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Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 21, 2024
John 10:11-18
Dear friends, grace to you and peace from God our Father and our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
There is a moment in the Passion reading on Good Friday where I always almost lose it.
If you were here for one of those services, maybe you noticed me struggling with emotion at a certain point, starting to get choked up. If you are in the choir and were here for both services, you may have noticed that it happened at both services at the very same verse. Even though I know it is coming and try to trick myself into not letting it get to me, every year it does.
It’s the verse where Pilate is interrogating Jesus. When Pilate gets frustrated because Jesus isn’t answering his questions anymore, he says, “Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?” And Jesus, who now decides to reply, says, “You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above.”
I can do it just fine now, but when I read it in the context of Good Friday, I can’t help by think about how this scene is depicted in the movie “The Passion of the Christ.” Jesus is so badly beaten he can barely stand up. He is trembling, unstable on his feet, swaying back and forth from weakness. He does not look at all powerful. And yet, there is incredible power in his words. His words make it clear that he has chosen this. Despite all appearances, he is in control. He knows exactly what he is doing. He is willingly laying down his life.
In our gospel reading for today Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd. This image is rich with meaning. We rightly associate it with the 23rd psalm, which is our appointed psalm for today. Jesus is the Good Shepherd David wrote about in this beloved psalm. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads us to green pastures and still waters, restoring our souls. He is the Good Shepherd who is with us in the valley of the shadow of death. He leads us in right pathways. His rod and staff comfort us. He is the Good Shepherd who prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. He is the Good Shepherd who makes it possible for us to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This is all wonderful and true. Jesus does for us all the good things that good shepherds do for their sheep. But he does this in a specific and totally unexpected way. He does it by laying down his life for his sheep.
This is all over our gospel reading for today. Our reading begins with Jesus saying, “I am the good shepherd.” And then, in the very next verse, he describes what this good shepherd does. He describes what makes him good. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” Jesus says. And just to make sure we get the point, he goes on to mention his laying down his life for the sheep four more times. Altogether, Jesus mentions it five times in eight verses!
This goes far beyond regular shepherding. No shepherd in the ancient world, even a really good one, loved their sheep so much that they would lay down their lives for them! But this is precisely what Jesus did for his flock. Jesus laid down his life for his sheep. He did it willingly. He did it out of his great love. He did it to save us.
There was a story some time back about a father who was on a vacation in Florida with his wife and four daughters. His youngest daughter, a 16-year-old named Grace, was swimming in the ocean and got caught in a riptide – one of those currents that pulls you away from the shore. Two of his adult daughters noticed her first and went out to help, but they got caught in it too. The 53-year-old dad then went out for them. He managed to keep all three of his daughters’ heads above water while a family friend swam out with a rescue board.
Once the girls were safely clinging to the board, the father lost consciousness and slipped beneath the surface. He was pulled to shore by some bystanders. CPR was administered, but he did not survive. His last words to his daughters, while they were out there in the water, were, “I got you.” And he did have them. He saved them. He laid down his life for them. He spent every last ounce of strength and breath he had so that they would live.
In looking up this story on the internet to refresh my memory of some of the details, the keywords in my internet search brought up about ten other stories which were similar. It turns out a lot of dads have died saving their kids from riptides. And while these were all tragic accidents, while nobody wishes for these things to happen in the first place, I don’t think a single one of those dads would have regretted laying down their lives if that’s what it took to save their children.
We recognize this as the highest form of love.To lay down one’s life for another is the highest form of love. We often see it in the love both moms and dads have for their children. I’ve seen it between spouses as well. I’ve seen it when one spouse is fighting a terminal illness and the other tells me with utter sincerity, “I wish it were me instead.” They love their wife or husband so much that they wish they could take it all upon themselves. If it were possible, they would be willing to lay down their lives for them.
With Jesus, this is not only possible – it has happened. He took our death upon himself so that we would live. And he did it out of his great love for us.He loves us – he loves YOU – that much!
Jesus tells his disciples he has other sheep who do not belong to this fold. He tells them he must bring them also. Jesus is talking about the Gentiles here. He is talking about those who had been outside of the covenant. He has come to bring them in. He’s talking about us! He’s talking about you! His sheep, Jesus goes on to say, now include all those who listen to his voice.
As sheep, we often go astray. We often lose our way. As sheep we often find ourselves in danger. Sometimes this is because of our own stupidity and stubbornness. Other times it is because of the powerful currents all around us that are constantly trying to pull us away from God and into sin and death and despair.
But Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has come into our world and into our lives to rescue us. He has come to lay down his life for us in order to save us. He has the power to do this! Not only does he have the power to lay down his life for us, but he also has the power to take it up again! And because he is a crucified and RISEN Lord, we can still hear his voice. He continues to speak his word to us. He continues to shepherd us, to guide us. He continues to save us. His voice leads us to green pastures and still waters. His Word restores our souls. His voice leads us in paths of righteousness. His Word is our comfort when we’re in the valley of the shadow of death. His voice speaks to us of goodness and mercy which follow us all the days of our lives. His Word assures us that we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. His sheep are those who listen to his voice and trust it.
I think what gets to me on Good Friday when reading that verse is that it reminds me that what happened to Jesus was not an accident. He knew what he was doing. Even as he was going to his death, he said to Pilate, “You would have no power over me were it not given from above.” In that moment, Jesus tips his cards. He shows that he is not someone who has been randomly swept up by events beyond his control. He knows exactly what he is doing. Jesus was willingly laying down his life for his sheep. He was willingly laying down his life for us, for you, for me. He loves us that much!
There are many pretenders out there who want to be our shepherds. There are those who are only interested in us for what we can do for them, how we can line their pockets or advance their agendas. “Hired hands,” Jesus called them. There are many voices out there trying to lure us one direction or another.
But when the wolves are at the door, there is only one truly Good Shepherd. There is only one who can save us. There is only one who has the power to lay down his life for us and then take it up again, rescuing us from sin and death.
Listen to the voice of your Good Shepherd today. Listen to the One who loves you so much that he willingly laid down his life for you. Listen to the One who is with you in the valley and at the table. Listen to the One who has come to rescue you. Listen to the One meets you in the water and says, “I got you.”
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Rev, Jeffrey R. Spencer
Oak Harbor Lutheran Church