- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
[John 10:11-30] “…14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep… 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
The Lord Is Your Shepherd
A New York Times article I read recently says the number of people in the United States turning to religion is increasing – for the first time in a while. To summarize the article, people are seeking answers for three B’s in life: Belief, Belonging, and Behavior.
What should I believe? What standard of truth is there, beyond my own opinions?
Where can I find belonging? A real, physical community to be part of and identify with? Something not online? Where do adults find new friendships?
And, behavior: What will transform me for the better? What has the power to do that? (And what is better? What is right or wrong?) And what about for my kids?
Adults are feeling a little lost. And I suspect current trends might not all be setting well in everyone’s conscious. The basics of God’s Law are etched in our hearts, and the conscience recognizes that some things are not right.
So, it appears, people are increasingly looking for something a little more real – more concrete – from outside their own selves. Even turning to church and religion, reversing the trend. And I think people have been turning to many things, for quite while, to satisfy the need for those three B’s in life.
Popular health fads give people a belief to cling to, a community to belong in, and a behavior to follow. Polarized political camps provide the same. I get to be an “us” who is against a “them”. And religion, church, and spirituality can also mean many things.
But what will last? What will satisfy the need, so I don’t need to keep looking to the next thing? What isn’t just an affirming of my own opinions or a cultural stamp?
And, importantly, what is true? If there are a hundred voices, there are a hundred different answers, but what voice is true? Will I recognize that voice?
“My sheep here My voice,” Jesus said, “and they follow Me.”
“I am the Good Shepherd… I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep… 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand…” [John 10:11-29]
There is a sure and certain voice. It won’t be proven scientifically. But Jesus said His own know Him when they hear it – “My sheep hear My voice” – and, “a stranger they will not follow” [John 10:5]. Like a child who knows the voice of their mom or dad.
That voice of Jesus is the voice of God – “I and the Father are one” [John 10:30] – and is therefore the voice of Scripture which is “breathed out by God” [2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21]. It’s this voice of Jesus that creates one flock, “…they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd.” [John 10:16]
A belief to believe, a place to belong, and a power that changes my behavior. From the Man-and-God who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” [Hebrews 13:8] – whose voice speaks in the word of Scripture which has not changed.
We have a pretty thorough historical record of what has changed in the Church over time. For example, there’s a pretty good record of the Church’s liturgy over the centuries – of how it has changed and evolved.
We have a vastly more thorough record of the Scriptures over time – of how they have not changed. A much more thorough record than other ancient writings.
Everything in the church’s life – its liturgies, its garb, its institutions – have changed over time. The Scriptures are the one thing that have remained the same. Jesus’ voice has remained unchanged.
Jesus’ flock, where redeemed sinners belong, is not defined by an institutional structure – nor by obedience to any other word – but, instead, His flock still gathers around His voice in Scripture, everywhere it’s heard —
— “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them” [Matthew 18:20]. Where two or three, or thirty, are gathered to hear the Shepherd’s voice, there is the flock and the place to belong and believe. And behave.
In whatever involves man – even in religion and Church – there will always be sin. For example, in our first Scripture reading today [Acts 20:17-35], the Apostle Paul, speaking to the “elders”, the “overseers” (bishops) from Ephesus – biblical words for “pastors” – warns them of what trouble will arise even from among them after his death and departure:
“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” [Acts 20:29-30]
But the voice of the Good Shepherd will always prevail, and He never flees [John 10:12] but will always be able to protect His flock from the wolves – (our) sin, death, deception, and the devil.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life, on the cross, for the sheep and thereby became “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” [John 1:29] because He gave His life “as a ransom for many” [Matthew 20:28].
In Jesus, you have both the belief to believe and the One to believe in. You have a flock to belong in. And you have a Shepherd who loves you enough to shepherd you, by His commandments, away from what is wrong and to what is right.
Being in attendance in His flock, you will have Him as your Shepherd. You will not lack any good thing. You will be well fed and watered by His Word and Spirit. He will restore your soul. He will lead you in paths of righteousness, for His name’s sake.
Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He will be with you. The two beams of His cross, they will comfort you. He prepares you this table – and prepares you for it – in the midst of this troubled world.
You are anointed with His Spirit. Your cup overflows. And, surely, His goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever [Psalm 23] – “A great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages…” [Revelation 7:9]
The belief, belonging, and transformation of behavior that your neighbor feels the need for – is even considering religion for – comes by having the Lord as their Shepherd, in the place where His flock is gathered, where His voice is heard. So be here, believe, and belong – and be encouraged to invite others. Amen.
- May 4
- 5 min read
[Read John 21:1-14]
Jesus, Thy Boundless Love
Peter, Nathaniel, James and John, Thomas, and two others – seven disciples in all – went fishing in the days after Christ’s resurrection. They were fishermen. They had a net to cast and depended on the catch. And they were catching nothing all night.
At the break of day, when the rising sun first started to signal that it was time to give up, a man stood on the shore and called, “Children, do you have any fish?” No, they did not. “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”
Fishermen, in their day, would sometimes use someone as a “spotter” on shore, who could see from a better vantage point the movements of the schools of fish. The man on shore speaks as such a spotter, directing the fishermen. And they listen.
They cast their net on the right side of the boat, and they get their catch. They can’t even lift it up into the boat, the catch is so plentiful. A great catch after a long night of catching nothing… this had happened before [Luke 5:1-11]. John recognizes the Lord’s work and says to Peter, “It is the Lord!”
Peter, in zeal and great love, because the risen Lord who proclaimed peace to them some days before had now come to appear to them again, throws on his outer garment and jumps into the water to hurry to the shore. (They were about a football field’s length from shore.) The other disciples drag the haul of fish forward with the boat until they also land ashore.
The catch is 153 large fish, yet the nets did not begin to break this time. Jesus, risen and glorified, is still man – still as natural and approachable as when Mary Magdalen thought He was the gardener – and has made a breakfast of fish and bread for them over a fire of coals.
But here’s the point for today: The catch was great, and the catch was the Lord’s. And this is about being “fishers of men” [Matthew 4:19; Luke 5:10]. Bringing people to the Gospel. And the Lord brings in a great catch, not because of us, but only because of His boundless love. “Jesus, Thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue declare.”
He loves you, so He gathered you. He loves your neighbor, so He employs you to cast His net to gather them too. You are fishers of men. Individually, and as a congregation. He promises to gather His catch, to lose none, and not to miss any – through His church.
Jesus’ net is His Word of the Gospel. He casts, like a net, the good news of who He is and what He has done. This net gathers in the hurting and sinners. Heals wounds, forgives guilt, and makes us something new. From lost to found, from darkness to light, from dead to alive again. From strayed to back home again. When we hear and believe. All by Jesus’ boundless love alone.
By Jesus’ boundless love, Saul, an opponent and even persecutor of faith in Jesus, was gathered into this net and made Paul, a new man, who served the Lord more than the others [Acts 9:1-22; 1 Corinthians 15:10].
By Jesus’ boundless love, Peter, a disciple of Jesus from the beginning, and a leader, but who fell and failed – denying the Lord three times – is gathered again in this net and gets to confess His steadfast love for Christ three times, as He is recommissioned three times to feed Christ’s lambs [John 21:15-17].
Jesus’ boundless love, not your merits nor your worthiness, but His boundless love alone gathers you – and your neighbor, who will hear and believe – into His body, His church, and into His heaven.
The disciples worked hard in their fishing – and did not ever need to lose heart in their work – because the catch does come according to the Lord’s will and in His time.
And their true task of being fishers of men by the Gospel is your task. To share with others the love of Jesus that you yourself are receiving. To love your neighbor as yourself by endeavoring that they might have the same good thing you have found in Jesus.
In part, this means forgiving those who have sinned against you as you have been forgiven – loving as you have been loved by Christ. Extending His care and forgiveness out to others. That extends His net.
And it means, in the various ways the Lord calls us to do so – according to our various callings, abilities, positions in life, talents, resources, relationships, opportunities – as siblings, parents, neighbors, coworkers, friends, citizens – in the ways set before us, to be witnesses of who and what Jesus has been to you as our Savior —
— Witnesses to what He does for you in this gathering, in your own words – there’s some reason why you come. And as witnesses to the knocking and seeking and asking that you are doing as you seek to know more about who Jesus is, what it is to have Him as Savior and Shepherd —
— To invite others into this net with you that they might also believe and benefit as you are benefiting from Jesus’ boundless love for you. To cast the net which has caught you to catch others in it, for their sake.
And it is through you that Jesus will work. The statistics say something like this, though this might not be exact: Of those who join a congregation and stay long-term – they come, they join, and they stay – roughly, about 2% come in through the pastor. Two percent! Some other small percentages come in through some other ways.
About 80% - eighty percent of those who visit, join, and stay – had a relationship of some sort (work, friendship, neighbor) with a current member and were invited by that member. Eighty percent! Roughly speaking.
And, you can reverse that. They can visit, and then you can form a relationship with them. But it has to be you, the congregation, for it to stick. In most cases. According to the numbers.
And according to the Lord’s will – because it is His promise that He does work through you. Through what you can do. Through how you can speak it. Because it is His fishing work through His boundless love.
And we never need to be discouraged – “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes” – that’s the great catch in His net – for by His blood He “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” [Revelation 5:9; 7:9]
The great catch of sinners saved, lost found, and eyes opened – in Christ’s net – does come because of His boundless love. Worldwide. And here. And He uses our efforts for it. Thanks be to God. Amen.
- Apr 26
- 5 min read
[John 20:19-23] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
Then They Were Glad
Uncertainty creates great anxiety, or fear as the disciples experienced. Not knowing what will be next – nor when next will come, how long? Knowing you face something, but not knowing how it will turn out, good or bad. Uncertainty. It makes for fear and stress. Worry.
Ten of the now eleven disciples [Luke 24:9] were gathered indoors on the evening of that first Easter, uncertain about what was about to happen to them, uncertain about the news they heard that morning, and full of fear. The doors were locked.
What was coming next? Jesus, the Son of God, was crucified and killed at the hands of their kinsmen, their community, and the religious power-holders – and the civil authority, that Roman governor, handed Him over to nails and spear knowing He broke no law.
If this could happen to the innocent Son of God, what would happen to them? How many saw them with Him? “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” they had asked Peter. Perhaps they were all being searched for?
And what about the news that morning, that Jesus is alive again? Peter and John saw the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene reported that she saw the Lord alive [John 20:18]. But was this true or a wishful hope, or an idle tale as some of the eleven thought? [Luke 24:11] Among the disciples there was both belief and doubt – certainly within each of them. [Matthew 28:17]
Earlier on, when they still walked with Jesus, He spoke of His coming cross, and they expressed their willingness to go and die with Him [Matthew 26:35] – and to be rejected with Him, and mocked with Him, surely. But it’s easy to say. Now that they really faced the possibility in real life, they are perhaps more fearful than they thought they would be.
Uncertainty. And if that morning’s report is true and He is risen, that creates another layer of uncertainty. What’s next? And what will it mean for them when they face Him? Will they have to face Him?
Only one of these disciples, John, had stayed with Jesus (and with His mother) on Good Friday. The others fled and left Him during His last and most critical hours. One denied Him, three times. They did not act with bravery or with courage when things got real the night He was betrayed and the day He died.
What shame will they face if they face Him? Jesus had said, “Everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven” [Matthew 10:32-33]. They failed that test! And now He’s alive.
What is coming when we face Him as people who have fallen short? Fallen short of love for Him, short of strong faith in Him in the face of trouble? Or uncertainty? Uncertainty about how the Lord is going to feel about me makes me, then, much more uncertain and fearful about everything else.
So, the disciples hide behind locked doors, afraid.
But then Jesus came! The doors were locked. But He came and stood among them! And the first word out of His mouth? “Peace.” “Peace be with you.” All those things they had done wrong and all they failed to do went unmentioned. Forgiven. “Peace be with you.”
This peace was all found in the wounds of Jesus. “When He had said this” – Peace be with you – “He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” Risen and living, He had the scars, the marks – the reminders – which put in their minds what He had done for them on that cross.
Coupled with those words of Jesus, these were the signs – not of their guilt – but of the peace He made for them by His atoning sacrifice for their sins. This living one was the lamb slain, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” as they had been told from the beginning [John 1:29] – And the Passover Lamb who will make death pass over them.
At the sight of those marks in His hands and side, taken together with His word of peace, they were then glad to see the Lord and their fear melted away. They saw it with their eyes that night. And then Jesus will say to Thomas, and to you and me, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” [John 20:24-31]. Blessed are you.
In this life, for us – since His ascension – Jesus does not show His wounds to our eyes but only to our ears. Faith is by hearing. “For we walk by faith, not by sight” [2 Corinthians 5:7]. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” [Hebrews 11:1].
The avenue for the Holy Spirit’s miracle of faith in Christ in our hearts is through our ears, not our eyes. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” [Romans 10:17].
And John himself said this about the writing of his Gospel, “…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” [John 20:30-31]. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, the Scriptures. And that faith does come.
And that word of peace from Jesus is proclaimed. The living, risen Jesus was sent to His disciples in that room that evening to proclaim peace to them. And then Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.” “And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.’” [John 20:21-23]
Jesus’ word of peace is for your ears, here and now, in the words of Absolution. After we confess our sins, we then hear, in our ears, the Lord’s same word of peace, but in the mouth of those sent by Him to serve, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Peace be with you. Blessed are those who believe.
“By believing you have life in His name” and certainty in your life. “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” [Romans 8:32]
God’s love seen in the wounds of Jesus, for you, gives certainty in all things. If He has cared for you in eternal things, how will He not also care for you in earthly things? He made this earthly life too and cares about you in it.
You don’t always know what’s next. But you do know God’s love for you in Jesus Christ. So, not fear, but Peace be with you – and be glad. Amen.
