John 10:11-18—I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 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. ¹⁶ And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷ For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our crucified Lord and risen Shepherd Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Poets, film directors, and comedians all know the importance of… timing.  It’s all about timing.

In many places of Scripture, you find this shepherd/sheep imagery used: Ps. 23 and Ezek. 34 are two very important places.  But you find the shepherd/sheep metaphor scattered throughout the Bible (Is. 40:11; Jer. 23; Mic. 5, 7; Zech. 11; Jn. 21; etc.).  This text and others like it have been a source of comfort for Christians for thousands of years.

The picture in your Scripture insert is an example; it is taken from Roman catacombs (Christian burial crypts) from the 100’s AD.  In the face of death and persecution, Jesus’ description of Himself as the Good, Noble Shepherd gave peace to early Christians.  Images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd gently leading a flock (like the one in our entry way) or searching out a lost, troubled sheep continues to dominate Christian art and literature today.

Timing.  It’s all about timing.  Today, we are three weeks removed from Easter—Jesus’ resurrection.  But consider the timing when Jesus originally spoke these words.  He spoke these words as He was teaching about Who He was at the feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem five months before He would lay down His life for the sheep.

Jesus, as He describes what it means to be the Good Shepherd, gives a similar picture of Ps. 23, but it’s a somewhat limited version of Ps. 23.  Jesus’ focus is the Good Shepherd as the Protector of the sheep.

Translating Jesus words as ‘Good Shepherd’ are maybe misleading because of the way in which we use ‘good’ today.  Jesus is the ‘Noble Shepherd.’  He is the Shepherd Who recklessly serves the sheep.  The Noble Shepherd goes far beyond what you would expect even a good shepherd to do—the Noble Shepherd puts His life on behalf of the sheep; He lays down His life for the sheep.

This is what sets the Noble Shepherd apart.  Jesus emphasizes this as He repeats in v. 15 that His work as the Noble Shepherd is to lay down His life for the sheep.  You would expect a shepherd to risk his life for the sheep and fight the wolf or the bear or the lion threatening the flock.  But you do not expect a shepherd to lay down his life for the sheep.  What shepherd risks his own life for the sheep?  Yet, that is what the Noble Shepherd does.

In the first several verses of Ezek. 34, God speaks against the shepherds of Israel who were not protecting or feeding the sheep.  In fact, they were stealing food from the sheep and eating it themselves.  They were not healing the sick or binding up the injured or bringing back the strayed.  They ruled with force and harshness.

Jesus says the same thing in our text about the hired hand guy who is not really a shepherd and does not own the sheep.  When that guy sees the wolf coming, he doesn’t risk his life for the sheep.  He flees; he is no shepherd.  He flees, the wolf ravages the sheep and snatches the sheep, and the sheep scatter.

The flock is no more.  Some are eaten, the rest are scattered and defenseless, and the wolf wins.  The sheep become endangered and are easy prey for the beasts that would steal them and snatch them.

The hireling, who is not a shepherd, flees because he is only taking care of someone else’s sheep.

But Jesus, the Noble Shepherd, faces the ultimate enemy of the sheep, death.  The Noble Shepherd lies down His life—dies—for the sheep.  The Noble Shepherd Himself goes through the valley of the shadow of death for His flock.

Again Jesus says, “I am the Noble Shepherd.  I know My own and My own know Me.”  Look how strong the bond is between the Noble Shepherd and His flock.  Just as the Father knows Jesus and just as Jesus knows the Father so Jesus knows who are His sheep.  The bond between God the Son, Jesus, and God the Father is the bond between the Noble Shepherd and His flock.

Jesus knows who are His sheep, and His sheep know that Jesus is their Noble Shepherd because their Shepherd has laid down His life for them.  Jesus seeks out all the scattered sheep of His flock from the nations.  From every tribe, there will be one flock, one Noble Shepherd (Jn. 10:16).

Here the metaphor ends.  Metaphors can do a good job explaining the relationship between two things, but now Jesus leaves this metaphor of the Noble Shepherd because its usefulness has ended; He says something more.

God the Father loves the Son because the Son freely lays down His life.  Notice that Jesus lays down His life in order that the He can take it up again.  Jesus lays down His life for the purpose of rising from the dead.  Jesus leaves no way to separate the laying down and the taking up of His life.

Jesus lays down His life for the sake and purpose of taking it back up.  Here, Jesus views His death and resurrection as one thing.  Five months before Jesus was crucified, He spoke about laying down His life for the purpose of taking it back up.  And that should give you hope.

Despite how bad everything looked on Good Friday, despite the religious leaders and crowds and soldiers appearing to be in control on Good Friday, Jesus says not so.  Jesus was not killed.  He willingly laid down His life.  “I Myself lay down My life.  I am the One Who is in control.  I freely lay My life down of My own accord.  I have the power to lay My life down and I have the power to take it up again.”

The will of God the Father is followed unto death by God the Son.  The mission which the Father gives the Son is fulfilled as the Son choses to lay down His life so that He could take it up again all for the sake of His sheep.

So as we ponder this text not five months before the crucifixion, but three weeks after the resurrection, remember that Jesus is not the Noble, dead Shepherd.  He is the Noble Shepherd Who died and now lives forever.

Since your Shepherd has died, and yet lives forever, you can look at Ps. 23 in a new and different way.

The Lord is your Noble Shepherd.  The Noble Shepherd Who laid down His life for you.  You are lacking nothing; your desires are filled.

The Noble Shepherd makes you lie down in green pastures and leads you beside still waters.

He restores your soul and leads you in paths of righteousness—not for your sake—but for the sake of His Name.  He is the Noble Shepherd and out of His Own interest, He makes His sheep righteous so that He can remain the Noble Shepherd.  If the Noble Shepherd doesn’t have a noble flock, He is not going to be the Noble Shepherd anymore.  For the sake of His Name which He has placed upon you in baptism, He leads you in righteousness and gives you all good things.

And even though you face death’s shadow, there is nothing for you to fear because you are part of the one flock of the Noble Shepherd.  He is the One Who is with you.  The Noble Shepherd Himself has passed through death and has taken up His life once again—just as you will because you are His noble sheep.

The Noble Shepherd’s rod and staff comfort you.  You hear His Word, and He teaches you with His Law and Gospel what it means to be His sheep.

Though you are surrounded by enemies, your Noble Shepherd prepares a table for you.  You can sit and dine and feast in the presence of your enemies without fear or worry because your Noble Shepherd has defeated your enemies—sin, death, and the devil.

Your Noble Shepherd anoints you with oil.

Your Noble Shepherd fills your cup with His forgiveness.  Your cup is so full that His grace spills from you to others.

Certainly goodness and mercy will follow you, noble sheep, all the days of your life.

You will dwell in the house of the Noble Shepherd who died and rose again.  You will be with Him forever.  Death shall be no more.  Amen.

The poet John Donne lived what many would call a difficult life, but he wrote an amazing poem considering everything that happened to those he loved.  And the poem really speaks to the character and faith that God gave him.

Donne’s father died when he was four; two of his sisters died when he was nine.  Donne himself had twelve children—two were stillborn and three others died before they turned 10.  After the birth of his twelfth child (who was stillborn), his wife also died.

It wasn’t until after Donne died (age 60) that his poem called Death, Be Not Proud was found.   It is hard to imagine that a poem like this could be written during his battles with death which took those close to him.  Follow along, please, as I read it:

Death, Be Not Proud

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleepe as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

The Apostle Paul writes, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:26).  Our text shows that death itself died—it was killed by our Lord and Savior.  Jesus Christ defeated and killed death.  Death, be not proud.

Our text opens with the eleven disciples in a locked house hearing from the two disciples who had met Jesus on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24:13-35).  These two told the eleven about how they had spoken with Jesus, and how He had opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  Jesus had eaten with them and vanished.  While the eleven disciples are hearing about these things, suddenly, Jesus is there.  They didn’t have to unlock and open the door for Jesus to enter.  Jesus appears and says, “Peace to you.”

Startled and frightened, the disciples thought they saw ghost.  Jesus says, “No, I am not Casper.  Do not be troubled and do not be unbelieving in your hearts.  See My hands and My feet—I am Who I am.  Touch me and see.  A ghost does not have flesh and bones like I have.”

The disciples see hands and feet.  They touch, and yet, they still disbelieve.  It is simply too good to be true—it has to be a dream.  Their joy causes unbelief.  So Jesus offers them another proof.  He asks, “Hey, you got any food around here?”  They offer Him a piece of broiled fish which He puts into His mouth.  The food doesn’t just fall to the floor.  It enters His stomach where it is digested.

Death, be not proud.  V. 36-43 teach us two important things.  They are important because they set up what comes in v. 44-49:

First, Jesus isn’t dead anymore.   Jesus isn’t dead anymore; the ‘bad guys’ didn’t win.  The soldiers, religious leaders, and crowds didn’t win.  Yes, they killed Jesus.  Yes, He died, but the soldiers, religious leaders, and crowds didn’t win.

Sinner, you didn’t win either.  Sinner, you killed the Author of Life; your sin nailed Jesus to the cross.  Your sin placed Jesus under the wrath of the Almighty, eternal God.  But you and your sin don’t win.  Jesus isn’t dead anymore.  Sin and death have been defeated. Death, be not proud.

Death, who had taken everyone else is defeated.  Jesus defeated the last enemy—death.  “Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:54b-57).  Death, be not proud.  Amen?

Secondly, Jesus has a real, physical body.  Death, be not proud.  Jesus has a real, physical body.  In a sense, Jesus’ body is more real and more physical even than your body.  Because Jesus has a real body, you can know that your body matters to God.  Despite all the horrible things that your body does, God loves your body.  Even though your tongue lies and deceives, even though your eyes wander and look at those things that you know they shouldn’t look at, even though your feet go where they shouldn’t, even though your brain is filled with hatred, envy, and strife—God loves your body.

God loves your body; He loves it so much that He came down and became a part of creation.  He took upon Himself a real, physical body.  In that body, He redeemed your body.  God restores your body to you.  You worship God with your body—a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God (Ro. 12:1-2).  Death, be not proud.

On the basis of the facts that Jesus isn’t dead anymore that He has a real, physical body, Jesus explains that this is precisely what He had been telling the disciples was going to happen.  This is exactly what He told them while He was still with them.  He had told them that everything written about Him in the Old Testament—in Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms—would be fulfilled.  It had to be fulfilled.  It was necessary.

It was necessary for Christ to suffer.  Jesus had to be mocked, spat upon, beaten, and scourged.  It was necessary for the Son of God to suffer and hang on that splintered piece of wood and slowly suffocate and bleed to death.  It was necessary for Jesus to suffer and endure not just that physical pain but the eternal consequences of your sins.  It was necessary for Him to suffer the wrath of God—for you.

The Scriptures had foretold it, and what God says always comes true.

It was necessary for Christ to rise from the dead.  Just as necessary as His suffering and death, it was necessary that Jesus should rise.  Just as Jonah was vomited out of that giant fish, it was necessary that Christ be spewed from the grave after three days.  It was necessary for Jesus to rise revealing His victory over death.  The Scriptures had foretold it, and what God says always comes true.

It was and is necessary, also, for Christ to be preached.  It was necessary that repentance and forgiveness be proclaimed in the name of Jesus Christ.  The objective facts of Christ’s suffering and resurrection are accomplished.  The work of Jesus which was written about in the Old Testament continues as Christ is proclaimed to all nations.

Just as necessary as it was for Christ to suffer, die, and rise again, it is necessary for the Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled that repentance and forgiveness to be proclaimed in Jesus’ Name.  The Scriptures had foretold it, and what God says always comes true.

The ministry of Jesus is redemption.  Salvation is Jesus’ work, and now Jesus does that work through the disciples as they forgive sins.  It is necessary that in the place of Christ—in the stead of Christ, by Christ’s command—repentance and forgiveness be proclaimed in His name.

Jesus continues His work through the Church.  The work of the Church is to proclaim what Christ has done—suffered, died, and rose again and to proclaim repentance and forgiveness in Jesus’ name.

Jesus’ interaction with the disciples fits with how the church proclaims Christ today.  First, Jesus comes and proclaims, “Peace to you.”  The disciples miss the, “And also to You,” but they figured it out.  Then Jesus teaches what the Scriptures mean.  He teaches what the Scriptures reveal—suffering, resurrection, repentance, and forgiveness through Him.  Jesus shares a meal with His disciples.

Today, in this sanctuary, we have heard the peace of God proclaimed in the Scripture readings and absolution.  The Scriptures are taught, and we aren’t having the meal today, but we also share a meal with Jesus in the Lord’s Supper where we receive His body and blood.

Through the ministry of this congregation, repentance and forgiveness is proclaimed here, in the place of and by the command of Christ.  Your sins are forgiven.  Christ is working in this place.  Maybe not as objectively and visibly as the suffering and resurrection, but His work continues.  Christ’s work continues through you, His church.

His work continues as you leave this sanctuary and go out into the narthex and drink coffee and fellowship with one another.   Death, be not proud.

Christ’s work continues as you go to work and interact with those whom God has put in your life.  Death, be not proud.

Christ’s work continues as you raise your family and teach one another what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  Death, be not proud.

Christ’s work continues as you endure the trials and tribulations of this world.  Even as you suffer through sickness and weakness, Christ’s work continues.  Death, be not proud.

Christ’s work is not hindered even in death because your body like Jesus’ body will once again rise.  Death, be not proud.

You, like Jesus, will certainly rise from the grave with a real, physical body.  And, through eternity, you with your real, physical body will continue to proclaim the Lamb Who was slain and has become the Savior of the world.  “And death shall be no more; Death, thou shale die.”  Amen.