The Gospel of John 10:22-30
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
Let us pray The Collect for Good Shepherd Sunday: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Today we ask for people to tell us plainly. Who are you and what are your expectations? Seems all we get is garble from all corners of our society. They won’t tell us plainly because they may have to take some responsibility. Jesus did not have to use garble, they were not listening or observing. The works “that I do in my Father’s name testify to me”. From today’s perspective we can see that he is the Messiah but of course we have the advantage of hindsight. This Gospel underscores Jesus’ role as the Good Shepherd and his unwavering commitment to his flock. The passage emphasizes that his sheep recognize his voice and follow him, finding eternal life and security in his hands. This passage can be seen as a reminder of Jesus’ promise to provide abundant life and eternal security to those who believe in him and follow his guidance.
Than the gospel leads us right into 23rd Psalm offering comfort, guidance, and assurance of God’s presence. It portrays the Lord as a shepherd who provides, protects, and leads His people with love and care.
Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
This Psalm takes us through chaos of a world that is suffering political turmoil, war and lots of insecurity to a calming feeling of peaceful meadows and serene waters. These last few weeks I have needed the undivided attention my Shepherd gave me. Although He has other sheep in the pasture to take care of, He choose to put them aside in order to spend time with me. On the other hand, the attention that I received from Him was special because of my deep need for Him at the moment, I am pleased He choose to be with me than with the other sheep. Jesus, the shepherd comes when we feel that we are lost, weary, restless, in darkness. By taking our conflicts and making them into opportunities gives God an opportunity to do wondrous things through us even though we don’t always realize it. In our current state we live our lives as we search for our voice to be recognized by the Risen Christ our Shepherd. Where the world sees hopelessness and despair, we can see Hope for the future. Our current tumultuous time continues to change everyday life right before us. The uncertainty continues to be unprecedented. During this time, we are invited to find God. We reflect on Psalm 23 and its implications for our lives, now, more than ever. Where the Shepherd goes, there also goes His sheep. Sheep and shepherd are always together. To follow Jesus is not to take a privileged detour around the hardships of life but to go through them together with Jesus. Jesus isn’t the way around suffering and death but the only way through suffering and death that leads to resurrection and life. The Good Shepherd goes before us to prepare the way, which means there is no place that we go that the Shepherd has not already been. He’s already made sure the path is clear and safe. There may be hardships, there may be mishaps, there may be struggles but The Good Shepherd has already seen those and knows how to help us negotiate through the treacherous territory. He has already prepared a way for us to get through. All we need to do is continue to listen to His Voice and follow Him. What a great gift it is that he knows us by name and calls out to each of us as though we were the only sheep in all the world. Already he knows us, and invites us to know him, and follow him. But a further step is necessary. It is necessary that we listen! Even the voice of Jesus goes unheard unless something within us makes the choice to listen. When we prepare our hearts through prayer and worship, we can more fully and more clearly listen to The Voice of the Shepherd. And when we listen, The Voice of the Shepherd guides us. Listening to The Voice of the Shepherd helps us in making hard choices, choices about who we are and what we believe and what is really important to us. The Voice of the Shepherd Protects Us. And by listening to The Voice of the Shepherd, He helps us choose. The Shepherd also loves those who do not want to have anything to do with Him. He even loves those sheep who wander away, who are distracted by the little clump of enticing greenery and suddenly find themselves separated from the rest of the flock. That is when the Shepherd comes searching for them and brings them back into the fold and reminds them where they belong and to whom they belong. Why? Because The Shepherd loves all of Us. As shepherds seek out their flock when they are scattered, so does Jesus, the Good Shepherd, seek out those who are lost.The good news on this Good Shepherd Sunday is that sheep have a shepherd, and you have a good shepherd, who laid down His life so that you might have life in Him and dwell in His house, His flock, His green pastures, forever. The Lord Jesus is your shepherd you shall not want.
He knows us and invites us to know and follow him.
Let us Pray: Jesus our Good Shepherd we need you now more than ever to help us through these uncertain times. We need you to guide us through those valleys with their ups and downs to come our safely on the other side. You watch and guide us as we are your sheep and you are our shepherd. This we prasy in your Name our Blessed Shepherd. Amen
I have also included the Gospels for Good Shepherd Sunday for Years A and B as it brings the whole Gospel of the Good Sheperd together.
The Gospel of John 10:1-10 Year A Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear 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 the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again, Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The Gospel of John 10:11-18 Year B Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 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. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Reflections by Bob 