Good and Dead
John 10:11-18
April 22, 2018 – Redeemer
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11, ESV)
God defines “Good” differently than we do. The Good Shepherd is a dead shepherd in the same way that the Friday before Easter is good. Nothing about it looks good, just like nothing about a dead shepherd sounds good. Yet there is nothing better for us, for our lives, than Jesus laying down His life for us and then taking it up again.
God’s “good” is different than our “good” because He is not us. Thankfully He is not us. We would run His flock like a large American sheep farming operation. We’ll call it “Sheep Incorporated.” What does Sheep incorporated want? We want a return on our investment. We only care about the sheep in so far as what we get out of the sheep – wool, mutton, a return. If a couple of dumb sheep wander off, let them go. Better to lose a few than to lose a bunch. If some wolf attacks, we would want our hired man to run. Who cares if we lose a few sheep? Better some sheep than a death on the jobsite. A hired man dies at work and there goes our workman’s comp rates. Because of sin, we’re in it for ourselves. That is God’s definition of bad.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep. It didn’t look good and it didn’t appear He was the brightest shepherd. The disciples warned Him about going to Jerusalem. What a foolish shepherd? No good shepherd would let Himself be killed by His enemies. What good would a dead shepherd be? The wolf attacks and the shepherd lays down. Once the wolf finishes the main course he looks forward to all those little white fluffy mutton balls for dessert.
Jesus tells us what is uniquely good about His death. The Good Shepherd lays down His life and takes it up again. Jesus died on the cross outside Jerusalem, but if He stayed dead, if our sin and death and hell and God’s anger had the final word, if Jesus stayed in the tomb then you are dead. “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Cor. 15:14, ESV)
I imagine that the Devil really partied on Good Friday when his worst enemy was dead and buried. He was probably still hung over on Saturday when Jesus descended into hell and proclaimed victory. Death bit off more than it could chew in Jesus. Hell could not stomach the Sacrifice of the Perfect Lamb of God. The Father’s anger burned itself out on Jesus. That is why Jesus didn’t only lay down His life in sacrifice, but He took it up again in victory. Or as we simply say, “Christ is risen.” Since He is your Shepherd His living means you live.
Jesus tells us why He would do such good for us. “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.” (14–15) Once again God does not define “know” the way we define “know.” Some of you might know Dodge is better than Chevy or Ford. That is not the Biblical “know.” “Know” in the Bible is very close to “love” – if you know someone, you take them to yourself, you reveal yourself to them in words and deeds. So the Bible will say, “Adam knew Eve.” The Good Shepherd Jesus knows the Sheep. He knows you. He reveals Himself to you – this is what Jesus thinks of you – He lays down His life for you. He puts Himself between you and your enemies – He climbs down into the mess of your sin, for He is the Good Shepherd. He’s not into numbers like Sheep Incorporated. He will leave the 99 to search for the one – for you. He stands in the way of the Devil. He puts Himself in the path of death. He willingly enters the fiery furnace of God’s judgment against you. Why? Because He knows you – He loves you and desires to bring you into His flock and to keep you forever in the green pasture and still waters of His Kingdom.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd because He knows His Father and His Father knows Him. We should not be surprised that the perfect Son knows His Father’s will perfectly and the Father knows His Son perfectly. So the Father sends His Son into the world with the command to lay down His life for the sheep. The Father gives His Son the power to take up His life again – to rise. Jesus knows His Father’s will and gladly does it. The Father loves His Son because Jesus obeys and loves the sheep to death. The Son loves His Father by loving the sheep.
That’s the good news for you today. Jesus is the Good Shepherd and you are the sheep for whom He died and rose. That’s good news because sheep aren’t the most glorious animal in the barnyard. Sheep are defenseless. They are also followers – if one sheep jumps into a raging river – other sheep will follow to their death. Sheep are prone to wandering – they just put their heads down, follow their stomachs and soon they are lost. Sound like anyone you know? How strong are you against your sin? How often have you followed the world without a thought for the Father and His Son? How often have you followed your appetite for sin into danger? Repent and listen.
Sheep have good ears. Did you know that when God created sheep ears He set them in such a way that sound arrives in their ears at different times. This helps them pinpoint exactly where the sound is coming from. That’s why a shepherd uses his voice to call his sheep. So Jesus calls you. He called you this morning to remember your baptism. He called you to forgive you. He calls you to hear His Word. He calls you to the green pasture and still waters of His table where He feeds you His own body and blood. You might not think that’s good, but there is nothing better for you than this – the Good Shepherd laid down His life and took it up again for the sheep, for you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
April 21, 2018 anno Domini