Easter V [John 16:5-15] (15-May-2022)

            

This sermon was preached at St Peter’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Public Schools Club, Adelaide, 9am

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

When [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

Prayer: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

 

Our Gospel readings at this time of the church year come from a wonderful sermon that Jesus preached on the night before his death, or Maundy Thursday, as we call it. In John, chapters 14, 15 and 16, we read these wonderful words that Jesus spoke to his disciple after the Supper, and after he had washed the disciples’ feet. And also, in chapter 17, we read a wonderful prayer which Jesus prayed, which we often call the “High Priestly Prayer”.

 

Particularly in our reading today, Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit. But let’s read the first part of our reading, where Jesus says: But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

 

Firstly, Jesus says: Now I am going to him who sent me… Also he also says: It is to your advantage that I go away.

 

What exactly is Jesus talking about here? To us, when Jesus speaks about going to the Father, it sounds like he’s talking about his ascension into heaven, when he left the disciples and was taken into heaven and hidden from their eyes by a cloud. And yes, that’s true. But remember, that Jesus is actually speaking these words on the night that he was betrayed, on the night before his death on Good Friday. So, yes, he is talking about going to the Father, and ascending into heaven, but all of that does not take place, until he dies and rises again.

 

Actually, there are a number of places, where Jesus’ crucifixion, his death on the cross, and his ascension into heaven, where he sits at the right hand of the throne of God, go together. It’s like they are the opposite side of the same coin.

 

For example, in Hebrews 12, we are told to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Do you see here? There are two events mentioned: enduring the cross, and sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.

 

In Philippians, we read: And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name. Notice here that he goes straight from talking about Jesus’ death, to God exalting him. He doesn’t say, therefore God raised him from the dead, but therefore God has highly exalted him.

 

Also, in John 12, we read where Jesus says: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. To us, this sounds like Jesus is talking about his ascension into heaven—that when he ascends to heaven, he will draw people to himself. But in John’s Gospel, it says just after these words: Jesus said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. And so, we learn here that when Jesus is lifted up from the earth on the cross, he will draw all people to himself. There’s a kind of double meaning to these wonderful words of Jesus.

 

Also, even when Jesus was on trial before the high priests, he says: From now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Right in the middle of his trial, Jesus speaks these words.

 

Now, it’s strange: today, we often celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday as the two major events: the death and the resurrection of Jesus. But many times in the Gospels, we see that Jesus connects his death and his ascension. The Christians of ancient times also recognised this, in the way that, just as we are doing today, they read these readings from Maundy Thursday in the time in the church year between Easter—when we celebrate the resurrection—and the Ascension.

 

There’s something very special about this connection between these two events. On the one hand, Jesus was lifted up on the cross: on the other hand, at his ascension, he will be lifted up to heaven. On the one hand, when Jesus was crucified, he was crowned and enthroned as our king, but under the cloak of suffering and mockery. On the other hand, when Jesus ascended, he was crowned and enthroned, but in glory and majesty.

 

So, on the one hand, Jesus’ crucifixion is his true coronation on this earth, where as our king and our Good Shepherd, he lays down his life for the sheep. But in the resurrection and in the ascension, we see that this sacrifice and atonement is acceptable to God, that it was not all in vain, and that there is now a celebration in heaven for the victory over sin and death and the evil one.

 

So, in our reading, when Jesus speaks about “going to the Father” and “going away”, we see how this begins on Good Friday, almost at the time of his arrest, when he taken away by himself, and the disciples flee. Even Jesus requested safe passage for his disciples at the time of his arrest. He says: If you seek me, let these men go. So, then, Jesus leaves the company of his disciples, and goes to the cross by himself. But then, he rises from the dead by himself, he ascends to heaven by himself, but then also, He himself sends the Holy Spirit upon the disciples as the Lord and King of heaven and earth.

 

For us, it means, that in all the loneliness and suffering in our life, we are never by ourselves, but we are always with Jesus. When we die, we do not die by ourselves, but we die with Jesus. And then with him, we share the joy of his company in heaven with all the angels. So, for example, when we see Stephen martyred and killed for his faith in Acts chapter 7, in his time of great suffering where the crowd of his listeners grinded their teeth and turned against him, his great encouragement at that time, was that he saw his ascended Lord Jesus. He said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

 

And so, we see this wonderful connection between Jesus’ death on Good Friday, and his ascension into heaven. And this gives us tremendous encouragement for our future death, whenever it may be, and our entrance into heaven to be with Jesus.

 

So, in our reading, Jesus says: Now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

 

When Jesus ascends into heaven, Jesus is removed from the company of his disciples. But also, he does not go away in such a way as though he is absent. Many Christians actually believe that Jesus is really quite absent from his church. When Jesus “goes away”, he goes away from them in the sense that he is no longer visible to their sight. But this does not mean that he is absent. There are many passages, where Jesus makes this clear. He says: I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Also, at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, just before he ascends into heaven, it says: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them observe everything that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. Also, in Matthew 18, Jesus says: Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. At the end of Mark’s Gospel, it says: Then the Lord Jesus, after he has spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

 

In all these passages, it speaks about Jesus specifically. He is not talking about the Father and the Holy Spirit, but Jesus. Now, of course, when Jesus is at work somewhere, the Father and the Holy Spirit are always with him. Of course, this is the case, because they are three persons in one God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always together. The point I am making is that many Christians often see Jesus as being absent, and in heaven in such a way that he is almost in a box, and stuck there. In actual fact, Jesus is constantly leading and guiding his church, and sending the Holy Spirit.

 

So, for example, it’s not true to say that Jesus gone away to heaven, and therefore can’t be in the Lord’s Supper, because he’s not here, but in heaven. Also, it’s not true to say that Jesus has gone away to heaven, therefore he is not ruling his church, but we need a pope to lead the church. No—Jesus is present in his church in the preaching of his word, and in the administration of the Sacraments. He’s actually here, and being here, he sends the Holy Spirit. We get a wonderful picture of this on the day of Easter, where Jesus stood among his disciples, and breathed on them, and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. When Jesus sends the Holy Spirit—whether it was to the apostles at Pentecost, or upon us, when we were baptised, or when we hear the Word and are constantly renewed by the Holy Spirit—Jesus stands right in the midst of us and breathes his Holy Spirit.

 

But also, remember that Jesus after Easter said to Thomas: Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. The Holy Spirit actually creates faith in our hearts. And so, the Holy Spirit is poured out on the church, on the Day of Pentecost, not while the church can see Jesus visibly before their eyes, but when he is hidden from their eyes. And so, Jesus says: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

 

And so, the Holy Spirit, the Helper, comes and creates faith, and is sent by Jesus.

 

Now, in the next part of our reading, Jesus says: And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

 

Jesus gives a truly wonderful summary here of the work of the Holy Spirit. First of all, we see that the work of convicting people of sin, righteousness and judgment is not our work, but it is the Holy Spirit’s work. So, for example, for me as a pastor talking to you, it is not I who convict you of anything—I just preach the word, the Holy Spirit is the one who creates faith in your hearts. This is also an important principle when it comes to evangelism: we might have a conversation with someone about the Christian faith, but it is not us who convert them, but it is the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we might think: I shared the Gospel with this person, but they didn’t believe it. Therefore, we think: maybe sharing the Gospel “doesn’t work”. Well, it’s true: your work doesn’t work, but the Holy Spirit will convict the person in his own time, not in our time. We simply speak when we find ourselves in a situation to speak, and to pray for the person’s conversion. We commend people to God, and ask the Holy Spirit to renew and convert their hearts.

 

Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will convict people of sin, righteousness and judgment. He explains these things one after the other. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. Isn’t this strange? Of course, we see our sin revealed to us in the 10 commandments. But Jesus tells us that the most important sin, if you like, is that people don’t believe in him. This is at the heart of the 10 Commandments, because the first commandment says: You shall have no other gods. And Jesus reveals himself to his disciples as true God, just as Thomas says to him: My Lord and my God. But also, when we don’t have Jesus, we are still in our sins. We have no Saviour from sin. We have no atonement from sin, no forgiveness of sin, no promise of heaven and eternal life. All we have is the judgment of God upon us and our lives. So, of course, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, because people don’t believe in Jesus. When we recognise our sin, that we are sinners, that everything we think and do and say is tainted with sin, then we are able to recognise our need for a Saviour. Then we need Jesus.

 

So, then Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will convict concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no longer. Here Jesus is pointing to faith. Jesus is removed from our eyes, and we see him no longer. But he leaves us with His word, with his forgiveness, with baptism, with the Lord’s Supper, with preaching, and all these things, in such a way that the Holy Spirit uses them and creates a living faith in us. And when we believe in Jesus, and recognise that he is our Saviour who has paid the full price of our sin before the Father, that he has suffered and died for you, then this faith is counted to us as righteousness. The blood of Jesus covers over our sin. The debt is paid for on our behalf, and we are set free, and can stand righteous before God, not because of our righteousness, but because of Christ and his righteousness, which he gives to us freely, and which he charges to our account in such a way that we have nothing to owe and nothing to pay, because he has done it. And so, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit, will convict concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no longer.

 

And the third thing Jesus says is that the Holy Spirit will convict concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. Here Jesus is speaking about the evil one, the devil, the tempter, Satan. Because of sin, the devil is called the ruler of this world, not because he always was the ruler of this world, but because human beings were tempted by him, fell into sin, and invited him to be their ruler. At the end of John’s first letter, he writes: We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. Also, remember when Jesus was in the wilderness, the devil tempted him by showing him all the kingdoms of the world, saying: All this I will give you if you bow down and worship me.

 

Here we have been given a wonderful insight into how things really are, not to cause us despair, but to point us continually to God, and not to the evil one and his empty promises. There are many people today who are realising that there is tremendous evil in the world, that many people in very high places have done something terrible to get there. But remember at the beginning of the reading: Jesus points to his cross, and to his ascension. Jesus doesn’t rule the world by selling his soul to the evil one, and by making a deal or an agreement with the evil one, but by suffering and dying and rising and ascending into the heaven, and therefore judging the evil one. And, so, despite the fact that we have struggles and suffer in this life, despite the fact that so many people seem to be turning away from true Christianity, and directing hatred towards Christians, the victory is not theirs, but ours. We have passed out of death into life. As St John says: Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

 

And so, the Holy Spirit convicts concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged, and what a wonderful blessing it is that Satan is judged. When we are with Jesus, there is no judgment any more upon us, but upon the evil one.

 

Now, there is also a third part of our reading, which we will leave for another time. Jesus says: I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

 

So, let’s commend ourselves to Jesus today, with all the sorrows and the sadness that we often feel from all our sin, and struggles in life as Christians. Jesus uses all these things to turn us away from ourselves, and to strengthen our faith, in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is to our advantage that Jesus removes himself from the sight of his people, so that he can send us the Holy Spirit to help us, and be our Helper, and to create a living and active faith in our hearts. Thanks be to Jesus for his wonderful kindness and his mercy and his grace towards us! Amen.

 

 

And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. Amen.    

Easter IV [John 16:16-23] (8-May-2022)

           

This sermon was preached at St Peter’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Public Schools Club, Adelaide, 9am

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

Prayer: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

 

Jesus is always pointing us forward to look ahead to the next life – to our life together with him in heaven.

And in our reading today, on the one hand, Jesus says: A little while, this will happen, and a little while, that will happen. But then on the other hand, he says: No one will take your joy from you.

On the one hand, Jesus shows us what happens in our life here on earth: it changes, it’s moody, it’s up and down. But on the other hand, Jesus shows us what happens in our life to come in heaven: it is fixed, it is stable, it doesn’t move around. It’s reliable. “No one will take your joy away from you.”

And so at the beginning of our reading today Jesus says: “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.”

And this little expression confuses the disciples. They say to each other: What is Jesus talking about? What’s he mean when he says “a little while”?

First of all, here, he’s talking about his death and his burial. Jesus is speaking these words with his disciples on Maundy Thursday, the day before he dies on the cross, the Thursday night before Good Friday. So the very next day, he is going to go and die for them, and he will be buried. And he will stay there through Friday night, and all day Saturday, and no one will see him again until Sunday morning when he will be risen from the dead.

So he says: “A little while, and you will see me no longer.” – In a short time, in fact, tomorrow, I will die, and then you will see me no longer. Then he says, “And again a little while, and you will see me.” Wait a couple of days, and then you will see me again on Easter Sunday morning.

But at this stage, the disciples don’t know what Jesus is talking about. We read: “So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, “A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me”; and “because I am going to the Father”?” So they were saying “What does he mean by “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.” Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, “A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me?”

It’s strange that the gospel is so repetitive here! But we see here just how significant these words are. The disciples had no idea what was going on the night before Jesus was killed. We know the full story, so we can look back at what happened and put it into context. But let’s listen to what Jesus says when he explains himself:

He says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

Here he talks to the disciples in a secretive kind of way. He’s talking about his cross and his resurrection, but at the same time, he doesn’t mention it explicitly. Instead he says: You will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.

When I go the cross and die, it will be sad for you. You will weep and lament. But when I am killed, those who wanted to get rid of me will rejoice. Some people will celebrate. The people who wanted Jesus killed will be happy.

But Jesus says: You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.

He says: You might be sad for a little time, but you won’t be sad forever. Because I’m going to rise from the dead. And when that happens, then there will be a time to be happy again.

Now this is what Jesus was telling disciples so many years ago. But he also says the same thing to us today.

Many people think that to be a Christian, you have to be happy all the time, and that you’re never allowed to be sad.

But this isn’t true. We are not saved because we are either happy or sad. We are saved simply because we are baptised, and because God has come and given us salvation. God has come and covered us with the blood of Jesus Christ.

But in the meantime, we are people who fluctuate with all kinds of different emotions. We are happy sometimes, sad sometimes, angry sometimes, gentle sometimes, impatient, patient – you name it! The fact that we might be in a certain mood doesn’t alter the fundamental fact that God loves us.

Sadness, sorrow, pain, suffering—all these things come about because of sin. If there were no sin, there would be no suffering in the world. And each of us is corrupted by sin. Each person who has ever been born into the world, including you and me, is stuck in sin. Even when we do something good, there is still some sin in it. If we help someone, or do something good for someone, we want to take the credit for it, and we want people to notice us.

The catechism says that each of us is a “lost and condemned person.”

So it’s “normal” then for us (in a sense) that we should feel many times in our life what it’s like to be lost, and feel like we’re a million miles away from home, and a million miles away from God. It’s kind of “normal” (even “logical”) that sometimes we will feel what it’s like to be condemned, and feel like we’re stuck in hell and we can’t get out of it.

But not only is it normal or logical that we should feel like this sometimes, but Jesus actually promises it. He says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament. You will be sorrowful.”

And many places in the bible we read about those times in our life where God hides his face from us, and leaves us in the dark for a while. But he doesn’t do this because he hates us, he does this because he loves us and he wants us to look to him again.

And so, just as Jesus promises that we will be sad and sorrowful, he also says: “But your sorrow will turn into joy.”

Think about when Jesus rose from the dead. All the sadness of the crucifixion, all the pain of Jesus death was finished. All there is now is joy, happiness, gladness. Jesus is risen from the dead. He’s never going to die again. And for the rest of eternity, he will always be risen. Jesus will always be alive. This joy, this happiness, this gladness that comes with the resurrection simply never ends.

And so, Jesus says: “Your sorrow will turn into joy.”

In this life, many times we will be sad about something. Sometimes we’re weighed down by pressure on us, or because someone has died, or because someone has treated us badly, or something like that. But Jesus always promises that the sadness will end.

There will always come a time when we turn the corner, and we will find Jesus waiting for us, with the nails in his hands, and blessing us. Remember Mary Magdalene when she went to the empty tomb: She was weeping, she was sorrowful, but Jesus turned her sorrow into joy.

Jesus in fact gives a little example from life about what he’s talking about.

He says: “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”

Now, it’s true that sometimes women get together and tell their birth stories, and how long their labours went for. But honestly speaking, even though some women do remember their labour stories, and tell them, as the months go on, the years, mothers don’t talk about that. There’s so much more to talk about! There’s a child, and the child grows up into the teenager, and then an adult! All this is so much more interesting that their birth!

In the same way, Jesus has risen from the dead. The time of sadness is over. The sins of the world have been paid for. Many times in our life we had sadness, and Jesus wants us to see our sin and acknowledge it. But at the same time, he wants to forgive it, and he wants to raise us up from the dead, he wants to lift our heads up high again, and encourage us with his Holy Spirit. And the joy that comes with the forgiveness of sins far outshines the pain that came with the sin.

In Psalm 23 we read: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Yes, many times we will experiences the pain and the effects of sin. Many times we will suffer and be sorrowful. Many times we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. But the psalm says: “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

And so Jesus says: “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

Many times in our life we will experience some happiness—we are never sad all the time. We are also never happy all the time either. When the good times come, we should thank God for them, and realise that they are a little foretaste of what is to come in the next life. They are a little entrée course before we enter the great wedding banquet of heaven.

We do have sorrow now. We have sorrow because we live with sin. But when we die, this will be the first time ever in our whole entire lives when we will be free from sin. We are baptised. Jesus has given us the Holy Spirit. He has given us the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation.

But when we are taken from this life to God in heaven when we die, it will be the first time when we finally stop sinning. This doesn’t happen simply because we die—death doesn’t give us joy. Death doesn’t give us any happiness.

Jesus gives the joy, he gives the happiness. He has risen from the dead. He has passed through death and come out the other side. We will see the face of Jesus! We will see him again! We will know him, just as he has known us all of our lives! That’s why we have hope. That’s why he can stare at death in the face and say to us, “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you!”

So as we come into the presence of Jesus today, to pray, to receive the Lord’s Supper, to present ourselves to him in our sinfulness, suffering and sorrow, let’s continually remind ourselves: He is risen from the dead! Your sorrow will turn into joy! No one will take your joy from you!

Amen.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for dying for us on the cross and taking on yourself all our suffering, sin and sadness. And we thank you for the joy that comes with your resurrection. Comfort us with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and keep us strong in the faith. Amen.

And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. Amen.    

Easter III [John 10:10-16] (1-May-2022)

          

This sermon was preached at St Peter’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Public Schools Club, Adelaide, 9am

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ.

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.

Prayer: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

 

In our Gospel reading today, there are two animals: the first animal is a sheep, the second animal is a wolf. Now it’s quite an easy life being an animal, as long as you can eat. And so Jesus talks about two animals – a sheep and a wolf – and these two animals are similar in that they like to eat. Sheep like eating, and wolves like eating.

But these two animals are very different also, because they eat very different things. Sheep like to eat grass, but wolves like to eat – sheep! Wolves have got no interest in eating grass – they don’t want grass; they want blood – they want to eat sheep.

Now in our reading today, you are a sheep. You are a sheep that belongs to God because He created you. He has formed you and shaped you as his wonderful creation. He has created you to live in a peaceful field, a green meadow, and not only has he created you but he also preserves you and leads you and guides you and gives you his wonderful word to feed on each and every day.

But there is a problem – sin has entered the world. The devil was created by God as one of his holy angels. But he didn’t want to feed on God’s word anymore, and the more he didn’t eat, the more hungry he became. The devil has a wonderful position as an angel, so that he could sing praises to God forever. But he wanted more – he was hungry for glory, hungry for power, hungry to become like God. But here’s the problem – the devil becomes hungrier and hungrier. But God is not hungry, he doesn’t need to eat! God is the one who feeds! And so as the devil gets hungrier, and wants to be like God, he falls into darkness and sin, because he is not God and he is nothing like God.

And so, God feeds the sheep. We people, we human beings, were created in God’s image, and he has given his wonderful word to feed on. The devil, though, is a wolf – he doesn’t want to feed on God’s word, but wants to make himself into God. But because he is not God, he is hungry, not hungry for beautiful, fresh, green grass, not hungry for God’s word – but he is hungry for the only other thing which is in the field. He is hungry for sheep, and he is not satisfied until he sinks his teeth in and devours the sheep.

We see in the Garden of Eden, how the devil went and destroyed Adam and Eve, and also tricked them into joining him to be hungry to be like God. He wants Adam and Eve not to feed on God’s life-giving word, but he wants them to become hungry like him, to take away their life, to take away their food, to take away their happiness and contentment, and he turns them from being alive like God into being dead like him. The devil turns them from being living sheep who eat, into dead sheep for his own food.

So we are sheep and the devil is the wolf. And yet, now, because of our sin, the bible says that we are dead. Ephesians says: You were dead in [your] trespasses and sins. And if we are dead, then we are the devil’s food. But the problem is that we think the devil is our friend, because he shares in our hunger. He is hungry, and so are we – but the only thing that can satisfy us is God’s word. But as sinners we have turned away from God’s word, we don’t realise that we are dead, dead sheep, ready to be eaten by the wolf, by the devil.

So how are you going to survive? A wolf is much stronger than a sheep. His appetite is furious. He sees the sheep from a distance, and a sheep has nowhere to go, and before he knows it, he is the devil’s dinner. How are you going to protect yourself from the devil?

If we were to try and work out the answer, we would have no idea what to do and where to go. And so, Jesus himself tells us what the answer is, and this answer is completely beyond our understanding. This is an answer that simple sheep like us would never think of.

Jesus says: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus is our good shepherd. Hang on a minute? Isn’t Jesus a human being like us? Isn’t he one of God’s creations like us, another sheep like us? Actually, no. Yes, he is a human being, he’s a real man. But Jesus is also the God who created us; he is the one who made each and every sheep with his own hands. But also he entered into the world as a human being – he is both true God and true man. This man Jesus is our good shepherd. So why did our maker become a man? Jesus explains this too: he says: The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus is our good shepherd. He made us and he feeds us. He is the one who makes us like down in green pasture. And instead of the wolf eating you, Jesus gives himself as a sacrifice, and lets the wolf eat him instead. The devil was hungry for power, so Jesus came to be like us, one of his sheep. And the devil’s hunger is not satisfied until the blood of this lamb, the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, drops to the ground and devil licks it up like a dirty, hungry wolf. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

But this is not the end of the story. Jesus didn’t simply lay down his life for nothing. He laid it down for the sheep. The devil licks up the blood of Jesus, but this blood is a poison to him. But for the sheep the blood of Jesus is a medicine. So Jesus lays down his life just so he can make for himself a church with his blood. And so Jesus puts his blood on us when he baptises us and then he gives us his word to feed on and says: I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So when you feed on this word, like a sheep eating grass, you can be strengthened in the fact that your sins are forgiven and the devil has nothing to feed on anymore, you are rescued from the wolf’s power and you will never be a dead sheep ever again for the devil to feed on. This is not because of you, but because your Good Shepherd has laid down his life for you, his sheep.

But you know, the devil wants to keep trying to attack us right inside our hearts and our minds and wants to trick us into thinking that Jesus’ blood only lands on the outside of our bodies, like the water in baptism washing off of us. But it’s not true. The water hits the outside of our bodies, but God’s word enters right into our ears and into our hearts. And so Jesus wants to stop us hungering anymore, so he gives us his body and blood to eat and drink. Our Good Shepherd lays down his life and gives his body and blood for the sheep to feed on. This is such a wonderful gift! And when we take our Good Shepherd into our bodies, his body and blood destroys our sin for the devil to feed on, he destroys the devil’s work within us, and makes us living sheep feeding on his word again just as he is living and he lets u share his victory over the devil. The Lord’s Supper is a poison for the devil and all the devil’s work in us, and yet for us, his sheep, this same Lord’s Supper is a wonderful, powerful medicine and it is our most precious food. And with this wonderful supper, Jesus lets us also feed on his powerful words: Given for you. Shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. What a wonderful rich gift Jesus our Good Shepherd gives to us! Hosanna in the highest! Thank you, Jesus, our good shepherd.

Now, in our reading, there’s a problem. Jesus is our good shepherd. He is our true God. He has died for us, risen for us and has baptised us, so that we belong to him and he owns us.

But there is something also which is called a “false god”. A false god is something that has not created us. In fact, even false gods are created by God, but he didn’t create them to be gods but to serve him, the true God. So when we make a false god, we make something which God created into a god. We replace God with something that He made. And when we do this, then we make an idol.

Jesus is our good shepherd. But an idol is not a good shepherd. Can Jesus protect the sheep from the wolf? Yes. But can an idol, a pretend Jesus, protect us from the devil? No. An idol has no power at all. It has no power to forgive us, no power to rescue us and save us. If we have a false god, an idol, instead of Jesus, the good shepherd, then the devil will make mince meat out of us.

So what’s your idol? What you fear more than Jesus? What do you love more than Jesus? What do you trust more than Jesus? Is it money, your honour, your family, your health? Is it a false prophet who promises you wealth, health and success instead of forgiveness?

You see, an idol is a false god, and every false god demands a sacrifice. We have to pay something to this false god to protect us from the wolf. A false good does not feed us, but is hungry and wants to rob us. He wants to be paid.

And so, Jesus calls a false god a hired hand. The false god is not an eternal creator like Jesus. He is just on a contract until his payment is paid. When the contract is over, he runs away. He doesn’t care about you.

So Jesus says: 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. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Jesus, on the other hand, he does own you – he made you his in baptism. When the wolf comes, Jesus poisons the wolf with his blood, blood which condemns the wolf and saves the sheep. Instead of running away, Jesus stays with you. Jesus is not under contract, he is the eternal God. He can never be fired from his job, because all authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. Instead of letting the sheep be scattered, Jesus gathers them together. He baptises them in his name and takes them up in his arms, just like he did for you. And he will be with you always to the end of the age, and he will never be fired. A hired cares nothing for the sheep. But with Jesus, you can cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.

So Jesus says: 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.

Jesus says: I know my own and my own know me. Sometimes we might think, maybe Jesus doesn’t know me and maybe I don’t know him. Maybe I really belong to the devil after all, and I’m just waiting for him to feed on me, and to sink his teeth into me.

But you know, only Christians worry about sin and temptation and the devil. The unbelievers don’t worry about these things at all, because the devil has already done his work on them. But Christians make the devil jealous, and hungry. But you can say to the devil – you might be a wolf, but to me you are just a baby kitten. Jesus has baptised me, and I belong to him. He knows me and I know him. He became a man, a human being just like me, and He is also true God – he knows the Father and the Father knows him. And this Jesus, who baptised me, this Jesus, who is my good shepherd – He laid down his life for me. He laid down his life for the sheep.

You see – our faith doesn’t rest on our feelings, but it rests on his word. We know he is here, because we hear his voice in the Scriptures.

Jesus also says: I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will—do what?—they will listen to my voice. Isn’t it a wonderful thing to listen to the voice of Jesus?

Today in our church here we heard our pastor speak the absolution, the forgiveness of sins. This is not his voice, but the voice of your good shepherd, Jesus. This voice of Jesus is the voice that forgives your sins, and everything we need for our Christian life comes from this forgiveness. And so when we come to listen to this voice of Jesus, in the pulpit, in baptism, in the absolution and in the Lord’s Supper, we are brought together as one flock with one heart and one mind. Jesus says: They will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

But then, sometimes, maybe we think Jesus really isn’t a good shepherd? It’s one thing for him to say this, but can he really do it? The church often looks so small, so weak, so poor, and yet the unbelievers are much richer, much larger, much stronger.

But what do you think? Did Jesus die so that his bones would stay in the grave? Is Jesus still dead? No—Christ is risen! He is risen indeed.

Jesus says: For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.

Yes—Jesus is risen from the dead. He wants to be your shepherd, and he loves his sheep, and he has the power to do it. He is risen from the dead, and all the authority in heaven and earth belongs to him.

He says: No-one takes [my life] 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.

So, have no fear, little flock. You have a good shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. He has laid down his life for you, and he has taken it up again. He is our good shepherd, and he has laid down his life for the sheep.

Amen.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, our good shepherd, strengthen our faith, and send us your Holy Spirit so that we may feed on your living voice from the Holy Scriptures, which promises us the free forgiveness of all our sins. Thank you, Jesus, for laying down your life for us, and for taking it up again. Amen.

And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. Amen.