Words about the Word
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
For congregations that follow a church-year calendar, the fourth Sunday of the Easter season is called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The image of Jesus as a shepherd is one of the most important and endearing ones in the Bible. Who hasn’t seen a painting of Jesus carrying a lost lamb home on his strong shoulders?
But if we carry this image too far, we run the risk of painting a distorted picture of Jesus’ disciples and the life we are called to live.
By using the words “ I am,” which correspond to the name God gave himself in the Old Testament (usually translated Lord in all capital letters), Jesus is claiming to be the fulfillment of passages like Psalm 23:1 “
The Lord is myshepherd,” and Ezekiel 34:15 “
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep … declares the Lord.” He showed himself to be the good shepherd by dying on the cross for the sake of his sheep.
However, Jesus does not say “my sheep are stupid” or “my sheep are cowardly” or “my sheep are dirty and helpless.” Thesethingsmaybetrueof actual sheep, but they are not attributes of disciples of Jesus. If we take the image too far, we paint a picture of the Christian life as being passive, carried over every rough patch, like the little lost lamb in those paintings.
Jesus said, “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). What do we hear from the voice of our shepherd? “
Take up your cross and follow me”(Matthew 16:24). Jesus doesn’t promise to carry us over the rough patches, but to give us the courage to go through them.
Throughout the New Testament, Christians are motivated to courageous action in the face of danger. This courage is exactly what we see from the disciples in the book of Acts when they spoke the truth boldly to the same people who nailed Jesus to the cross.
In the Epistles we are encouraged to stand firm, put on the full armor of God, join the fight against evil, and love one another with the same reckless love that motivated Jesus to die.
Courage is also the example of the early Christian martyrs, who chose to die rather than deny their Lord Jesus. That same courage is on display around the world today.
The basis for our courage is Easter Sunday. That very night the risen Jesus met with his fearful disciples and showed them the wounds in his hands and side. We Christians walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear because our Shepherd has walked that same path and come out the other side. The disciples followed in Jesus’ footsteps and proudly bore their own wounds.
It is true that in another place, in a different context, Jesus spoke a parable aboutashepherdwhowent to find a lost sheep and joyfully carried him back home on his shoulders. Christians do sometimes do stupid things and other times succumb to fear. I would point out there were 99 faithful sheep in that same parable. That parable is lived out in the church when a wayward Christian is called to repent and get back in the game.
In John chapter ten, Jesus describes Christians assheepwhohearthevoice of their shepherd and follow in his footsteps. It is a band of battle-scarred Christian brothers following their King into battle. Christians are called to a noble, honorable, meaningful, active, courageous life in this world, looking forward to eternal life in the world to come. Jesus is speaking to his sheep today. Do you hear him?
