THE GOOD SHEPHERD BRINGS
ABUNDANT LIFE.
JOHN 10:1-10
In
the name + of Jesus.
M: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
C: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The entire tenth chapter of St. John’s
Gospel is devoted to Jesus as the Good Shepherd and we as his sheep. Many people are insulted by the idea of being
called a sheep. Sheep are considered to
be gullible, stupid, defenseless, and harmless.
The truth is, sometimes we are gullible, buying into worldly attitudes. We are stupid in giving into sins when we
know better. We are helpless and
defenseless against our foes. None of us
can erase our sins. None of us can evade
death or the judgment that follows.
Those who hold a high opinion of
themselves would never humble themselves to be compared to a sheep. But our Lord warned, “Whoever exalts
himself will be humbled” (Matthew 23:12). There is an adage that says, “A man who has
himself has a lawyer has a fool for a client.”
It is all the more true that a man who has himself as his own Savior is a
fool. Anyone who is too proud to be a
sheep and to have Jesus as his or her Good Shepherd will die outside of God’s
grace and mercy. Pride may win points in
this world. People who defy God with bold
assertions may impress us with their confidence. But pride and boldness will have terrible
consequences in the judgment that is coming.
Before Jesus speaks about himself as the
Good Shepherd, he introduced this image: “I am the door for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and
robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the door. Whoever enters
through me will be saved” (John 10:7-9).
The door is the only legitimate way into a home. If someone climbs through a window, there is
a problem. Either he locked himself out
or he is an intruder. Either way, it is
not normal.
Just as
the door is the only right way to enter a house, so also Jesus is the only way
to enter the kingdom of God. That’s
because Jesus is the only one who enables us to stand before the Lord without
fear. This is what the Lord says, “Who
may go up to the mountain of the LORD? Who may
stand in his holy place? He who has
clean hands and a pure heart, whose soul is not set on what is false, who does
not swear deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4). Who is up to
that? Who can boast that his hands are
clean from obscene or threatening gestures, from grabbing after what God has
forbidden, or from being tight-fisted to the needy? Who can claim that his heart is pure and free
from lust, greed, anger, jealousy, falsehood, or self-worship? If we do not have clean hands and a pure
heart, we cannot stand before the Lord.
Jesus is
the door to the kingdom of God. Jesus is
the way into God’s holy place. That’s
because Jesus’ clean hands have touched and blessed the sick and dying. Jesus’ innocent hands bear the marks of the nails
which give evidence that he gave his life as the payment for our sins. Jesus’ pure heart always had compassion for
sinners. Jesus’ pure heart moved him to
take the lowest place as one convicted, condemned, and cursed for us. And Jesus’ pure heart was pierced to produce
a flow of water and blood which provide perfect cleansing from every
iniquity. Jesus’ innocence covers our
guilt. Jesus’ purity cleanses us from
all filth. The only way to stand in the
Lord’s holy place is if we enter his presence through Jesus. The only way to an abundant life is through
Jesus.
Jesus said, “I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find
pasture. A thief comes only to steal and
kill and destroy. I came that they may
have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:9-10). The Good Shepherd brings abundant life. He did not come to get something out of you,
as if he needs anything from you. Jesus
said, “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). There are always people who want to take
advantage of you. This is one big reason
we hate telemarketers. No one who sees “Potential
Spam” show up on his cell phone thinks, “Oh, good! Someone is calling me to make my life better
and easier and give me a great deal in doing it!” No, we consider it an invasion of our time
and a threat to our finances.
Jesus,
however, is not out to fleece the flock or rob you of anything. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and everything
Jesus does is for the good of the flock.
He has come to comfort, to protect, to encourage, and to save. If Jesus kills anything, it is your sinful
nature which needs to be put to death so that you will be raised up as a new creation. If Jesus destroys anything, it is the kingdom
of the devil so that you are released from the devil’s claims and influence. If Jesus steals anything, it is you whom he
has stolen from the icy grip of death. The
Good Shepherd brings abundant life.
What do
you consider an abundant life? Let’s
reshape the question. When you think of
someone who has lived life to the full, who comes to mind? Titans of industry like J.D. Rockefeller or
Cornelius Vanderbilt? They had enormous
fortunes that allowed them to live lavish, pampered lifestyles. Or maybe top tier celebrities whose fame
gives them access to just about any place they want to go. Or maybe world leaders whose power shapes a
nation or the world. Maybe for you, life
to the full is boiled down to having a long life with lots of friends.
Fine; but
understand this: Even if you should enjoy a lavish life and a pampered ego,
these are focused on the here and now; and the here and now is soon over and
gone. And none of those things delivers
forgiveness of sins or delivers you from the grave. On her deathbed, Queen Elizabeth I cried out,
“All my possessions for a moment of time.”
In the end, she got neither. But
with Jesus, you receive heavenly riches and endless time. Jesus promises, “I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved”
(John 10:9).
The Good
Shepherd brings an abundant life. Too
often, we limit that to eternal life. On
the one hand, that is what we long for because we know the benefits that await
us at the resurrection. Oh, to have a
life that does not know sorrow or loss!
Oh, to have a home where there is no fighting, a workplace where there
is no pettiness, a community where there is no crime or danger! We long for bodies that are healthy and
strong, for eyesight that is not blurred, for ears that no longer need us to
keep asking, “Can you repeat that?” We
long for gardens without weeds, for cabinets without medication, and for seasons
without allergies. And do you know
what? Your Good Shepherd will bring you
to that perfect life. The Good Shepherd who
passed through death will have you pass through the valley of the shadow of
death to life eternal. And that life is eternal,
glorious, and perfect. The Good Shepherd
brings an abundant life.
So, what
does he do for you in the here and now?
Dear Christians, the Good Shepherd still brings you an abundant
life! You live in the same corrupt and
cruel world as every other person on earth.
Everyone has to cope with anxiety, uncertainty, and frustration. Many suffer through these hardships without
hope or help, but the Lord Jesus is with you.
The Good Shepherd continues to speak to you. If you want your Good Shepherd to speak to
you, read the Bible. If you want to hear
your Good Shepherd’s voice audibly, read it out loud. Your Good Shepherd speaks to you to comfort,
to strengthen, to encourage, and to admonish you so that you do not drift off
into sin and death again. He guides you
through your tears, through trials, and through temptations. He repeats his promises. He expresses his faithful love and care. He guides you to live without fear because
your eternal hope is secure. The Good
Shepherd brings an abundant life.
What’s
more, your Good Shepherd does not have you merely survive through your trials
and temptations, and amid the turmoil in this turbulent world. He invites you to feast and to celebrate in
the midst of these things. King David
wrote about this in Psalm 23. He
confesses of the Lord, his shepherd, “You set a table for me in the presence
of my foes. You drench my head with oil. My cup is overflowing” (Psalm 23:5). This is in the midst of his enemies! They didn’t go away, but it did not
matter. He got to feast because his Good
Shepherd was there with him.
The same
is true for you. Is the devil going to
leave you alone? No. Is the world going to learn to behave? Will it cease and desist trying to entice you
away from the Lord? No. Will you ever tame your own sinful desires? No.
All the enemies that seek to bring about your destruction are
continually around you. But Jesus
remains with you. In fact, he sets a
table for you in the presence of your foes.
He summons you to come and feast and rejoice here. He feeds you with the body which has overcome
death and sustains your faith. The cup
overflows with God’s salvation. Week
after week, the Lord’s blood is poured into you, and it never runs out.
The Good
Shepherd always prepares his heavenly feast for you, even in the midst of your foes. So, the devil, the world, and your own sinful
flesh do not get to have you. Instead,
Jesus cleanses you of your sin; it cannot condemn you. The world will pass away, but the Good
Shepherd has established you in an eternal kingdom. The devil snarls and snaps, but Jesus says,
“Fear not. All is well. My rod and my staff guide you and beat your
enemies back. My peace rests upon you.”
The Good
Shepherd brings an abundant life. And
his gifts are not limited to spiritual gifts, either. He cares for all your physical needs, and he
does not give you the bare minimum. He
provides sunshine, daffodils, art, laughter, butterflies, kittens,
strawberries, and bacon. Even in a
broken and bitter world, the Lord presents beauty and gives you reasons to enjoy
your life. The here and now may be
temporary, but it can still be good.
The Good
Shepherd brings an abundant life. He “calls
his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his
voice” (John 10:3-4). You are not
some nameless, faceless person to him.
Your Good Shepherd knows you. He
likes you. And he wants you to be his. That is why he speaks to you, comforts you,
feeds you, and protects you. The path to
the heavenly kingdom may be rocky, but the Good Shepherd knows where he is
leading you. He has walked ahead of you through
death to the life of glory, perfection, and peace. He is the one who will lead you there. He is the only way in. Enter through the Door. Listen to your Savior. Follow your Good Shepherd. For he, and he alone, brings you abundant
life.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
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