CWC- Gospel Lesson Easter 4 - Good Shepherd Sun Kieth Bernard Kuschel
John 10: 22-30
22Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[c] tell us plainly." 25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[d]; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."
Explain how Shepherd’s crook is used
IA “My sheep,” Jesus said. That implies that He considers Himself our Shepherd. He does. He said that on other occasions. A shepherd in Jesus’ day had several important jobs. One was to find pasture and water in a part of the world where there wasn’t a lot of either. Second, he had to guide them to the pasture and water. That means on narrow paths, along steep precipices, around marshes, hooking them and pulling them with the end of the crook when necessary. Third, he had to guard his sheep. The shepherd carried a club, like a night stick to beat off attacking animals and two legged animals intending to steal the sheep.
B1 Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He provides food and water for us. He does that by keeping the universe working in the way that He created it to work. But He also provides food and water for our souls. He comes into our lives through His Word. He keeps us trusting that He lived and died and rose so that we might have forgiveness, righteousness and eternal life. If He did not give us spiritual food and drink, our souls would die spiritually, cut off from the LORD.
2 Through that same word He guides us. He gives us directions for our lives. He shows us how to live so that we can experience a rich, full life on this earth. He shows us how to live to benefit the people around us in life. He shows us which attitudes are good for us. He shows us which attitudes are good for the people around us. He shows us how to live so that His blessings can continue to get through to us.
3 And He guards us. He keep us from evil. He keeps evil from us. He makes evil work out for our good. He sends His angels to guard us. Again through the Word He keeps our faith strong so that we withstand doubts and the attacks of the unbelieving world. He keeps us strong so that we withstand the temptations to do sinful things that seem expedient and advantageous for us.
C1 We know our Good Shepherd feeds, guides, and guards us. What do you think we ought to do in response? Listen to Him. That’s exactly what Jesus says. 27 “My sheep listen to my voice.” Every time the Bible is used and we are present, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is preached, no matter how good or bad we think the preacher is, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is read, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is studied, no matter how good or bad we think the Bible study leader is, we are listening to Jesus. When the Bible is watched, we are listening to Jesus.
2 Because Jesus knows us, we are His sheep. Because we know Jesus is our Good Shepherd, we follow Him. Following Him means we trust that He will continue to feed, guide and guard us. Following Him means we trust that we are safe in His hands. And that too is what Jesus says, 28 “No one can snatch them out of my hand.”
IIA The shepherd could be the best one in the world. He could always find pasture and water, but the sheep would still grow old, or get diseases and die. He could carefully guide them. But, if they insisted on going off a precipice, or going through a marsh, they would still get killed. He could intensely guard them. But he couldn’t be present everywhere all the time. So, some sheep are going to be killed by animals. Some, stolen by humans.
B There are some similarities between sheep and us. We live in a land that has abundant food and water. Yet, we grow old, or get sick and die. We live in a land that guarantees our freedoms. We make decisions that hurt us and sometimes kill us. We have the ability to try life on our own. And when we try it, the pressure of the unbelievers around us and the power of Satan overwhelm us and we revert to spiritual death.
C1 Even though we have the Good Shepherd, the Best Shepherd, the Perfect Shepherd, that doesn’t exempt us from problems, attacks and death. However our Good Shepherd says to us: 28: “I give them eternal life.” How can He give that to us? Because our Good Shepherd is the One who took our guilt on Himself and removed it from us. Our Good Shepherd is the One who took our punishment of death and hell on Himself to rescue us from those punishments for sin. Our Good Shepherd is the One who lived without sin so He could give us His holiness. Our Good Shepherd is the One who rose from death so He might make us able to conquer death. “I give them eternal life,” our Good Shepherd says to us.
2 He also says, 28 “No one can snatch them out of my hand.” Jesus says to us: “Even though things happen in life that hurt you, that won’t push you out of my hand. Even though you will be attacked while on this earth, I promise to keep you in my hand. Even though you physically die, that won’t snatch you out of my hand.”
3 And He says, “and they shall never perish.” Jesus says, “When everything around you in this life seems to be disintegrating and disappearing, you won’t, because I don’t. When you have caved into the devil’s temptations and he tells you that you deserve to perish eternally, you won’t, because I am in charge. When you die, you don’t come to an end. You come into My eternal presence.” We are safe in Jesus’ hand. How do we know? Because He gives us eternal life.
IIIA1 It was the feast of dedication. The Jews were commemorating Judas Maccabeus’ deliverance from the blasphemous oppression of a foreign ruler named Antiochus Epiphanes. Was Jesus going to be a Messiah like Judas Maccabeus? So, they asked Jesus, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
2 Jesus answer was: “I did tell you, but you do not believe me.” They didn’t believe Jesus’ words. Jesus had another answer for them. “The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe.” The miraculous activity that Jesus did indicated that He was sent from God and wielded the power of God. That was additional proof that He was the Messiah. They didn’t believe Jesus’ works.
3 Jesus says they didn’t believe His words or His works, “because you do not belong to my flock.” People who aren’t Jesus’ sheep don’t believe what He says and don’t believe what He does. That is what all of us would be like on our own. If someone stepped up in front here today and claimed to be God, as Jesus did, we wouldn’t believe him. If someone claimed to do a miracle, or maybe even did a miracle in our presence, we wouldn’t believe him. We would insist that it was a fake.
B1 Their failure to believe Jesus’ words and works and our natural failure to believe Jesus’ words and works don’t negate Jesus’ claims. In fact, in view of their failure to believe Jesus’ words and works, Jesus repeats His claims. He says, “No one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 “No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” Jesus claims to be God.
2 Jesus is God. That’s why He could live and cover the entire human population with His holiness. That’s why He could take everybody’s place and be worth enough to pay for all of our sins. That’s why He could conquer death and the devil so we can too. He couldn’t do any of this for us if He were not God. But He says He is God. “I and the Father are one.”
3 Jesus is God. That’s why He can carry out His promise to not allow any of the hardships, difficulties, mistakes, misdirection, sufferings and death in our lives to separate us from Him. Jesus is God. That’s why He is able to not allow physical death, a collapsing society, or sinfulness to cause us to perish. We are safe in Jesus’ hand. How do we know? Because He and the Father are One. Jesus is God.
Conc: It is a great feeling when you slide into home plate and you are called safe. It’s an infinitely greater feeling to be told: “Jesus is Your Good Shepherd. He gives you eternal life. He and the Father are One. So, you are safe in His hand.”
Shepherd’s Crook
We are safe in Jesus’ hand
I. He is our Good Shepherd
A. Shepherd’s Jobs
B. Jesus our Good Shepherd
1. Jesus provides
2. Jesus guides
3. Jesus guards
C. We respond
1. We listen
2. We follow
II. He gives us eternal life
A. Sheep die anyway
B.We die anyway
C. Jesus gives eternal life
1. Because of His work
2. So noone can snatch
3. So we won’t perish
III. He and the Father are one
A. Jesus’ claim
1. People wanted Maccabeus
2. Jesus said and did = God
3. People don’t baelieve
B. Jesus still makes claim
1. Repeats it
2. Can do Savior’s work
3 Can carry out promises
Called safe