The Good Shepherd

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

Sheep are not smart creatures. They’re dumb—and I resemble that remark. One of my favorite videos online shows a man rescuing a sheep from a narrow ditch. He pulls it out with great effort, the sheep takes a few joyful leaps…and jumps right back into the ditch thirty yards down. That’s us. We need a shepherd.

Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd,” and He gives two qualifications. First, the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Second, He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him.

Notice what He does not say. He doesn’t say, “I’m the Good Shepherd because I fight off the wolves.” He says, “I die for the sheep.” That’s unexpected. David, when he was a shepherd, fought lions, bears, and wolves. That’s what we expect a shepherd to do. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He pours out His blood for the sheep—for you and for me. The sheep are ignorant and lost, and what they need is someone to defeat sin, death, and Satan. Only the Shepherd’s death can do that.

The second qualification is that He knows you. He knows your name. Revelation says He has given you a new name, written in His book of life, known fully on the last day. He knows every sin you’ve committed and every sin you will commit—and He still died for you.

We come here, receive grace, hear forgiveness, and then what happens? We argue about where to eat. Whose turn it is to do the dishes. Why the laundry is still in the washer. Why the clothes are folded but not put away. Some of you argued before church: “Why are you still in your socks? We leave in five minutes! Tell you what, if you get dressed, you can have a donut at church!”

We laugh, but there are tragedies too. Today is April 19th. Thirty‑one years ago, this congregation lost three members in the bombing. There is great evil in the world and great evil in our hearts.

But God promises: “I will seek the lost. I will bring back the strayed. I will bind up the injured. I will strengthen the weak.” The Good Shepherd does this by pouring out His blood for the sheep He knows by name.

He does not abandon you. He gives you the Paraclete—the Helper, the Holy Spirit—to walk with you all your days. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil. In Christ Jesus, you are more than conquerors. You are given victory over sin, Satan, and death.

The Good Shepherd doesn’t bring you into His fold and leave you. He gives you everlasting life. He brings you to His holy mountain. He feeds you in the presence of your enemies. He leads you beside still waters—not Stillwater, but still waters—because your enemies are powerless. They cannot harm you. The Good Shepherd watches over you.

Yes, I am an ignorant sinner. But I have a Good Shepherd—and so do you. You have a peace that surpasses understanding. You have a hope that even in tears, even in this veil of sorrow, there will come a better day. The Good Shepherd will return. Heaven and earth will be made new. God will dwell with His people forever. And all your sheep‑friends and sheep‑family will be there too.

This is our Good Shepherd. This is our hope. This is what we proclaim in the Easter season. This is what we carry into the world so we can walk with those who suffer, those who hurt, those who die—and point them to a hope that cannot be taken away. The Good Shepherd died for them too. His blood is freely offered. His grace covers all sin. His resurrection is their promise as well.

The Good Shepherd fought the fight for us—His beloved sheep.

In Christ’s name. Amen.