John 10:11-16; 1 Peter 2:21-25; Ezekiel 34:11-16
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd. Of course, He is also the flock, and He is the pasture, and He is the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Already here we begin to see the mystery and the comfort: everything we need for life, salvation, and peace is found in Him.
He is not like other shepherds who labor merely for a wage and care nothing for the sheep. Such shepherds serve themselves. They care about what fills their bellies or increases their standing among men. They may lead sheep to green pastures and still waters when it is easy and beneficial, but when the wolf comes, when danger threatens, they will not put themselves in harm’s way. Most flee. Others linger, attempting some uneasy coexistence with the predator. “If we keep our distance,” they reason, “if we avoid offense, if we do not speak too clearly or too boldly, perhaps the wolf will be satisfied with only a sheep or two.” After all, the world is a dangerous place.
Not so with the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd does not flee when the wolf comes, nor does He bargain or coexist with the enemy. He knows that the beast must be destroyed. His weapons may appear weak to the world, yet they are stronger than anything the world can wield. He fights with the rod and staff of God’s Word, Law and Gospel, simple, humble means, yet mighty to save. And above all, He fights with love, not the shallow sentiment of greeting cards or passing emotion, but true, unconditional, selfless, sacrificial love.
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. On a day of clouds and thick darkness, He did not stand at a distance. He threw Himself into the wolf’s snapping jaws and tearing teeth. He laid Himself down as one sheep for the whole flock. He became the sacrifice that ended all sacrifice, destroying the power of the enemy by His death. In His cross, the wolf is defeated. In His resurrection, death itself is undone.
And yet, though the wolf is defeated, he still prowls. His power is broken, but his lies remain. He hunts, he threatens, he scatters. His chief weapons are deception and fear. Often he disguises himself as a sheep. He seeks to divide the flock, to isolate the weak, the wounded, the straying, and to devour them.
His work becomes all the easier when shepherds fail, when those entrusted with the care of the flock do not speak the truth, do not warn of danger, or do not love the sheep. The truth is this: the wolf has no teeth. The Good Shepherd has defanged him. But how many still believe his lies, tremble at his threats, and wander into destruction?
So the Good Shepherd Himself acts. He searches for His sheep. He seeks out those scattered, those driven away, those who have strayed. As the Lord promised through the prophet, He Himself will gather His flock. And He does so through means, through undershepherds whom He sends: prophets, priests, kings, apostles, pastors. These are called to serve in His stead and by His command, to seek the lost, gather the scattered, feed the flock, and guard them from the enemy.
But they are still hirelings. They do not own the sheep. The flock belongs to Christ alone. And while many serve faithfully, there are also those who do not, those who love themselves more than the sheep, who flee when danger comes, or who stand by while the wolf ravages, so long as their own lives and interests are not threatened. At times, the wolf even walks openly among the flock while the careless shepherd looks the other way.
What, then, is a sheep to do? Left to yourself, the answer is grim. You are prone to wander, weak and defenseless. Your fellow sheep are no stronger than you. Even your shepherds are but sheep under the Chief Shepherd. And the enemy prowls, cunning and relentless. If it depended on you, there would be no hope.
But it does not depend on you. The Good Shepherd knows you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He knows your fears, your worries about daily bread, about your children, about the future, about who will care for you. He knows how the enemy tempts you, lifting you up with pride one moment, crushing you into despair the next. He knows how easily you are drawn to other voices: voices of worldly wisdom, of convenience, of compromise, voices that promise much but do not love you, voices that will sacrifice you when it serves their purposes. He knows all this. And still, He lays down His life for you.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is not a hireling. He is the Good Shepherd. He owns the sheep, and He loves the sheep. Indeed, He has made you His own. And more than this: He is also the flock. As sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and all were corrupted, so through the one man Jesus Christ, sin is atoned for all. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. The Shepherd becomes the Lamb. The One becomes the many. In Him, the whole flock is gathered, restored, and made new.
And still more: your Good Shepherd is also your pasture. He Himself is where you feed, where you rest, where you are safe. He leads you beside still waters, waters He has made holy, and in Holy Baptism He has restored your soul. There He has marked you, named you, claimed you as His own. You bear His name. You belong to Him. He anoints you with His Spirit, setting you apart, strengthening you, assuring you that nothing can separate you from His love, not sin, not death, not the devil, not even your own weakness.
And here, even now, in this valley of the shadow of death, in the presence of your enemies, He prepares a table for you. He feeds you with His own body and blood. He gives you not mere symbols or reminders, but Himself, His life, His forgiveness, His peace. He fills you, and still He pours out more. In Him, there is no lack. In Him, there is only abundance.
Therefore, you need not fear the wolf. You need not despair over your weakness. You need not place your trust in failing shepherds or in yourself. Your Good Shepherd has conquered. He has sought you. He has found you. He has brought you home. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Believe it, for Jesus’ sake.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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