The Fourth Sunday of Easter ---- 22 April 2018

John 10:11-18

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

I am the good shepherd.

·       The depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is quite often found in Christian iconography or, more simply, image making. The image of Jesus as a young man with a lamb over his shoulders has been found in the catacombs of Rome dating back to as early as 325 A.D. Since then, it’s everywhere; on book covers, greeting cards, posters. It’s a favourite of Christians everywhere… as far as I know. At St. John’s, we’ve discussed the image of the Good Shepherd at some length and I’m glad to say I learned a lot from those discussions.

·       The image of God as shepherd is not entirely new to the Jewish people. Psalm 80 begins with these words:

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim,

shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us! 

·       Of course, our minds go immediately to Psalm 23 - The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

·       I finally met an actual shepherd a while back. He brought a few lambs to a re-enactment we were both involved in. He cared for those little lambs very tenderly and took pains to see that they were penned up while we all did other things on the property. They were also quite noisy and he readily admitted that. I must admit that to this day I can’t really see this fellow as a symbol of Jesus, probably because I know him from other times and places. Still, he was a good shepherd; he really truly cared for his flock.

·       That’s what makes the difference. Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd” and compares that image to that of the “hired hand” who care more for his pay than the flock. When trouble appears, he disappears while the Good Shepherd would sacrifice himself for the good of the flock. Of course, identifying himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep would make John’s readers (and us) think of the Cross and all that it means. Jesus goes further, saying I lay down my life in order to take it up again. Besides referring to the Resurrection, it also lets us know that his ministry as the Good Shepherd is not ended. Jesus ministry continues as he remains our good shepherd.

·       As Jesus is and remains our Good Shepherd, it is important that we realize that he does this not out of any sort of obligation, but because he wishes to in accordance with the will of the Father.

·       Jesus told those who were listening to him that For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. His desire was to do the will of his Father, knowing that it could – and would – cost him his life. This is what he chose to do; It was not thrust upon him by something like fate or circumstances. Ultimately, it is what he decided to do.

·       In the same way, the decision then is reflected in his decision now to remain our Good Shepherd.

·       The friend I spoke of earlier who is a shepherd only has a small flock – a few sheep and their lambs. He still cares for each one.

·       Jesus does the same even though his flock is much, much larger. Each of us is known and cared for. He is our shepherd, not our manager, our supervisor, or our ring master. He is our shepherd. He cares for us as we are and as we will be. He knows us, inside and out, as a shepherd knows his sheep, for as Luke’s Gospel puts it even the hairs of your head are all counted.  (Luke 12:7)

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.