Text: John 10:11–18
Date: April 25, 2021
Event: The Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year B
John 10:11–18 (EHV)
11“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13Because he works for money, he does not care about 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. 16I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.”
Jesus Is the Father’s Love for Us
“Love” is a word that is often used in various situation with differing levels of meaning. We may love our spouse, our children, or our parents. We might say that we love a band or a type of ice cream. We may say we love a person who infatuates us, or we may say we love someone with whom we don’t get along in a heavily sarcastic way. English-speaking human beings use “love” in a variety of ways.
But God really only uses love in one way when talking about himself. He loves with a true love, a love that is unconditional, a love that loves not because it is loved in return but a love that loves just because it loves. It sacrifices self for the betterment of others. God’s love is a pure love that goes beyond the way we love anyone or anything.
Today is one of my favorite Sundays each year, Good Shepherd Sunday. Today we get to see God’s love in a special way, through the lens of helpless sheep being cared for by their self-sacrificing Shepherd. Today we see that Jesus is the Father’s love for us, and in fact Jesus’ love for us is a reason why the Father loves his Son so dearly.
Sheep, as you may know, are not bright animals. They wander into trouble unaware. Recently I saw a quick video on the internet of a sheep who hadn’t been sheared in a long time and the wool had all but completely covered its eyes making it nearly blind. The sheep was sheared, the wool from its face cleared away, and you could almost see the relief in the animal’s eyes. Sheep almost seem to be specially designed to require the care of human beings—to lead them to water, to food, and even to groom them so that they are safe.
Were I thrown into the middle of a flock of sheep and told to care for them, it would not go well. No matter how much I wanted to care for these animals, to help and provide for them, as I am right now I know next to nothing about what they need or how to provide for them. I may have the desire to help them, but I lack the ability to do so.
Does that describe your feelings when you think of certain human relationships that you have? Someone is going through a difficult time in their family life, but there’s nothing you can do to change that. Your heart aches and reaches out to the friend who is going through horrible medical trials but you are powerless to do anything concrete on your own to bring healing. It is a powerless feeling to be overwhelmed with empathy or sympathy but have no way to help the people directly suffering.
Jesus knew we were in a desperate, hopeless situation. Our sin meant hell for us for eternity. Nothing we could do could change that. Nothing anyone else could do could change that. Except for Jesus. “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep.” As God, Jesus was the one person who could change our hopeless situation. He was not the powerless, self-preserving hired hands with the flock. He is the Good Shepherd who can and would do everything needed to provide for the sheep’s needs and to protect them from anything that threatened them harm.
Jesus’ knowledge of you and your needs is intimate and personal—I know my sheep and my sheep know me (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). And I lay down my life for the sheep. He knew that you and I needed what only his death would provide. And he didn’t seek self-preservation; he didn’t look after “number one;” he didn’t wish us well and leave us to our doom. No, he laid down his life for the sheep; he laid down his life for us.
Jesus saw our need and was uniquely qualified to solve our problems. This was the mission the Father sent him on. Jesus says that his Father loves him because of his saving-mission he embarked on: This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father. The Father loves Jesus because he died to save you and me from our sins. The Father loves Jesus because he was not defeated by death. The Father loves Jesus because he rose from the dead triumphantly, having secured our forgiveness and eternal life. That’s how much we mattered to the Father, that he would sacrifice his only-begotten Son to rescue us from hell. Is it even possible to wrap our minds around how much both the Father and Jesus love us?
Jesus, as our Shepherd, is always in control of everything happening around his sheep and to his sheep, around us and to us. Never, not even at the cross, was the Shepherd ever overwhelmed by external factors. His life wasn’t taken from him; he gave it up. He wasn’t defeated; he offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins. Nothing was spinning out of control; everything went according to plan.
And what is the end result of all of this? We’ll sing those results at the end of the service. “I am Jesus’ little lamb. Ever glad at heart I am. For my Shepherd gently guides me, knows my needs and well-provides me, loves me every day the same. Even calls me by my name.” The Shepherd died to make us his sheep. His work for us means that we are always under his loving, protecting, and guiding care. And just as nothing happened to him that he wasn’t in control of, nothing happens to his sheep—to you or me—that he is not allowing and working for our eternal good. The bad things and hardships, the heartaches and the miseries of this life—our Shepherd knows all of them. He uses them, shapes them to point us to eternal life that he has won for us. Everything works for our good because our Shepherd works them all for our good.
Think back to those situations we mentioned earlier, those places where you want to help someone but can’t do anything. Don’t neglect or think little of the most powerful tool you possess. You can commend them to the care of the Good Shepherd who can do anything. So while you may feel powerless in those situations, pray for them. Ask for God’s help, power, guidance, and direction. Ask him to help open your eyes to the more concrete ways you can help. And know that your loving Shepherd is faithful to his promises, and will work all of this trouble, hardship, and heartache for good.
Jesus was clear that this work was just not for his disciples or the people of Israel. This work was for all. I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. You and I get to share the good news of the Good Shepherd with lost sheep that are wandering out there on their own. Their Shepherd loves them, laid down his life for them, took his life up again for them. They just need to know, need to be brought into this flock, need to be shown the love of their Savior-Shepherd, love that means forgiveness for every sin and the certainty of a perfect, eternal life with him forever.
Jesus calls these sheep to himself, but most often he calls them through you and me. So your encouragement to a friend going through a difficult time; your willingness to share what you believe with that random person who asks; your simple invitation to a worship service, Bible class, or livestream to that person who didn’t know they’d be welcome may be the way the Good Shepherd beings that sheep into his singular, eternal flock. You may be, in part or in whole, the way God brings his love to those people for whom he died.
In good times and in troubling times, let the love of your God shown to you in your Good Shepherd’s life, death, and resurrection bring you comfort. Your Shepherd walks beside you each day and will be with you through eternity. Truly, he knows your needs and well-provides you. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
