Fourth Sunday of Easter April 29-30, 2023
“God’s Comfort” John 10:1-10
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
The Gospel surprises me. The kindness and compassion of God amazes me. I think I can say that because God astounds me.
Every once in a while we get to sing the hymn by John Ylvisaker, “Borning Cry”. The words are those of God to His children, to us. Some of the words go like this:
I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold.
In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young, I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun. When the evening gently closes in and you shut your weary eyes, I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.
I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold.
Why is God so good? Why does He delight to bless our lives? Why does He give us the greatest, most wonderful surprise when we close our eyes for that final time? I hope that you have figured that out. I hope you find yourself completely humbled by your answer.
John 10 is one of those great chapters in the Bible. John 10 is the Good Shepherd chapter. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15) Jesus says that He is the shepherd for His sheep. He also says that He is the gate for the sheep to enter their place of rest and refuge. Jesus says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:3-4)
It is the picture of genuine care and love. The sheep – you and I – know His voice. It is a pure and good voice. That voice will lead us. That is the voice of the shepherd. Jesus told them, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.” (John 10:9)
Why is God so good? Why is Jesus so gracious? Why? Because He is a good shepherd and He loves that we are part of His flock. To be a sheep under the care of our Good Shepherd, Jesus, is our great identity.
Being a sheep of the Shepherd is much better than just being a sheep. For years I have known Rick Maars. I met Rick, initially, in college, then he became a pastor and later became a psychologist and finally he taught at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. What impressed me originally about Rick is that he grew up on a large sheep farm in Kansas. His dad was the owner of over 1,000 head of sheep. In high school Rick had a job on the ranch to walk the fence line looking for sheep who always thought that the grass was greener (and tastier) on the other side of the fence. They could get their necks turned to get through the wire to eat but they couldn’t figure out how to turn it the other way to get back out. He would free them before they either starved to death or died for lack of water. Rick said that sheep are not the brightest animals that God has made. And for some reason God calls us sheep!! Sometimes a little dense, always defenseless and helpless. We are sheep who need a shepherd.
We have a Shepherd who delights in seeking, finding and rejoicing in sheep who can be quite dumb, defenseless and lost. Ezekiel 34 is a chapter about shepherds and sheep. In that chapter God rails against shepherds – pastors and leaders – who have no passion for their people. God assaults them with His judgment, “But you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.” “They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” (Ezekiel 34:3-4, 6)
What a miserable indictment given to those who were called to be shepherds of God’s people. What happens? God Himself steps in to shepherd the sheep. Once again, Ezekiel 34, “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says, I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so I will look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” “There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, says the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak.” (Ezekiel 34:11-12, 14-16)
Why? Why would this Almighty God treat us so wonderfully? We were scattered. We got lost. We ran away from Him and His will.
Yet He comes looking for us. It is like the words of Jesus in the parable He uses in Luke 15, “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” (Luke 15:3-6)
One writer said of all this, “The Gospel is never earned, never deserved, never expected. The forgiveness of sins is always a gift. Freely given by God in His mercy. That means the Gospel is always a surprise.” (Has American Christianity Failed? Bryan Wolfmueller. Page 232)
How can God be so good? We don’t deserve such kindness. Yet His delight is in the fullness of our life. We delights in us being forgiven and given eternal life. Jesus gives that to us. He treasures us and brings us into His compassionate embrace. In an old book called “The Parable of the Good Shepherd” the writer witnessed how shepherds in Palestine took care of their sheep at night. He said that 3 or 4 small flocks, from different shepherds, would come together at night. They would bring the sheep into a protected area, like a low stone wall or a hedge of thorns, and bed the sheep down for the night. There, in that recluse, was a protection offered to the sheep against wolves and other predators, as well as thieves and robbers. A number of shepherds would then be the gate, the door, that prevented the leaving of the sheep or the entering of the enemies. And when morning came and the various shepherds came to take their flocks to pasture them. But they were all bundled in one big package of wool. How would they know which way to go? How would they find their shepherd? But when their shepherd spoke they headed to the voice that they knew.
Jesus said, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
He knows your voice. He knows your needs. He knows your needs. He knows your sins. He knows your struggles. And the very Shepherd is also the Lamb of God who dies for the sins of the entire world. Your sins and mine. Your struggles and mine. The brilliant Revelation of St. John says, “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)
Does God surprise you? I hope He does. Everyday may we all be surprised at how deeply He loves us and fills our cup to overflowing. Amen!!
Today we conclude this message with the singing of the hymn “Borning Cry” 770, With One Voice.
