St Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Pastor Mark Gartner
Sermon for Easter 4 – April 26^th and 29^th, 2007

Dear sheep of the Good Shepherd,

When I was a kid, one of the TV shows that we would watch was called the Lone Ranger. The Lone Ranger took place in the Wild West during the times of the cowboys and Indians. The Lone Ranger was a Texas Ranger who wore a black mask to hide his identity. He patrolled the Wild West and it was his job to protect the people and capture the bad guys. He rode a white horse named Silver and his sidekick was an Indian named Tonto. Like all these types of shows the Lone Ranger would track down the bad guys and capture them and everyone was safe. At the end of every shows the people who were saved would ask, Who was that masked man? At the end of the show while Tonto and Lone Ranger would ride off into the sunset and the announcer guy in his deep voice would answer the question of who was that masked man by saying, This was the Lone Ranger.

As we hear and study God’s Word today we see another person come into this world 6to help protect and save. This person was Jesus and he was saving us from the enemy of sin. People in Jesus’ day and people today also ask the question, who is Jesus? As we read and study God’s Word we will find answers to that question. The answer to that question becomes crystal clear as we listen to what God tells us about Jesus and that is exactly what we will do today as we seek to answer the question:

Before we get started, let’s get the background. Jesus is walking through the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. On this cool, wintry day, Jesus received an even cooler reception from the Jewish leaders. They surround him. They prevent him from going on. They try to trap him in his words: "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." These were not sincere seekers of the truth. These were wolves who attacked Jesus by blaming him for their unwillingness to accept him as the promised Messiah. But Jesus put the blame where it belonged. He said: "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep." It is the words Jesus speaks next that we’re going to zero in on. These words of Jesus are really a Gospel-call of repentance to these wolves. But those words also tell all of us who Jesus is. Just listen: "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Jesus is our Good Shepherd who does everything for us as his sheep.

Listen to what Jesus says about himself, "My sheep listen to my voice." You know, there are lots of other voices for us to listen to out there rather than this one. We have voices that come from our CD players, our TV sets, and our movie screens…voices in newspapers and magazines that we read…voices out there in the world - the voices of so-called friends at school or co-workers on the job, or the voices of those whom we go out on the town and party with. There’s also that voice inside of each of us called our Old Adam. Do we ever listen to those other voices? When we do, what happens? We get into trouble. We fall into sin. We get distressed and depressed and upset. Sometimes we even fall apart and our lives get real messed up! Jesus says: "My sheep listen to my voice."

Martin Luther once said, "When God wanted to tell us what was in his heart, he sent us his Son." Do you remember what God the Father said about that Son, Jesus, on the Mount of Transfiguration? He declared: "This is my Son whom I love, with him I am well-pleased. Listen to him." Jesus once told the devil: "Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Only one voice can teach us right from wrong. Only one voice can show us where we failed in our marriages and in our family life. Only one voice can convict us of our sins and lead us to genuine sorrow over those sins. And that’s the voice of the one who carried all our sins on his shoulders to Calvary’s cross –the voice of Jesus! Only one voice can help us to face those sins and deal with them, so those sins do not damn us to hell forever. Only one voice can free us from the heavy burden of guilt. Only one voice can offer us sweet forgiveness for our many failures. And that’s the voice of the one who paid for all our sins when he cried from the cross "It is finished!" This is the voice of Jesus! Only one voice can solve our problems and help us to amend our sinful ways. Only one voice can strengthen us when we are weak. Only one voice can encourage us when we are discouraged. Only one voice can guide our youth and support us in our old age. That’s the voice of the one who lives and reigns for all eternity at God’s right hand – the voice of our risen Jesus! Only one voice can enable us to carry our burdens patiently. Only one voice can calm and comfort us when we are upset and troubled. Only one voice can take away our fears in life’s last moments. That’s the voice that comes to us every time we open the pages of this Book - the voice of Jesus! "My sheep listen to my voice". Are we listening? How blessed are we that Jesus keeps talking to us.

Let’s look now at the second way that Jesus shows who he is. He tells us to follow him. Jesus says: "My sheep listen to my voice." And then what do they do? Jesus says: "They follow me." You know, here in the United States in modern days when we think of people taking care of sheep, we see them behind their herds, driving them on from on top of a horse or from behind the wheel of a pick-up truck. The Jewish shepherd didn’t drive his sheep from behind. He was out in front of them where they could see him. He led the way and the sheep followed. Did you know that’s how Jesus wants to fit into my life and yours?

"My sheep follow me," says Jesus. What does this mean for our lives? Well, it sure doesn’t mean going off on our own and doing our own thing. It sure doesn’t mean we do the choosing of what we think is best for us. And it sure doesn’t mean we do the picking and deciding what directions we want our lives to go. That’s not at all what it means when Jesus says: "My sheep follow me." To follow Jesus doesn’t mean walking ahead of him or even walking alongside of him. Literally, in the Greek, this word "follow" means to step into the footprints someone has left imprinted there and walk in them. What a beautiful picture word to describe the purpose and meaning of life for a Christian. To walk behind Jesus all the way, stepping into his tracks or footprints!

Why do that, my friends? This Good Shepherd says: "I know my sheep." You see, to Jesus we are not some number a computer can trace. Jesus knows our name, our face, our needs, our fears, our feelings, our hurts, our heartaches, our doubts, our problems-everything that’s going on in our life Why, he even knows the exact number of hairs each of us has on our heads. He understands us like no one else ever could! Jesus knows the best path for us to travel from our cradles to our graves. In his infinite wisdom Jesus knows how much success and how much sorrow we need in this life to keep us close to him. In his great love Jesus knows exactly how many and how heavy the burdens of life should be for us - what trials and troubles should come our way to shape us as his disciples. The Lord’s will for us will never lead us where His grace cannot keep us! In his love and wisdom Jesus knows exactly where we need to go in our lives, and also how to get us there so that we don’t slip away from Him. Yes, Jesus knows what he’s talking about when he says: "My sheep follow me." Whether we’re young or way up in years, there just isn’t any better way than that.

Ever-listening…Ever-following…and now the last clue – Ever-lasting! Jesus says: "I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." The life of one of Jesus’ sheep doesn’t end at the graveyard. That’s where the life of one of Jesus’ sheep really begins. "I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish." The best days in our lives - those days are not here, when we’re healthy, wealthy and wise. The best days are still to come, when Jesus gives us eternal life with him in heaven. You just heard about the ultimate family reunion during our Scripture lesson from the book of Revelation where Jesus tells us that we will be united with the multitudes who are dressed in robes of white and have been made clean by the blood of the Lamb – who is Jesus. All those sheep we know, and all those sheep we’ve never met - all of those sheep and us will someday live together with this Good Shepherd. He will lead us to springs of living water, and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. "I give my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish."

Before that day comes, there’s also this promise from our Shepherd: "No one can snatch them out of my hand." I’m 41 ½ years old and about 41 ½ years ago, my parents brought me to church for the first time for my baptism. Some of you are a lot older than me. Some of you are a lot younger than me. But this we all have in common. On that day of our baptism, Jesus Christ put us in his hand. Now 41+ years have gone by in my life. And "X" number of years have gone by in your life. Yet where are we this morning? Why, you and I are still safe and secure in the Shepherd’s hand. Oh, you and I have tried many times to crawl out of that hand, but our Jesus hasn’t let go of us! In fact, it says here that there’s a double grip on us. Jesus states: "No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one." When we are in those "slippery places of life" our heavenly Father and our ever-present Savior are not going to let go of us. How that promise overcomes our weak moments when we have those doubts about ourselves. If ever we feel our faith is too weak and we can’t stand up under life’s pressures any longer, Jesus promises: "Here’s where you are my dear sheep - safe and secure in my Hand!" Remember that’s the hand which belongs to someone who loved us so much that he stretched that hand out together with the other one and allowed them to be nailed to a cross so we wouldn’t go to hell! That hand is so strong it won’t ever drop us. That hand doesn’t make mistakes. That hand is always in control of our lives even when it seems life is out of control. And with that hand, Jesus will one day close our eyes and lead us into His glorious presence!

Who is Jesus? We already know the answer to that very important question. We know the answer, because has led us to listen to his voice as it is found in God’s Word and Sacraments. We have been led to follow the Good Shepherd who leads us to our home in heaven. We have been led to believe and trust that God has given us eternal life. For this reason, we can now share this good news with all people so that all people will be able to answer this question – a question that has eternal consequences. Amen