The Way of the Good Shepherd — Sermon by Peter Bridgwood

Please pray with me.

Lord Jesus, open our eyes that we may

see you.

Open our ears that we may hear you.

Open our hearts that we may love you

more.

May I decrease and may you increase.

open us I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Amen.

>> You may be seated.

Well, actually I'll say share something

on a lighter note to start.

About a month ago, Father Craig asked me

to preach on April 26 and my first

reaction is, "Oh, my birthday." So, I'm

very uh grateful to be sharing this word

and I can think of nothing better to be

honest with you than to share about our

good shepherd with you on such a

meaningful day to me.

There is a video online that makes a

rather profound point about shephering.

It begins with a shepherd gently but

firmly pulling one of his sheep out of a

trench ditch. Finally freed, the sheep

runs, jumps as if elated, lands, and

sinks right back into the trench ditch.

If you haven't seen this video, please

do. It's a good laugh.

But there is another lesson here for all

of us. Because truth be told, we'd like

to think that we're the shepherd in our

story.

But most of the time, if we're really

honest, we're the sheep stuck once again

in that ditch. We fall into the same

sinful patterns. We say it every week,

but hopefully it sinks in that we do

what we ought not to do and we fail to

do what we ought to do. And how quickly

it seems that we forget the loving

kindness shown by our savior and by one

another.

You and I, we need a very patient and

caring shepherd.

But brothers and sisters, when we can

say the Lord is my shepherd, we lack

nothing. We lack no good thing. Do you

believe this?

>> Do you believe that this good life that

so many are running after, busying

themselves with cannot be found in

anything or anyone else but in the name

of Jesus.

>> Jesus says, "I came that they may have

life and have it to the fullest, have it

abundantly.

The context of John 8 and 9 warn us that

not to follow Christ is the road that

leads to destruction.

Jesus is the good shepherd who sees,

protects, comforts, and lays down his

life for his sheep while other voices

lead to destruction.

So first, the Lord Jesus as shepherd

sees his sheep.

Now you might have heard at least

something I heard often in seminary

context is king. What I mean by that is

to understand John 10 properly we must

be aware of what comes before it.

This is very important to our gospel

reading in John chapter 10 which I would

John 10 · chapter mention

encourage you all to have open with me.

The NIV actually does a wonderful job in

its translation here. Very truly I tell

you Pharisees.

You see, John 10 is continuing an

argument begun back in John nine that

started based on the way Jesus healed a

blind man. Evidently, an oral law

existed that prohibited against mixing

dirt and uh saliva to make mud on the

Sabbath.

But Jesus applied this for the purpose

of healing the man. And therefore, and

you'll notice this throughout the Gospel

of John, Jesus often encounters the

Pharisees over the question of doing

good on the Sabbath.

In response, the Pharisees interrogate

this blind man now who testifies, "Once

was blind, but now can see."

Now, two things are very important to

observe for our purposes in John chapter

John 10 · chapter mention

10. The first is the way the Pharisees

speak of Jesus. Starting in verse 16,

some of the Pharisees said, "This man is

not from God, for he does not keep the

Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a

sinner perform such signs?" So they were

divided.

Again, in verse 24, they say, "We know

this man is a sinner."

This eliminates any assumption about the

Pharisees attitude toward Jesus.

The second observation is how the

Pharisees respond to the man himself who

calls out the Pharisees inconsistencies.

In verse 34, it says they threw him out

of the temple. And that is very

important for our purposes in John 10.

Despite being the learned bible knowing

people of their day, their words and

their actions suggest while they may be

outwardly appearing quite religious,

there is an inward heart problem.

They're inwardly opposed to the will of

God. In fact, they miss the heart of the

gospel, the heart of grace.

To summarize the following verses, Jesus

holds the Pharisees accountable for

claiming to see when they are in fact

spiritually blind and guilty of their

sin.

Now, what does this have to do with

shephering?

Well, in contrast to the blind religious

leaders, Jesus sees his sheep. Sheep

like that blind man.

In the account of the feeding of the

5000 in Mark 6, we read how Jesus saw,

we can so quickly miss that, but it's

actually really important. Saw a large

crowd and he had compassion on them

because they were like sheep without a

shepherd. So he began teaching them many

things. There's a link teaching and

shephering.

In a world so distracted and at times

cruel, it's tempting to think that we're

alone. In a spirit of vulnerability, I

have struggled with that at times. God,

are you really with me? God, are you

there?

But take heart. Jesus sees you. Jesus

sees who you and I really are. He sees

your heart.

And those like his disciples who

immediately got up and followed him

recognized the voice of the good

shepherd. And Jesus says, 'The sheep

hear his voice and he calls his own

sheep by name and leads them out.

The calling by name denotes familiarity

and affection on the part of the

shepherd. This tells us that not only

does he know each of you, but that he

loves you. It's both.

Our Lord is dedicated to leading us by

his love. And I just hope that that

really encourages you today, that he

knows you. And plenty of people may know

you, but do they love you

unconditionally? Jesus does. It's good

news.

I love how Henry No one shares an

amazing benefit of this. And once we

deeply trust that we ourselves are

precious in God's eyes, we are able to

recognize the preciousness of others and

their unique places in God's heart.

So how do we become more like the good

shepherd? We recognize the good

shepherd's love for us. But there's also

a subtle warning in these verses. We

actually must be sheep who recognize his

voice, right?

Are all of us his sheep?

Remember, not everyone whom Jesus met

actually followed him. In fact, he

called the disciples to go out to the

villages. Not everyone followed.

Jesus in Matthew 16:6 gives this warning

Matthew 16:6

to his own disciples. Watch and beware

of the leaven of the Pharisees and

Sadducees.

It is possible for sheep to not fully

embrace Jesus, to not fully trust in him

and follow him. And for our part, we

need to humbly submit to the protective

care of his protection. Just as he

exemplified love through his death on

the cross, so he calls us to a selfless

love that sees those around us.

Next, the Lord Jesus as shepherd

protects his sheep. If you ever get the

opportunity to visit Rome, I highly

suggest you take a tour of the Roman

catacombs.

Within the dimlit corridors, early

Christians would bury their dead. But

during seasons of intense persecution,

they also use this underground to

worship. Adorning the catacomb walls are

depictions, and a common one is that of

a young man carrying a lamb on his

shoulder. It's like the one portrayed on

the front of your bulletins. In fact,

thank you, Debbie. Uh she found this and

this is actually a depiction from the

Roman catacombs.

That young man, in case you're

wondering, is Jesus.

And as they face the real possibility of

martyrdom, our Christian forefathers and

mothers,

our forefathers and mothers drew on the

protective care of the Lord, our

shepherd in Psalm 23.

Now, as we continue in John 10, we need

to keep in mind that Jesus uses figures

of speech. And just as a reminder, the

Bible should be understood as it was

meant to be understood. And Jesus is

very clear here that he's using

metaphor.

In those days, a sheep's pen would have

been either a cave or an open air stone

enclosure.

And the important word in verse one is

that those who do not enter through the

gate are either thieves, the whispering,

manipulative ones, or robbers, who are

violent harassers and plunderers. The

important similarity between these is

that neither have the welfare of the

sheep in mind. And something I would

remind us brothers and sisters that when

it comes to the undersheperds among us,

that is the thing that we are judged on.

Do we have the welfare of Christ's flock

in mind?

It is clear when reading this in light

of the context that Jesus likens the

Pharisees to thieves and robbers. They

are among those whom Ezekiel wrote of in

Ezekiel 34. Ah, shepherds of Israel who

have been feeding yourselves. Should not

shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the

fat. You clothe yourselves with the

wool. You slaughter the fat ones. But

you do not feed the sheep. The weak you

have not strengthened. The sick you have

not healed. The injured you have not

bound up. The strayed you have not

brought back. The lost you have not

sought. And with force and harshness you

have ruled them. So they were scattered

because there was no shepherd and they

became food for all the wild beasts.

You see instead of caring for the sheep

they use extortion.

Sheep need to have discernment. Sheep

need to have discernment.

Unlike these thieves who come only to

steal and kill and destroy, Jesus is

that lifegiving voice that draws the

sheep into his presence.

And when we walk through the valley of

the shadow of death, he is with us so

that we too can say, "I will fear no

evil." His protection naturally leads to

peace for his flock. a flock that is

following Jesus. They don't need to look

around. They don't need to be afraid.

They know that there was there is one

watching o around them and protecting

them with his rod and staff. Yes, the

Lord Jesus as shepherd comforts his

sheep.

Between uh 2016 and uh 2021, I was

actually a solo pastor a congreg in a

congregational church. Less than uh 6

months into the pastorate, fresh out of

seminary, I'll add, I was visiting a

parishioner at the hospital, and that

day, I'll never forget it. I was about

to learn what it truly means to be a

pastor. A rush of nurses and staff made

their way through the emergency hallway.

Clearly, something very serious was

taking place. A a couple nurses walked

out of the room. One was audibly crying.

and I explained to them that I was a

pastor and asked if there was anything I

could do. A nurse explained that the

patient was a two-year-old who had

fallen into a pool.

She directed me to meet with the family.

And I stood in that room, lots of tears,

and the way of it all hit me like a ton

of bricks

in my mid20s. What was I supposed to say

that would be of any substance

whatsoever in this crisis? But by the

grace of God, he brought to mind

Proverbs 4, how God's word is a life and

healing. And I open my Bible to Psalm

23. And you know, there's many times I

have been able to read or recite Psalm

23, but there was something different

that day.

In a world of such pain, such confusion,

how incredible that we have a savior who

guides us and whose aim is to heal us

and make us new.

Now, as we read John 10, we may have

gotten a little confused about who Jesus

is saying that he is. Jesus

self-proclamation as the door for the

sheep and verses 7 to9 is different than

his assertion of being the shepherd. So,

who are you Jesus? Are you the shepherd

or are you the door? And his answer to

us would be yes. He's using both of

these terms interchangeably as he can

do. He's using figurative language.

But it's actually interesting that in

first century Palestine, a good shepherd

would often lay in the doorway of the

gate as protection at night, but he also

would stand there to scan each of his

sheep for wounds. And if a sheep was

hurt, the shepherd would gently apply

oil as a source of healing and comfort.

This is what King David partially has in

mind when he says, "You anoint my head

with oil."

There is both blessing and healing in

the application of oil.

Furthermore, hear again these words of

Psalm 23 from the book of common prayer.

He leads me forth beside the waters of

comfort. And later it says, "Your word,

your rod and your staff comfort me." You

on this blessed day, two little ones

were baptized by the living water of

Jesus Christ. What a joy to celebrate

the work of God and to be part of their

lives and bringing them closer to him.

He is the way of life.

Jesus promises in verse 9, "If anyone

enters by me, he will be saved and will

go in and out and find pasture."

Find pasture. The sole nourishment that

we require, he alone satisfies.

And this is such a crucial part of the

minister's task. No matter who they are,

if they are called to disciple others,

and parents, that's you, too. If you are

called to disciple others, then it is

important that you listen. that you be

attentive to mending the wounds of the

sheep through prayer, that you guide

them to good pasture of the word and

sacrament, and carry them home from

wandering through counsel and

confession. Perhaps most importantly,

the faithful undersheperd must always be

ready to pay the ultimate sacrifice.

Indeed, the Lord Jesus as shepherd lays

down his life for his sheep.

Yes, there's a somber reality hidden

within Jesus' teaching in verses 1 to10

that really comes to a crescendo in

verses 11 to 15. For Jesus knew that

being a good shepherd in the midst of

thieves, robbers, and wolves would come

at the cost of his own life.

Though it was not read, let us reflect

upon these words. Verse 11, I am the

good shepherd. The good shepherd lays

down his life for the sheep. He then

picks up the idea again in verse 15. 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. Let me pause.

What a beautiful depiction of unity that

we must have with the father and with

Jesus. And then he says, "And I lay down

my life for the sheep." I lay down my

life for the sheep.

And he did it. In Isaiah 53, the prophet

spoke of the suffering servant as one

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter

and like a sheep that before its shears

is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

And then we read in Matthew's gospel 27

12 to 4 to 14, we read, "When the

leading priests and the elders, there

you go, the thieves, the robbers, the

wolves made their accusations against

him, Jesus remained silent.

Don't you hear all these charges they

are bringing against you? Pilate

demanded. But Jesus made no response to

any of the charges.

Jesus did not protest the injustices

that he dealt. For he knew that by his

death there would be many more sheep who

would be welcomed into the fold.

And for our part we must follow in the

way of this shepherd.

If anyone would come after me, Jesus

says, "Let him deny himself and take up

his cross and follow me."

Don't be deceived, brothers and sisters.

Don't be sucked in by the thieves and

robbers. Rather, recognize that his

sheep must count the cost and die of

themselves, as First Peter reminds us,

in order that we may truly live.

Jesus is the good shepherd who sees,

protects, comforts, and lays down his

life for the sheep while other voices

lead to destruction.

To all who are saved, clergy and

parishioner, Jesus's shepherd. The

scripture testifies that those who have

been entrusted to undersheperd flocks

are called to resemble the good

shepherd. that their words must be sweet

as honey, that their actions must build

one another up. This is a very high

calling. Not everyone should be called

to teach, but we must never forget that

we are all his sheep. Let us pray for

our priests that God would equip and

refresh them to shepherd us well. And

when they don't, let us be mindful that

King Jesus is the ultimate good

shepherd.

which leads me to address you directly.

Youth of Christ Church Anglican,

today's word inspire inspires me to

shepherd you well. It is a privilege to

be called to share my life and to lead

you towards our savior Jesus Christ. And

I want you to hear that I care for your

soul. Church, let us never allow a

phariseaical spirit among us. Rather,

let a conscientious spirit arise, one

which truly sees one another.

And I close with this thought and I ask

you, do you hear him?

Do you hear him? Can you see him there

leading you to the greenest of pastures,

a bubbling brook nearby with fresh

mountain water to fill your soul to

overflowing?

There's not a worry to be found

because he is watching over you. Follow

him. Oh yes, my word to you. My word I

heard this week. Follow the good

shepherd. Let us pray.

Lord Jesus, you are perfect.

You are good.

You are the way, the truth, and the

life.

So let us follow you,

trusting that you lead us to the

pastures of abundance in Jesus name.

Amen.