Easter Week 4

Psalm: Psalm 23
Acts: Acts 4:5-12
Gospel: John 10:11-18
Epistle: 1 John 3:16-24

If you can believe it, April has already come and gone.  In fact, this school year has almost come and gone.  By next Sunday, colleges will be out, and in 2 weeks I’ll be done with Seminary!  This week presents some interesting passages revolving around the idea of the Divine Shepherd.  Psalm 23 perhaps is the best known Psalm in which David declares that the Lord is his shepherd.  He guides David through the good and bad, but ultimately the Lord does this for his name.

Our reading from Acts is Peter’s sermon before the Jewish religious leaders in which he proclaims Jesus is the only source of Salvation, in other words, Jesus is God.  Like the shepherd in the Psalm, Jesus saves us.  It is his name which brings salvation; Peter is saying Jesus is God.

It is in the Gospel of John, however, where this idea is fully expressed.  In Jesus’ own words, he is the Good Shepherd.  He even goes one step beyond the Psalmist in defining what that means.  In the Psalm, the shepherd is a metaphor for a leader and a protector.  Jesus takes that metaphor to its sometimes brutal end when the shepherd actually dies protecting the sheep.  Yet unlike shepherds, we are familiar with who die unwillingly and fight to save both their sheep and their lives, Jesus lays his down willingly.  Jesus is not captive to fate, or at the mercy of the Jews or even Satan.  He lays his life down so that we, his sheep, may have life!  The metaphor Jesus uses didn't fall on deaf ears.  The hearers and readers of this message would understand the parallels and see that at the very least Jesus is claiming to be a prophet or maybe the Messiah.  Perhpaps even a few might have thought Jesus was blasphemously declaring to be God.  Yet, at least in John’s Gospel, there is no secret about Jesus’ divinity; He is God and he is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the ransom of many.

The writer of 1 John continues this theme and makes it even more explicit.  Jesus’ act of laying down his life was the act and way to know love.  Thus “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  Our readings in 1 John the last three weeks have really been challenging.  John doesn’t make any excuses or exceptions, those who follow Christ will love their neighbor and will love their fellow Christian. 

Listen to these words, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?”  All of us must ask ourselves this question.  Are we using the resources God has given us to serve our fellow humanity?  This is how the world knows we are Christian.  I might even say that this is how Jesus knows we follow him.  Jesus says we will be known by our fruit. (Matt 7:16-20)  I am reminded of a song, not often sung any more.

"We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love"

My pastor called this song corny today and I have to disagree.  If we could only grasp the meaning of this song, it would go a long way.  I wouldn’t have a problem singing this song every week if it reminds us that we must truly love those inside the body of Christ.  May that be our goal this week.  Be that through pray, a note of encouragement, a meal, or anything else.  Let us love one another.

Grace and peace.

Afterward: John 10:16 says ^“I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” Obviously that can refer to the Gentiles, but what if it means more?  What it if means the Native Americans or the South Africans before Jesus came? Was God revealing himself to other cultures across time? Could it be referring to extraterrestrials? I wonder. I also wonder if this is where Mormons get their idea about Jesus coming over to America after his resurrection. Just somethings to ponder.