Fourth Sunday of Easter
READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
- First reading
- Acts 4:5-12
- Psalm
- Psalm 23
- Second reading
- 1 John 3:16-24
- Gospel
- John 10:11-18
The gospel reading from John:
Jesus said “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away–and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
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. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Sermon
Pastor Stevenson tells us that today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. There are two natural themes, namely, the questions: What does Jesus do? and Who is He? There is a third possible theme, that being Why does He do it? He does it for His sheep and He is willing to die for them. And why sheep, which are smelly dumb creatures, for which He gives His life. Explanations differ, but one idea exists throughout Christianity. It points to Good Friday. How has it helped for these 2000 years? The Romans brutally crucified many and it did not help. The answer is in the identity of the shepherd. There was a special relationship between Jesus and God. God had special instructions for Jesus – to lay down His life. Now the Gospel moves toward Jesus saying “I am the Father of life.” The lectionaries will point to another answer to the question How does it help? God is in His Son and the Son is God, and God will raise His Son from the dead. This means everything. Jesus promises and delivers. He points to his later statement “I am the way, the truth and the life.” That God is in Jesus means everything to us. For the next few weeks of Pentecost we will consider the Holy Spirit and the Trinity. What it is all about is that God cares for us.