John 10:14-16 * May 7, 2006 * Walking Together/Good Shepherd Sunday * Pastor Pagels

In the name of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, dear members of God’s flock:

Do you think that it would be possible to fit anything else into this Sunday? I have heard some people, including some pastors, talk about a post-Easter let down, but if there is such a thing I have yet to experience it.

Today we come to the mid-point of the Easter season. Today we continue to rejoice because our Savior has defeated sin and Satan and death. And at the end of this service we will repeat the response that made our hearts swell with joy three weeks ago: Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

But there’s more. The fourth Sunday of Easter is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. The lessons and hymns and prayers remind us that Jesus leads and guides us as a shepherd cares for his sheep. And the children’s anthem at the beginning of the service, “Have No Fear, Little Flock,” matches the theme of this day perfectly.

But there’s more. At the beginning of this service there was a reaffirmation of baptism. This is more than a ceremony that recognizes the fact that a baptism took place in a hospital a couple weeks ago. In this public rite we give thanks to God because another little lamb has been brought into the fold.

But there’s more. Today twelve young people in white robes are sitting in the front of the church. After this sermon they will sing: “O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world.” And then they will come forward for the first time to receive the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of sins.

But there’s more. On top of everything else the leaders of our church body have requested that every WELS congregation set aside this Sunday as our second annual Walking Together Sunday. And the special focus of this observance is to give thanks for the blessings God gives us through our WELS college of ministry, Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN.

Is it possible to do all of these things in one day? Does it make sense to try to combine the thoughts of Good Shepherd Sunday and Walking Together Sunday into a single sermon? After thinking about the second question for quite some time, I have decided that the answer is “Yes.”

Walking Together Sunday is still relatively new to us, but it is important. It is important because it reminds us who we are. We are all members of a synod. To be part of a synod means that we are all pulling in the same direction. We are all walking along the same path.

But we are not all exactly the same. We have different backgrounds. We have different experiences. And sometimes we have different ideas. So what powerful force is able to overcome all of these differences? What is it that unites the 400,000 plus members of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod?

Even though we are all unique creations of God, we share a common faith. We believe the same inspired Word. We worship the same triune God. Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith, and his Word unites us as a congregation and a synod.

How can we preserve this precious unity? How can we stick together with so many forces trying to tear us apart? John 10 gives us the answer. There Jesus makes it clear that the one and only way for us to walk together is by…

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD

I. He knows his sheep

II. He loves his sheep

III. He seeks out his sheep

The text begins with one of the “I AM” statements of Jesus. He says: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep…” (14). And in the verses before our text Jesus explains how well the Good Shepherd knows his sheep: “He calls his own sheep by name” (3).

Jesus knows each one of us personally. Jesus knows each one of us intimately. He knows how many hairs are on our heads. He knows every word we speak before it comes out of our mouths. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows our passwords and our PIN numbers.

But when Jesus says “I know my sheep,” he isn’t just talking about his omniscience. He continues: “I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (14,15a). There is no closer relationship than the bond between God the Father and his Son. They are inseparable. The two are indivisible. Later on in this chapter Jesus will say: “I and the Father are one” (30).

The fact that Jesus makes this comparison shows how special the relationship is between the Good Shepherd and his sheep. Jesus knows everything about us, but his knowledge goes beyond that. When Jesus says that he knows us, he is also telling us that he loves us.

I am not a shepherd, and I do not aspire to be one. But if I ever change careers, if I ever find myself on a grassy hillside with a staff in my mind, I would probably view my sheep as an investment. I might sell their wool. I might choose to sell an animal or two for food. Because the flock is a shepherd’s primary source of income, I would take care of it.

That means I would be vigilant. I would keep my eyes open for predators or robbers. I would even be willing to put myself in harm’s way to protect my flock. But there would also be a limit to my bravery. And if I had to choose between my life and the life of one of my sheep, the choice would be easy. I wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice the flock to save myself.

This is what separates the average shepherd from the Good Shepherd. How much does Jesus love his sheep? What did Jesus do when he was faced with the same decision? Without hesitation, he said: “I lay down my life for the sheep” (15b).

But he didn’t just say that he would do it. He did it. The Roman governor sentenced Jesus to death. The Roman soldiers nailed him to the cross. Our sin made it necessary for Jesus to die in the first place. But none of it would have happened if Jesus had not allowed it to happen. He gave up his life voluntarily, willingly, sacrificially for the sins of the world.

The Good Shepherd gave up his life “for sheep that love to wander” (CW 117:4). And we have to count ourselves among those wandering sheep. In spite of what the poster out in the narthex says, we don’t always walk together. No matter what we choose to call this Sunday, we don’t always follow the Good Shepherd. We fail to appreciate the many blessings we have. We are quick to complain about the few things we don’t have. We take God’s grace and God’s gifts for granted.

So why does Jesus put up with us? Why doesn’t Jesus just let us go our own way? Why does he come looking for us every time we go astray? Because he is the Good Shepherd. Because the Good Shepherd loves his sheep. Because Jesus showed us how much he loves us when he gave up his life for us.

There is no limit to Jesus’ love, and there is no person on earth who is excluded from Jesus’ love. That love is what motivates the Good Shepherd to seek out his sheep. “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (16).

Every word of God is special, but these words are extra special to you and me because Jesus is talking about us. Most of us are not Jewish by birth. We can’t claim Abraham or Isaac or Jacob as our ancestors. We are among the “other sheep,” but we are by no means second class citizens in the kingdom of God. We have equal status with all the other sheep. We are part of the one flock, and we follow the one shepherd.

In this chapter Jesus compares believers to sheep, but there are other Bible passages that picture Jesus’ followers as the shepherds. You might call them under-shepherds of the Good Shepherd.

It’s not just the Bible either. We do it too. For example, our congregation has called three pastors. “Pastor” comes from a Latin word that means “shepherd.” At St. John’s our three-year-old preschool students are called “little lambs,” and these children have two teachers (or shepherds) who help them grow spiritually.

The pastors who serve our congregations don’t just magically appear in the pulpit. The men and women who teach our children aren’t born with all the skills they need to be effective teachers. Our called workers are thoroughly trained. Almost all of them are trained at Martin Luther College. And on this Good Shepherd/ Walking Together Sunday it is entirely appropriate for us to give thanks for all the blessings the Lord showers on our church body through the WELS college of ministry.

Martin Luther College trains pastors and teachers and staff ministers to follow in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. One of the things they are trained to do is to help the sheep know the Good Shepherd better. Future pastors spend years studying Greek and Hebrew, the original languages of the Bible so that when they finish a sermon or come to the end of a Bible class they can say with confidence, “This is the word of the Lord.” Future teachers learn how to teach reading fundamentals and mathematical formulas, but they also prepare themselves to teach Jesus’ parables and miracles.

Jesus’ love for souls motivates MLC students to love the souls that will be entrusted to their care. Few will be asked to give up their lives for Christ, but many will dedicate their lives to Christ’s service. They probably won’t receive worldly recognition or riches, but their humble service will reap eternal rewards.

Martin Luther College also prepares its graduates to seek out other sheep. Some will eventually serve as missionaries in other parts of the world. Others will equip people like you to share Jesus with your friends and neighbors. And still others are doing world mission work right now as they teach in places like Thailand and China and Germany and Japan and Brazil.

Finally, Martin Luther College is a special blessing to our synod because of the unique role it plays in helping us walk together. All of our future called workers attend the same school. They are trained by the same professors. They receive the same solid theological instruction.

When students graduate from Martin Luther College they know what they believe and they believe what they know. And when the Lord calls them to serve in his church they are equipped to teach everything he has commanded us and they are motivated to speak that truth in love.

In the interest of full disclosure, there is one more reason why Martin Luther College was chosen as the focus for this Walking Together Sunday. The school is in some trouble. Synod-wide offerings have not kept pace with the rising cost of education. Tuition has gone up. Cash reserves have been spent down. And school officials are projecting a deficit in the millions for the 2006-07 school year.

I am not trying to scare you. I am not trying to guilt you into using the special offering envelope inserted in your bulletin today. But I do want you to know the facts. I want you to understand that Martin Luther College is your school. I want you to appreciate the key role that Martin Luther College plays in helping us walk together as a synod. I want you to prayerfully consider how you might show your appreciation for the blessings the Lord gives all of us through this unique institution.

And the last thing I want you to do this morning is remember. Remember the words that our children sang at the beginning of this service: “Have no fear, little flock.” Have no fear because the Lord is your shepherd. Have no fear because Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He has found you. He knows you. And he loves you. Amen.