and mocked, He did not revile in return. So also, it is not for you to return evil for evil, but to pray for those who make life difficult for you. As Jesus did, so you also, commit yourselves to God the Father who judges righteously. Trust that all these matters, which seem so unjust and troubling now, are in the Lord's hands; and He is the source of justice and truth. He will see to it that all things are judged according to His righteous will in Christ. All things will be made right in the end. Follow the pattern of Him who went the way of the cross.

For Jesus finally says, "My sheep follow Me, and I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand." Those who have followed Jesus to death will inevitably also follow him to life; His companions in shame will be his companions in honor, just as those who have partaken of His suffering will partake of His glory. Jesus' flock will follow Him through the grave to new life in heaven and a bodily resurrection on the Last Day. And there is no power in the world which can overcome Jesus' promise. For again, of His sheep Jesus says, "They will never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand." What a tremendous promise that is! No predator, not even death can take us away from our Good Shepherd. Think about that! Hold on to that promise. No one can snatch you out of Jesus' hand or separate you from His love.

It is in that confidence that we gladly join together with the Psalmist in confessing, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit