The Lord is My Shepherd Psalm 23 4th Sunday of Easter May 7, 2017 Pastor Chip Winter Grace to you and Peace, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen. The text for our sermon on this Good Shepherd Sunday, the fourth in Easter, is the psalm appointed for the day and already read for us the 23 rd Psalm. My dear family in Christ, over the past few years Jami and I have purchased and had butchered some ribbon-winning sheep, raised by kids who attended Christ Lutheran School. Years ago, we lived in a region where sheep were so plentiful replete with shepherds who lived in special wagons - that the local college mascot was the Ram and one of the local high schools had as its mascot the Lambkins. But well before all of that, indeed from the time we were both toddlers and learned to sing I am Jesus Little Lamb, Jami and I have known that sheep need a shepherd. Sheep need a shepherd and, as our text for the day reveals, the LORD provides: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. These are words that have inspired good hymns and countless stained-glass windows. Second only to the cross, it s the image which best captures Jesus ministry to us; an image Jesus used many times, Himself. The word sheep conjures up idyllic images: you can picture them standing in deep, green grass. There is a deep blue sky overhead, punctuated with fluffy, fleecy clouds. What a calming 1
image of an ordered, peaceful life. But that s not the whole story, by far. The fact is there are many dangers for such sheep. With all due respect to the previously referenced Colorado State Rams and the Fort Collins Lambkins, sheep are not notoriously scary. You don t hear warnings of a pack of wild sheep on the loose. They do not strike fear in the heart of those who encounter them. In truth, scattered sheep those without a caring shepherd are doomed. They were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts (Ezekiel 34:5). Throughout that book, God files His complaint against the kings and priests of Israel. They were responsible for feeding, protecting and leading the children of Israel into the Lord s pleasant pastures. Instead, they had been leading into false worship; not ordinarily a complete denial of the One True God but instead allowing the people to worship the true God and false gods. These terrible kings and priests didn t love the LORD or the flock He entrusted to their care. They loved themselves, they loved fitting in with the prevailing spirituality of their day. They loved the income and the earthly peace they thought would be theirs by embracing the sins and the selfmade salvations surrounding their little land. The consequence was that the poor sheep were scattered and destroyed. Take heed, pastors and leaders of the 21 st century! The LORD God as much as says That s it! Behold, I am against the shepherds no Longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for the. Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out (Ez. 34:10-11). The Lord appoints Himself Shepherd for His people and David then teaches us to sing, The Lord is my shepherd! this beautiful promise is fulfilled in Christ Jesus, the Lord in our flesh who rescues us laying down His life for the sheep, leading the sheep and promising never to forsake His flock. 2
First, the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Having come down from heaven to save us Jesus is no deserter. He doesn t cut and run in order to save His own skin when the fifth to save you gets rough. He doesn t let the satanic lion or the demon-driven dogs sink their teeth into His sheep. Jesus puts Himself into the lion s mouth. He lets the dogs surround and corner Him. He suffered for us as He was purposely betrayed, mocked, scourged, crucified and damned. He made Himself the silent, uncomplaining lamb in our place. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:23-24) Bearing our consequences for wandering away, as sheep will do, Jesus got what a lone, isolated, scattered sheep deserved. On the darkest day a Friday rightly called Good your Good Shepherd delivered you by delivering Himself into death; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Secondly, this Good Shepherd, risen from the dead, leads His sheep. Check it out on you tube sheep have impeccable hearing. Multiple flocks can be merged for the night and then separated in the morning simply by the shepherds calling each of their flocks. Jesus emphasized this about Himself throughout John s gospel, 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (John 10:3-4) 3
Jesus is the One calling to you. Having taught you to recognize His voice in your baptism He has continued to teach and lead you through His Word and Holy Communion. There are a lot of voices trying to lure you away. But He still calls and feeds you while the enemies of Satan, sin and death surround us. And please take note: Jesus, the Shepherd, does all the work. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads; He restores. There are wolves and thieves aplenty who would teach you that Baptism is your work, your declaration of faith, instead of the brand that the Good Shepherd puts on you to mark you as His own. As if a sheep could brand itself! There are those who want to teach you that the Lord s Supper is not the table of the Good Shepherd s body and blood, but instead a symbolic super by which we think fondly on what Jesus did for us. As if sheep could lead themselves to the feed that would be good for them! There are those who would turn you inward to your believing, to your piety, to your feelings, to your works, to your self and away from Jesus and His gifts purchased through cross and resurrection. As if a sheep could shepherd itself! There are those who tell you that receiving Jesus work is not enough to save you you must have enough love and do enough work to earn God s favor. As if a sheep could defeat the lion itself! Follow the Good Shepherd. He leads His sheep. Thirdly, the Good Shepherd never forsakes His flock. David, who faced serious odds and even death on a number of occasions, leads us to pray: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 4
There are times when it can feel like one is abandoned in the valley of the shadow of death. For example: the death of a dear one casting a shadow over all of life; one s own death looming as a dark cloud. Is it that the Good Shepherd has left me? Is He punishing me for my sin or my failures? No, He is not punishing you. No, He has not failed to care for you. I will fear not evil, for you are with me. Jesus is with us in death. He went through it first for all of us to open the way to life. Jesus the Good Shepherd, who wept at Lazarus tomb, is here to give you the comfort He knows you need. He sends goodness, He sends mercy and He brings you right into His house, now and forever. Sheep that are separated from the flock are easy pickings for the poachers. Christians don t go it alone that would be going against the very voice of the Good Shepherd. Experience teaches that people without a congregation tend to believe a little bit of everything, which ends up having them believe in nothing solid and full at all. Sheep who don t learn the voice of their Shepherd, sick in their sin, will soon follow any voice which is what a sick sheep will do out in the fields. Apart from the voice of the Shepherd there is no forgiveness, there is no true life. Here, in the body of Christ, the Lord restores the joy of salvation; He brings you back rejoicing; He binds up your wounds; He guides you in His righteous ways. The Lord is with you and comforts you even under the dark shadows of death. Because of the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and by your faith in Him, surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life. And you will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever. Amen. 5