September 28, 2008

 "I Am the Good Shepherd"

John 10: 1- 21

Our home in Iowa was out in the country, seven miles from the nearest town.  One snowy winter, I was in my office and there a knock on the door.  A couple of stranded motorists were there.  They were returning to their home in Cedar Falls from Des Moines when their car had slid into the ditch.  By time the arrived at my office they were frozen- they almost looked like a couple snowmen.  I invited them in and we called a tow truck from the nearby town of Dike.   After a while the driver arrived and they were leaving to climb in the truck. 

As they did, one of the guys said to me, "what's the best way out of here."

Looking outside from office door in the house and could hardly see the church next door, it was snowing so badly.  About 6 inches had fallen already and a lot more was coming down.

I replied, "I'd follow the tow truck, if I were you."

I don't know what these guys did.  I never saw them again.  But, I was reading a story about a woman who essentially followed the same advice I had given these guys.  It was a very snowy night, so she decided to follow a snow plow.  It was slow going and sometime even the truck had to back up.  But she kept her distance and when she saw his back-up light; she stuck it in reverse and backed up too.  After about an hour the snow plow stopped.  The driver came out and knocked on her window.

"Ma'am, are you lost?" he asked

"I couldn't see a thing, so I just decided to follow you," she replied

"Well, I guess it's okay.  Maybe I should tell though that I just finished plowing this lot and am headed over to do the one at Wal-Mart"

In our scripture for this morning, Jesus emphasized the importance of following the right leader.  He compared some leaders to thieves and robbers, who came to steal sheep from a sheep pen.  They were selfish and cared nothing about the sheep.  Following them would lead to disaster, for they came to kill, steal, and destroy.  Others he compared to hired hands who were only after a pay check and cared nothing about the sheep who were entrusted to their care.  When trouble came they abandoned the sheep to save their own skins.

When we hear that, perhaps some of us think about cult leaders like Jim Jones or David Koresh,  or perhaps someone like Osama bin Laden.  Think of all those he has encouraged to sacrifice themselves in suicide attacks just to give expression to his own hatred.  But some of us don't have to look to Middle East to find a leader who has betrayed his followers.  We ourselves have been hurt by leaders we've trusted: a boss, a parent, a teacher, or maybe a pastor.

In this world where we can be so betrayed, Jesus calls out,

¹¹"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

You might note that verse 22 tells us that Jesus spoke these words during the Feast of Dedication.  That feast is also known as Hanukkah.  It celebrated the time when Judas Maccabeus led a success revolt against the Greek emperor Antiochus Epiphanes.  At the time, some believed that he was the one  whom God had promised would liberate his people.  And, hence the words of the Ezekiel would come true.

I will save my flock and they will not longer be plundered... I will place one shepherd, my servant David and he will ten them and he will be their shepherd." (Ezekiel 34: 23- 24)

But, that proved wrong.  Many of Maccabean rulers were corrupt.  Eventually a power struggle between two Jewish houses led to Roman rule.  And the Jews were dominated by another Emperor.  Under Rome the local leader gained maintained power by bribing those above them.  Corruption abounded.  Those that had power used it to their own advantage.  So, Jesus stood up on that Feast day to declare.  "I am the Good Shepherd."  In this world of thieves and robbers and self-centered leaders, I am one you can depend on. 

The word good is the Greek word "kalos," This word can take on different flavors depending on how it's used.  It can mean beautiful, good, or strong.  But, it also can be used to refer to a standard for goodness and beauty.  For example, when this word was used by those who dealt in precious metal, like gold and silver it meant "sterling" or "genuine" or "pure."   That is really Jesus' sense here.  He says, "I am the pure shepherd." "I am the standard by whom all other shepherds are measured."

But Jesus is saying more.  Again notice the word "the."  Jesus doesn't just say, "I am a good shepherd" or even "I am one of the best good shepherds," he says "I am "the good shepherd."  Basically he is saying, "There is only one good shepherd, and I am he."

But, Jesus is even going father than that.  He is equating himself with the Lord God.  Remember he was speaking to the Jews, to God's people Israel.  Throughout the Old Testament one thing was crystal clear: the Lord God was the shepherd of his people.

Certainly this is message of that beloved Psalm that has comforted so many, Psalm 23,

"The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not be in want."

 In Psalm 80, the Psalmist prays, "Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock;"

Certainly prophets often used such language,

Isaiah 40 says of the Lord, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."

Or Jeremiah 31: 10,

Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands:   ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.'

These are just a few examples and they were not lost on John.  The Holy Spirit who inspired him to write at the beginning of his gospel,

"In the beginning was the Word and Word was with God and Word was God," also inspired him quote Jesus words in verse 30 of this chapter when he said, 

"I and the Father are one"

Outside of a few crackpots that have led small cults that died out soon after they did, no founder of a major religion that exists today has ever made the claims that Jesus did.  Gautama, who began Buddhism was known as "the Buddha" or the enlightened one; he certainly did not claim to be God.  Mohammed never claimed to be God;  Confucius never did.  No Hindu ever claimed that title.  Only Jesus did.

In his book Mere Christianity, C.S.  Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."

As God, Jesus is the source of life.  John 1: 4 says,

"In him was life, and that life was the light of men."

That is why Jesus came.  Look at verse 10,

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

And how does he bring life,

What are the words of our text?

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

He brought life by laying down his life on the cross.  And it is by believing that he died for you that you can have life.

Now, there are some Christian leaders today who say they believe in Jesus, but also say that they believe that there are other ways to salvation.  And they use John10: 16 to back up claim, where Jesus said,

I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

But is that what this verse saying?  Is this verse saying that there are different flocks who will find eternal life following the way of other teachers?  Certainly not!   This verse is speaking about those who are not Jews and who have not yet heard the gospel.  Jesus will call them to join the other sheep in his fold.  "So there will be one flock and one shepherd."

The Lord Jesus is the only shepherd.  He is "the Way the Truth and the Life and the only way to an abundant and eternal life.  Absolutely no one comes to the Father, but by him.  There is a lot in the news today about a "bridge to nowhere."  To follow any other shepherd is to follow "a road to nowhere."   Indeed, it is follow a road to destruction.

Being a disciple of Jesus means to follow Jesus down the only path that leads to life.  It means to reject every other path.  No one can serve two masters.  No one can travel two roads at once.

But, to follow Jesus is also to be used to be an undershepherd who cares for the other sheep.  As those who are led, we are called to lead.  Remember that conversation between Jesus and Peter in John 21:15 and following

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

¹⁶Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

¹⁷The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 

In this world where there are so many false shepherds who exploit Jesus sheep and lead them down the wrong path Jesus calls us to nurture his sheep and lead them to him.  In order to that we must come through the gate- we must come in his name.  We must represent Jesus in all we do and say and all our dealing with those he sent us to gather and nurture. 

Parents and grandparents, the flock under your care includes your children and grandchildren.  By the water of baptism Jesus has claimed them as his own. You have the important task of feeding and nurturing them.  Church leaders, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, you too are shepherds.  So, are those who lead our adult classes and Bible studies.  He also calls us to be shepherds in our workplaces and out in our community: both to nurture his sheep there, but also be his voice calling his sheep who are not yet in his fold.

Representing Jesus as his undershepherds means than merely teaching others about him, it also means that we must demonstrate to others what he is like.  In John 13 Jesus washed his disciples feet-a deed that pictured the great sacrifice he gave to wash away our sins.  In doing so he declared in verse 14 of that chapter,

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 

That is our call.  Sadly, however, we are so often not all that different from Israel's leaders.  Instead of coming through the gate and representing Jesus, we come a different way, perhaps through the way of self-centeredness.  There is such a sad history of leaders in the church who have used their positions for their own interests and gratification and to build their own kingdoms here on earth.  All to often we must admit that we have abused our positions of leadership. 

Sometimes like with Peter, we have let fear and unbelief control us.  Peter was sad when Jesus said to him a third time, Peter do you love me, because it reminded him of the three times he denied his Lord. 

Instead of leading the Shepherd's sheep, we ourselves have lost our way.  Like the woman the woman following the show plow driver we have been driving around in circles.  This morning, just as he did with Peter, he is calling us back. 

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 

Today his voice ring out, "Follow me!"

But maybe we are trying to follow, but can't.  In the blinding snow we've plunged down a cliff and we cannot get back out.  All we can do is cry, "Lord, save me."

If that's where you are today-if your addictions, or sins or fears or troubles have you so deeply down and you can't get up, hear the Shepherd's words,

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Today the Shepherd is not only is calling he is reaching out to pull back his lost sheep to the safety of his path, a path we can only walk in his strength and by his grace.. But as he reaches to us, he call us also reach out in his name to others,

For the Great Shepherd himself identifies with his sheep, saying, "I am hungry, I am thirsty, I am stranger, I naked, I am in prison.  I tell you, whatever you do to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you do to me."

Today, let us receive his grace, so that we might be agents of grace.  Let us follow him that we might lead.  AMEN!