GOOD
SHEPHERD SUNDAY
May
10-12, 2025
Pastor
Timothy J. Spaude
Text:
John 10:22-30 (EHV)
GOOD NEWS FROM THE
GOOD SHEPHERD!
1.
Those
who aren’t, don’t.
2.
Those
who are, do.
3.
Those
who do are blessed!
The word picture and painted pictures
of Jesus as the Good Shepherd have comforted Christians for 2000 years. Many of
us remember a picture like this from the Bible Story books our parents and
grandparents read to us. Many have had a picture like this hanging in their
room or house. To know that it is the Lord Jesus leading you, carrying you when
you are young, weak, hurt or tired is such a comfort. With the many different
uses the Bible makes of our Savior caring for us like a shepherd, Psalm 23, and
Jesus own statement earlier in John 10, “I am the Good Shepherd,” it’s no
surprise that the Church on earth has regularly celebrated a Good Shepherd
Sunday in its church year. As we do so today, we rejoice in the Good news we
hear from the Good Shepherd.
The first is that those who don’t,
aren’t. Those who don’t what? Those who don’t listen when Jesus speaks are not
His sheep. “Then the Festival of Dedication took
place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was
walking in the temple area in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 So
the Jews gathered around Jesus, asking, “How long will you keep us in suspense?
If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus
answered them, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I am doing in
my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you do not
believe, because you are not my sheep, as I said to you.” The Jews
mentioned here are the religious leaders of the Jewish people. They had what
sounded like a reasonable and heartfelt request. If you are the Christ, the
Messiah we have all been waiting for, tell us plainly. Sounds good but it
wasn’t sincere. Jesus told them the truth. He had spoken plainly many times.
The miracles He did that were signs of the Messiah spoke plainly. Every time
Jesus said “I Am,” He spoke plainly. Why didn’t they listen? They were not
Jesus’ sheep. So the words Jesus said were meaningless. It was like, for
instance, if a husband discovered his wife had kept the love letters from all
the guys she didn’t marry and read them. They would be meaningless. Not meant
for him. So too, it was true of the unbelieving Jews. Those who aren’t Jesus’
sheep don’t listen to His voice.
So also it is true today and this is
Good News for those who are Jesus’ sheep. How? Those who aren’t Jesus’ sheep
aren’t listening to His voice and won’t. So you and I don’t have to get our
undies in a bundle when we hear our fellow Americans spouting foolishness. Nor
do we need to feel like it is our responsibility to change minds. It isn’t and
we can’t. Here are some examples. Ask any one of Jesus’ sheep to define a woman
and they will first look at you incredulously and then easily define a woman as
a female, easily identified by body parts and chromosomes. Those who aren’t
Jesus’ sheep will stutter and stammer because they are not his sheep. Jesus’
truth means nothing to them. No one who is a sheep of Jesus would dream of
changing the day our nation observes today from Mothers’ Day to inseminated
persons’ day. To reduce mothers to inseminated persons is insane, ridiculous, demeaning
and inaccurate. The same voice of the Good Shepherd that tells us in the Bible
that God made only male and female tells us that those who have children are
mothers. So here is the Good News from the Good Shepherd. You are neither
crazy, nor old fashioned, nor close minded, nor whatever other disparaging
label people want to put on you. You are one of Jesus’ sheep. There is nothing
wrong with you and everything wrong with them. They are not Jesus’ sheep and
that is why they can’t handle Jesus’ truth. And if anyone is listening and wants to roll
their eyes at such narrow minded thinking I have some bad news for you. There
is a reason Bible truth is not true to you. You are not one of Jesus’ sheep. I
am sad for your eternity. Jesus tells us plainly. Those who aren’t, don’t!
And those who are, do!” My
sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Nothing difficult
here. Jesus does not speak in mays, mights or wills. He speaks in the present.
Those who are, do. Those who are Jesus’ sheep, those who belong to Him, hear
His voice and follow. Look at the beautiful picture this gives us. When someone
belongs to you they know your voice. Children growing in the wombs of their
mothers hear their mother’s voice. They know it. Good reason for those who are
pregnant to read aloud to their in womb children. And while you are at it, read
to them about their Good Shepherd. As little children are tied to their mothers
and know their voice so also Jesus’ sheep. Hear and follow. Do you understand,
now, fellow sheep, why our enemy the Devil, the ultimate big bad wolf, is
working so hard in your life and my life to get us to give up hearing Jesus’
voice in His word? He wants us to stray so He can devour us. What I see today
is not so much a defiant refusal to listen to Jesus’ voice as much as a
distracted delinquency. All the kids’ activities and parents’ activities get
scheduled in before hearing the voice of the Shepherd. Don’t let that be you.
Those who are, do. Those who are the sheep of Jesus listen to His voice. Each
one of us needs to evaluate how well we are doing at that.
It’s for our own good, because those
who do are blessed! “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow
me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will
never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one can snatch them
out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are
one.” Look at some of the many blessings of being one of Jesus’ sheep. “I
know them,” says Jesus. There are times in all of our lives that we will feel
like no one understands what we are going through. That sense of loneliness can
feel overwhelming. There are things about us that we don’t want anyone to know.
That’s why we hide them. Hear the Good News from the Good Shepherd. He knows
you. He knows your heart hurts, heartaches and great joys. He shepherds you
through them. You are never alone. All those things you try to keep hidden
about yourself from other people because you are afraid of what they will think
about you, your struggles, your failings, your secret sins? Jesus knows you. He
loves you anyway. That’s why the Good Shepherd lay down His life for you. Your
sin He has taken away so He will give you eternal life. Roll that around in
your heart for a bit. Jesus gives you eternal life. You have it. Heaven. It’s
your fatherland. It’s your home. Right now. Don’t have to earn it. Sins are
forgiven and won’t keep you out of it. Jesus has given it to you. And no one
can take it away. People can’t. Satan can’t. Demons can’t. No one can take on
the Father and the Son and win. Those who do listen to the Good Shepherd’s
voice are His sheep and they are blessed.
Let’s go back to our picture, a
beautiful picture, a comforting picture. Look at that little lamb. Safe in
Jesus’ hands. No one can pluck that lamb away from Jesus. There are going to
come times in all or our lives that we will realize how much we are like that
lamb. Helpless. Afraid. In need of care. The next time that happens for you,
remember this picture, the Savior it points you to and His promises of
protection. More Good News from the Good Shepherd! Amen.
