In Jesus Holy Name April 21, 2024
Text: Psalm 23:1-3, John 10:11 Redeemer
“My Good Shepherd”
Psalm 23, may be the most familiar and favorite of all the psalms. The affirmation of God as our good shepherd implies a truth that touches a deep place within our souls. “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.” The words of the Psalm bring comfort in difficult days, because of God’s promise. “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul”. After a stressful week or month of work, there is nothing better than to find yourself near a quiet stream with the steady tumble of water rippling over gravel, swirling around boulders, to calm a busy mind. (from Psalm 23 The Higher Calling)
How many of your visits to Yosemite National Park required a few moments on the walking bridge, just to watch as the water tumbles by. It requires a moment of quiet reflection and brings refreshment. We need our souls restored. We need times of quiet.
Research states that over 70 million Americans can’t sleep. At night, instead of resting their head on a pillow and drifting off to sleep their mind races ahead. A thousand and one obligations will not disappear. Why are we so tired? Is it because we are willing to put in longer hours, in order to hold on to a job. Of course, we have obligations to meet. Credit card debts to pay. Money to be made. Degrees to earn. Ladders to be climbed. In 1910 Americans slept nine hours a night, today we sleep seven and we are proud of it.
I’m afraid we long for the days of Huck Finn and Tom floating down the Mississippi. Listen to the words again. “…He makes me lie down ..where? in green pastures. He leads me beside what? ______(the still waters).” Who is the active one in those sentences? Who is in charge? The Shepherd! Our job is to watch the shepherd. Remember the Sabbath day is to be a day of rest.
For sheep to sleep, everything must be just right. No predators. No tension in the flock, no hunger. Unfortunately, sheep on their own cannot find safe pasture, nor a safe place to sleep. They need help. They need a shepherd to lead them, without a shepherd they cannot rest nor find safety at night. Jesus said, “I am the gate, all who came before are robbers, I am the gate, who ever enters the sheep pen through me will not only find protection but will be saved. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd will lay down his life to protect the sheep.”
“We are eternal creatures, we ask eternal questions: Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is the meaning of life? What is right? What is good? Is there life after death? If left unanswered, these questions will steal our rest.” (Max Lucado, Traveling Light p.39)
We love Psalm 23 and the words “Jesus is my good shepherd. But it was not so for the early Hebrews when Jesus compared Himself to a “good shepherd”. The reality in the first century Palestine was quite different. Shepherds held the lowest social and religious ranking. Why?
First, long hours with the sheep in distant pastures made it impossible to follow all the Jewish religious regulations. A shepherd simply could not comply with the requirements to be a fine, upstanding member of the local worship community.
Second, they often slept outside with their sheep on the hillsides and, well, frankly, they stank. Lack of daily hygiene made them the butt of many a joke. Third, shepherds rarely were actual sheep owners; most often they were "hirelings" paid low daily wages to watch someone else's sheep. Such "day workers" held little status in Jewish society of that time. (ibid. p. 41)
David penned the beautiful poem we know as Psalm 23 in which he compares God to a shepherd. Jesus took it further. He compared Himself, the Messiah, to a Good Shepherd who loves the sheep and gives up his life for them.
So why would Jesus compare Himself to a “shepherd” if in His own culture the role of the “shepherd” was a profession that was rejected? His words must have caused noses to turn up!
Jesus knows He is fulfilling all the Old Testament prophecies. God promised that
He would “tabernacle” with His people just as He did at Mt. Sinai. John in His gospel writes: We have seen the Glory of the One who “tented”, who made His dwelling in our midst. (John 1:14)
This is why Jesus compares Himself to a shepherd. He knew that He Himself had spoken through the prophet Ezekiel: “I, the Sovereign Lord will come and search for my sheep. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up their wounds…. I will shepherd the flock with justice.” (Ez. 34:11-16)
The words of Jesus and His miracles are constantly reminding the Jewish scholars that He is the “dwelling place of God” in a human body. He is replacing the temple as the one place where forgiveness of sins was provided. When Jesus drove out the money changers what did He say? You have made “my” house a den of robbers. Jesus comes as the physical voice of God to His temple in Jerusalem. Jesus is claiming that He is the fulfillment of Ezekiel 34.
Leonard Sweet in His book: “Jesus A Theography” writes: “one contemporary Jewish scholar has argued that the ancient Jews regarded the following three miracles to be proof that the Messiah has arrived. 1. The cleansing of lepers. 2. The casting out of demons that caused the inability to speak. 3. The healing of blindness. Jesus clearly had authority over disease and demons. (Mark 1:22) (Jesus, A Theography, p. 168)
His miracles gave proof that God’s Messiah had arrived in Jerusalem. The blind were given sight (John 9) the lepers were healed. The dead were raised to life. (John 11) When Jesus worked miracles, it was God working miracles.
Jesus said: “I know my sheep, and my sheep know me they will listen to my voice.” (John 10:14-17) Countless Christians today want to know how to hear the voice of their Savior, how can they recognize His voice.
As a Christian you have a bible to read, which is the written voice of Jesus. You and I have prayer…which is conversation with God…but we must be quiet and listen to the voice that isn’t a voice in your head. Have you ever been in prayer, sharing with God a problem and suddenly your brain tells us to look up a bible verse? Of course…there is the answer you needed. If you listened to that voice in your head, it was the Holy Spirit giving you the answer.
Leonard Sweet has written an entire book on this subject, which he titled “Jesus Speaks”. The disciples had been with Jesus for three years. They watched His miracles, they listened to His parables and the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount. Once the resurrected glorified Jesus ascended into heaven, they had to learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who was now speaking to their hearts and minds without the physical body of Jesus.
(read the text John 10:14-15) Jesus knows He will be arrested. Jesus knows why He left His throne in heaven to take on human flesh and blood. Jesus knew that when the 1st Passover lamb’s blood was smeared on the wooded door frames in Jewish homes in Egypt, it saved those who obeyed, from the angel of death. So, also, His blood smeared on the wooden beams of the cross would wipe away every one of our broken commandments. (Hebrews 9:27)
The Apostle Paul understood this truth when he wrote: “We have been justified through faith in Jesus, and thus we have peace with God.” There is no fear when our shepherd “leads us to quiet waters”…..even though there is the shadow of our human death, in our future, we will have no fear, for the resurrection of Jesus assures us of our own future resurrection.
George Jaeger went fishing. He was joined on the expedition by his father and three sons. It was late in the afternoon when the boat's engine sputtered, stalled, and refused to restart. No longer able to keep the boat headed into the waves, they were broadsided by six-foot swells. Faster than they could bail, hundreds of gallons of water splashed over the side of the ship. It became obvious the vessel was going down. They all checked and rechecked the buckles on their life-jackets; tied themselves tightly together with a rope and then they silently stepped off the ship into the black water of the Atlantic.
The ship went down at 6:30 P.M. There wasn't time for the men to mourn the vessel's demise; they were swimming for their lives. Experience, along with a choking mouthful of water, told them not to talk. They had one job, and one job only - to swim to shore. One of the sons grew weary of keeping his head up; swallowed too much saltwater, gagged, and drowned.
One after another the grandfather and other sons strangled on the salty water and died. Finally, after eight terrible, tragic hours George staggered ashore. But George didn't rest. He still had a job to do. He had to pull the bodies of his sons and father from the sea. (story from May 8, 2008 Sermon Rev. Ken Klaus)
George told reporters, "My youngest boy, Clifford, was the first to go. I had always taught our children not to fear death because it was being with Jesus. Before Cliff died, I heard him say: “Dad I'd rather be with Jesus than go on fighting." That's where Jesus makes a difference. Death came to a boy who had started the day on a fishing trip with Dad and Grandpa. Death came to a boy who was being battered and brutalized by Atlantic swells. Death came to a boy - and the boy wasn't afraid. "I'd rather be with Jesus than go on fighting."
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not be afraid.”
Read John 10:16 Jesus knows the future. He knows that the Pharisee, named Saul, will be the missionary to Gentiles. Jesus knows that Cornelius, a Roman Centurian and his entire household will become believers. Jesus knows that when the Holy Spirit replaces His physical presence on the day of Pentecost Jews who have gathered in Jerusalem would take the message of His death and resurrection to Gentiles throughout the Roman empire.
Read John 10:17-18 Christianity alone has a Savior who gave Himself as a sacrifice to save us. Only Christianity has a Redeemer who gave His life as the ransom price to buy our freedom. Only Christianity has evidence of a risen and living Lord. Only Christianity has the proof which makes Jesus' words real: And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
Faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior becomes humanity's only hope, only lifeline which can pull souls out of the quicksand of the fear of sin and death, away from the fires of hell, and the clutches of Satan.
Jesus is the gate, the only gate. Jesus is the good shepherd. Because He is our good shepherd, surely “goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6
