Do you know these famous last words? For example, playwright Wilson Mizner said to a priest as he lay dying: “Why should I talk to you? I’ve just been speaking to your boss.” “I should have never switched from Scotch to Martinis” ruefully surmised actor Humphrey Bogart. “It is very beautiful over there” effused Thomas Edison. Emily Dickinson last words were poetic to the end: “I must go in, for the fog is rising.” Blues singer Bessie Smith died saying, “I’m going, but I’m going in the name of the Lord If you could plan out your last words, what would they be? What last words do you want to be known for?
Today, our fourth Sunday into the Easter season, kicks off a series of teachings of Jesus from the gospel of John. For the next four weeks, we will hear Jesus words from chapters 14-17 of John, words that Jesus spoke on the night before he died. This section of John is often called the “Farewell Discourse” because it contains Jesus’ final teachings at the Last Supper. Today we hear Jesus assure us “I am the gate, and I am the Good Shepherd.” Over the next four weeks, we will hear other famous last words of Jesus: “I am the way the truth and the life,” I will not leave you orphaned,” and “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” All these declarations are Jesus’ reassurance to us about who he is as he prepares to die, that we now re-hear from the post-resurrection lens. In the context of the resurrection, Jesus’ last teachings to us are especially significant. These declarations not only keep us connected to Jesus -- but prepare us for the gift of the Holy Spirit given us on Pentecost -- and they guide us how to live fully in this world. The first then that Jesus wants us to do is to hear once more – for we can never hear it enough – is that Jesus is our Good Shepherd.
In our modern life, shepherds aren’t exactly a booming career. Can you guess how many shepherds there are in the US? About 1,500. How many of us have seen a shepherd lately on the LIRR or walking down Merrick Avenue? Has anymore ever actually seen a shepherd in person? Where at? For those lucky few who have seen shepherds, it’s been to a visit to an agrarian region of a remote countryside. Most of us only know shepherds from pictures in books. We know far more about teachers, lawyers, doctors, businesspeople, and accountants than we do about shepherds.
To learn about shepherds, especially the kind of shepherd Jesus declares himself to be for us, we have to place ourselves back in Jesus’ day. We must go back in the times of the bible, when shepherds where everywhere and sheep were commonplace. Sheep are mentioned 300 times in the bible, more than any other animal. Sheep were raised for wool, meat and milk, their skins were used to make parchment. They were used for sacrifices in the temple. They were a primary source of income in the ancient Middle Eastern cultures. The crowds around Jesus daily saw shepherds at work and regularly heard stories about them from their scriptures, unlike us who are not familiar with the role. Shepherds, like sheep, are a major fixture in the Bible. Just as sheep often symbolizes God’s people, a Shepherd represents God, and represents the leaders of the people. It serves us well to dig deeper into Jesus’ words, “I am the good Shepherd.”
Shepherds had to be gusty, brave, long suffering, self-sufficient and able to put up with humiliation – the job was not held in high esteem. Because it was a smelly, dirty, 24/7 kind of job, shepherds were considered an unclean profession in the Jewish Law, the lowest of the low. So, when Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd,” he humbles himself as he became one with them.
Although shepherds were at the bottom rung of the ladder, Shepherds had a significant job. Like janitors, cleaning ladies and custodians in our day. Let’s face it: sheep are a handful. They are defenseless, fearful, prone to stray, they have poor eyesight, they have a poor sense of direction, they tend to follow other sheep without thinking, they were stubborn. There are stories of sheep being stuck on the back, dying because unable to turn themselves over. With all that shepherding entailed: in all its grueling aspects, why is it the one profession Jesus identifies himself with?
It’s important to note Jesus doesn’t call himself the Good Carpenter. He doesn’t call himself the Good Rabbi. He doesn’t call himself the Good Soldier. He doesn’t call himself the Good Emperor. He calls himself the Good Shepherd. Out of all the things Jesus tells us about himself, I AM the good Shepherd, is the only one that defines a profession. So, why did Jesus call himself the Good Shepherd?
Jesus identifies with Shepherds because of the absolute devotion Shepherds had for their flock. Shepherds poured their lives into caring for the sheep. Jesus is the shepherd in Luke’s parable who will leave the flock to find one lost, scared sheep. Jesus is the shepherd who acts as a gate for the sheep, keeping predators at bay. A gate is a structure that guards, keeps people from entering, and keeps those inside safe from outside dangers. Sometimes a shepherd in Jesus’ time would lay across the opening of the sheepfold and actually become the gate for the sheep and be ready to defend them in case of some danger.
Jesus knows his sheep: he knows they are defenseless; he knows they lack direction and need to be led, he knows they become restless and need attention, he knows if they fall, they cannot get back up on their own, he knows their wool is constantly growing and needs grooming, he knows they are picky eaters and need plenty to drink. Jesus knew that throughout the Bible the people of God are constantly compared to the likes of sheep. Whenever Jesus uses the image of a shepherd for himself he emphasizes his dedication and willingness to risk his life for his sheep. He will let himself be killed rather than see one single sheep harmed. One of his most famous parables in Luke tells of a Shepherd who leaves behind 99 safe sheep to go look for the one lost sheep. When it is found, the shepherd carries the sheep home on his shoulders.
In our passage today, Jesus talks about the important difference between the good shepherd and the hired hand. The hired hand was only there for the money and would only stay as long as it was easy. When a crisis erupted, when challenged by any threat or danger, the hired is leaves. This employee had no relationship with the animals; no investment in their welfare, it was just a job. Jesus was also aware of the frequent condemnation of bad shepherds in the Bible. Unlike these bad shepherds who cared only for their own well-being, unlike the hired hand, Jesus is the shepherd whose life was consumed with the well-being of the sheep.
Jesus also told his disciples that as a good shepherd he not only would protect them, but that he knew each and every one of them. Each and every sheep of his flock was known to him and in relationship with him. The Good Shepherd knows the personality of each sheep. This knowledge wasn’t head knowledge, but heart knowledge. To the listening crowd this message was clear. They knew that good shepherds got to know all the sheep in their care, and that these sheep also knew the shepherd and would respond only to their shepherd’s voice. It’s the kind of knowing of a mother for her child’s cry. It’s the kind of knowing how best friends can finish each other’s sentences.
The people heard what Jesus said and could relate to his message. Here was someone who wanted to know them and to protect them and love them. We hear it too. How wonderful to feel and know that Jesus cares. He cared for the crowd around him. In the same way he cares for us today. Jesus laid it down his life freely in love and for love. In our passage today Jesus mentions five times that he lays down his life for his sheep. So, Jesus knows us, loves us, and lays down his life for us. That is a good shepherd.
So often we feel undeserving; we are aware of our far we have fallen short of living the way God wants us to live. Who here hasn’t fallen short? Who here hasn’t been stubborn like a sheep, insisting on our own way, not God’s way? Who here hasn’t felt vulnerable to outside temptations? Who hasn’t fallen under the influence of the crowd? Who here feels down and out without a way to get back up on our feet? Who hasn’t been lost in the wilderness, far from the safety of community? In the midst of the dangers and temptations of life, we are reminded that Jesus the Good Shepherd is at our side, ready to lift us up, carry us on his shoulders, and lead us back to paths of righteousness.
Even though our familiarity with sheep and shepherds is not the same as the first century followers of Jesus, we still need a good shepherd.
We still live in a dangerous world. Wolves in all shapes and sizes abound. We need someone who can see every wolf that runs our way and who will risk being killed rather than abandon any one of us sheep. We need someone with the vision and the wisdom to lead us safely through the perils of life. We need someone who knows us intimately, who loves us unconditionally and is completely devoted to us, 24/7. That would be Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Everybody needs a Good Shepherd. Not a Good carpenter. Not a Good Rabbi. Not the Good Emperor. Even in our modern day, we need a shepherd. A shepherd who knows and hears your voice. A shepherd who lays down his life to save you. Wherever you are out in life, call out to Jesus. Today, let him lift you up on his shoulders, let him carry you home, safe and secure, fully known, fully protected, and in whose care, you shall not lack for anything. Amen
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