Lay It Down - John 10:11-18 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

John 10:11-18 NIV

¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³ The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵ just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸ No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Lay It Down

So, what’s this Gospel passage have to do with this Easter Season of the Church?

John 5:13 NIV

¹³ The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

Huh? I still don’t get it! Perhaps, I’m the man who was healed? Perhaps, Jesus came to heal me?

This particular healing began at a pool near the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate in Jerusalem was the only gate that was consecrated. That’s just a big word, for, to be made holy. Why was it made holy? Well, this is the gate used to bring in the sacrifices offered to God at the Temple. The Sheep Gate was also the way Jesus would enter Jerusalem in his day. And, the Sheep Gate also led the way to Golgotha, the place of Jesus crucifixion and death. Hmmm….

So, I guess, in some ways this Sheep Gate could have some meaning in my, your, our, salvation.

Back to John 5:13… A number of disabled people would gather at a pool by the Sheep Gate. Jesus looks upon one of the men and asks him if he wants to get well. It was thought, at the time, that healing would come to the people who could get in this pool, called Bethesda. But this particular man’s response to Jesus wasn’t that he wanted Jesus to make him get well. Rather, this man told Jesus that he needed help reaching the water, and by the time he got close to the water, others would already reach the water in front of him (my paraphrase.)

Jesus response to this man? Pick up your mat and walk. And then, Jesus slipped back into the crowd and the man didn’t know who had healed him. Well, this was the Sabbath day and the religious leaders of the day accused Jesus of doing healing work on a day of rest. They were really just trying to trap Jesus. So, the religious leaders asked the man, who it was that healed him. The healed man didn’t know. But later the man met Jesus and found out it was Jesus that healed him.

So, like some tattle-tale rat, the healed man goes back to the religious leaders to tell them that it was Jesus who healed him. Then follows…

John 5:16-18 NIV

¹⁶ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. ¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

OK, so what? Perhaps, I’m the reason Jesus was killed. The “rat” that I am! I need healing from all of my sinfulness. And as I see here, Jesus is willing to lay down His life for me and all the “rats” of this sinful world. Jesus willingly sacrifices Himself for ALL. Jesus death on the cross was an act of love on behalf of all the “rats” of this world, me and you included.

Let’s look at Jesus life. Jesus held back nothing of His life. He gave His life up, all of it, for you and me. Jesus chose to give His life up for ALL creation. Jesus saw the danger of our death, due to our own sin, our most grievous sins, and Jesus lay His life down in our place.

We were too blind, stubborn, and selfish to see the danger we faced in the consequences of our own sin. Jesus knows us better than we think. He sees our needs. Jesus sees all our needs and he satisfies all of our needs for us. Thank God!

So, let’s take a look at this Shepherd, sheep thinking, through some Old Testament Passages…

Here’s a favorite

 Psalm 23 NIV

A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Isaiah 40:11 NIV

¹¹ He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young.

Ezekiel 34:11-15 NIV

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³ I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. ¹⁴ I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.

Jeremiah 23:1-4 NIV

23 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. ² Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. ³ “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴ I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

So, this image of God as the Shepherd and His people as sheep, is nothing new.  In this Gospel lesson, Jesus takes the time to point out, that He is the Shepherd and will always take care of His sheep.

There are many folds of sheep, but just One Shepherd… Jesus. And just One flock, Jesus Church.

One Flock

One Shepherd

Many folds --- many gifts --- many talents --- many different sheep

With…

One Lord --- One Faith --- One Baptism.

Jesus’ life was not taken from him by men. No! Jesus gave his life FOR men. Jesus gave his life of his own will, through the will of God, AND, Jesus takes back that life He gave on his own to give to Us.

There it is! There is that connection back to this Easter Season. We live after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus gave His life for us. Completely. And after His death, Jesus rose to new life for us. Jesus… the first in resurrection will come again to resurrect all those who believe.

This IS god’s will for us as well. Seek God’s will in your own life. For we are all now free to give our own life. We are free from the power of sin and death to freely give our life to God and neighbor. Not because we are slaves to sin. No! We are rather servants of love and grace and life. Free, to walk with the resurrected Shepherd.  Free to lie down in green pastures beside still waters. Free to walk the paths that our Shepherd leads us, both the nice ways and the scary paths. Free to sit at table with friends and enemies.

Why? Because we have a Shepherd that loves us and lays down His life for us.

Why? Because Jesus is the Gate that protects us and fills us with the only real need that we really need.

That is… eternal life with Him in His Kingdom.

When? Starting today, lasting through tomorrow and into forever.

So, with a Shepherd like this… you ARE free to give your life to God and all those God gives to you to serve in thanksgiving now and forever.

Which brings me to conclude with my Confirmation Verse…

Psalm 27:1 NIV

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

God bless you this Easter Season.

I leave you with this YouTube Song/Video that I enjoyed this week as I studied and prepared for this Gospel Lesson reflection.

Psalm 23

Jesus Always Comes Back - Luke 24:36-49 - Third Sunday of Easter

 

Luke 24:36-49 NIV

³⁶ While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

³⁷ They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. ³⁸ He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? ³⁹ Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

⁴⁰ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. ⁴¹ And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in their presence.

⁴⁴ He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Jesus Always Comes Back

Jesus always comes back to us. He not only comes to us in the creation of all things, he comes to us in the flesh as a baby, lives with us as a man, dies for us in body, but he also comes back to us in resurrection. Again and again, Jesus comes to us to be with us. God loves you. God loves me. God wants us to be with him in eternity.  Jesus always comes to us and when we turn in fear, Jesus will come to us with a gift.

Jesus always comes back to us. Jesus comes to us with the gift of peace. We don’t have to search for Jesus. My search for Jesus is pointless. Jesus always comes to me and to you. I don’t even need to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. No… Jesus accepts me and gives me all the faith I need to believe, that Jesus always comes back to me and for me. It’s never about my accepting Jesus. First and foremost, it’s about Jesus accepting me as his own child. Jesus always does all the work. My first response is to sit in his presence and be silent.

 Jesus breaks through stone tombs, locked doors and fearful hearts and minds. Jesus always comes back to us and brings peace. “Peace be with you.” Jesus gives us peace and love. Sit back and listen. Don’t jump up to do something. Listen to Jesus. We can jump later. For now, realize that Jesus always comes back.

As Jesus comes back, take it in. Sit and fully take in the appearance of his body. Feel the peace of his Spirit. Sit, first. This is the risen Christ and he IS real! Jesus is visible and tangible. Look at how Jesus appeared to his disciples in the Gospel passage. Sit. Take it in and see how real Jesus is.

Put yourself in the skin of the disciples. Sit and look at Jesus hands, his feet, his side. See how real Jesus is. This account of the appearance of Jesus is recorded for a reason. We too, along with the disciples, can look and see through the eyes of the writer. Jesus is real! He’s not just your imagination.

Jesus takes in a piece of broiled fish. Some accounts, such as the King James Version, mention a honeycomb. The early church had a practice of giving milk and honey to newly baptized converts. Not only that, I’m reminded of the Israelites of the Old Testament crossing the Jordan into the Land of Milk and Honey.

God has been taking care of his people, you, and I, and all creation, from the very beginning of time. Jesus was present then, through all the times of the Old Testament, and while he walked the earth in flesh, and even today. It’s all real. The acts of God in Jesus and the Holy Spirit are so convincing that people throughout time have witnessed to how real God is in life, death and the world to come. You can’t make this stuff up.

 Look at the facts, Look at the evidence. Look at the accounts of people throughout time. Jesus is real. AND… Jesus always comes back… Real… in the flesh real, and in Spirit real.

Yes! Jesus comes back to take us to the Promised Land of Milk and Honey. This is the real deal stuff.  Is this too good to be true? No! It’s too good NOT to be true. Look at what took place. Jesus suffered, died and was placed in the tomb. Yet… Jesus comes back!

Can evil be replaced with good?

See how it is today. Today we see poverty, homelessness, war, terror, addiction, sexual immorality, gluttony, drunkenness, and many other harmful, dreadful things all around us. Look at your own sins that you commit every day.

Will your evil be replaced with good, through anything you say or do on your own?

Jesus always comes back. Jesus walks right through the evil of this world. Jesus crashes through this sinful world. Jesus bursts through your own tomb of sin and death. And what does Jesus do?

He greets each one of us with peace and love. Jesus always comes back. And Jesus comes back to the world, to you, and to me, with Good News. Jesus comes to us and spins us around from our sin and repents us. Repents us to be forgiven by what he has done for us and to us. Sit first. Listen first. Be repented by Jesus first.

As you sit and listen. Faith develops. Turn to Jesus the Word. Turn to him, sit with him, look at him. Jesus IS real and he comes to you. As you sit, listen, see and learn; you will believe.

And then…

Witness to the world that God sets you in. Witness to the people God gives to you, in your place, in your life, where you are, day after day. Witness to this free forgiveness. Witness to this love God has freely given to you through Jesus.

Jesus IS alive. Yes, even today! Jesus IS alive, he IS real. See the glory of God in the face of Jesus. No locks can hold him back. No stone, no grave, no door, no, nothing can keep Jesus from always coming back to you, to me, to the world that God loves.

God has been in the practice of granting free promises of salvation all along. Jesus always comes back.

Gideon in the face of danger…

Judges 6:34 NIV

³⁴ Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

And again and again, throughout Old Testament time.

With David…

1 Chronicles 12:18 NIV

¹⁸ Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:

“We are yours, David!
    We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success, success to you,
    and success to those who help you,
        for your God will help you.”

So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.

Perhaps we think of Samson and how God helped him…

Judges 14:6 NIV

⁶ The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.

What’s the point? God is with us. God is with us and comes to us in the flesh and blood of Jesus and in the protection and call of the Holy Spirit. This protection and promise of God with us, has been going on throughout all time. And this promise and protection, of God, through God will continue on into eternity. This is God’s work.

As we see in this passage of Luke, the Church begins. The Gospel is shown. Forgiveness is proven in the Words of Jesus and the evidence of Jesus always coming back.

Yes, Jesus always comes back. Sit, listen, see and receive all the faith you need to believe. Jesus always comes back. And yes, Jesus graces us with a call from the Spirit. Jesus comes to us in peace and love and breathes the Spirit into our lives…

So that…

We hear the call of the Spirit in our lives. We receive the gifts we need from God to witness to Jesus’ life in you, in me and in all who believe. Jesus is the vine and you and I are the branches that receive life from the vine. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing.

Yes, along with the tax collector, four fishermen and a tent maker, and along the side of the multitude of saints that are before and after you and I; we have been called by the Holy Spirit to use the words placed within us to tell of THE WORD, the Jesus, the forgiveness of sin, the way, the life.

Who are we to tell?

All the world. All those God gives to us each day.

Tell them to be turned around. Tell them to be repented by God. Tell them that all their sins have been wiped out. Wiped out for free without any effort of their own. Tell them that the face of God is shining on them. Tell them to stop, look, listen, sit and see Jesus… today… tomorrow… and forever. Jesus always comes back!

And…

Even after death… Jesus will come again with a resurrection of real bodies and come back to take us to be with him into the eternity of a world beyond the destructive consequences of our sin.

Wow!

Jesus always comes back! Thanks be to God!

I leave you with this YouTube Video...

Listen to the Words (Peace be With You)

Something New is Here - John 20:19-31 - Second Sunday of Easter

 

John 20:19-31 NIV

¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Something New Is Here

This past week, I took a trip to visit my daughter, Sarah, and grand-dog, Omi, in North Carolina. It was an Easter celebration. I went with my wife, Sue, and my grandchildren, Kaiya and Bubs. As I reflected upon this Gospel passage of scripture, several “nature” experiences reminded me of the Easter Celebration of New Life in God.

We all tend to NOT believe things of God at times. Just as the disciples tended to not believe what Jesus had told them about his suffering, death and resurrection; we too tend to think sometimes that this is just too far out, too fantastic, too much to take in.

I’m reminded of Luther’s Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed…

In review… the Third Article states:

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

What does this mean? (Luther’s Explanation)

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in the true faith.”

Luther goes on from here with more explanation. My point is this, I can’t believe this story about Jesus with my own faculties, on my own.

Think about it. Jesus appeared to these frightened disciples behind locked doors. How is that? I can’t believe that! But, at this point, after the resurrection, something new has happened in this world.

God sent his Son into the world as flesh and blood. Just like you and me. Why? Because God knew that the decisions, we make separated us from Him. The decisions Adam and Eve made to believe Satan’s lie about being “like” God in a way that God did not desire for us to be like Him. The decisions we make throughout history to pretend to believe that we can control our lives, our planet, our life, ourselves, to be like a god ourselves.

God sent his Son, Jesus, to save us from our sinful, selfish, destructive selves. Why? So that we could be with God forever as His Children. God wants us to be with Him! So, God, sent Jesus to take on the punishment that we deserve for our sinful actions of idolatry, of things, and self.

God sent his Son, Jesus to place our sinfulness at our backs.

God sent his Son, Jesus, to defeat sin, death and evil, once and for all.

God sent his Son, Jesus, to free us from the captivity of sin, and death.

God sent his Son, Jesus, to come to us and gather us into a new resurrected life.

God sent his Son, Jesus, to raise us up to new life.

And then…

Jesus gave the disciples peace.

Yes! Look! Look at Jesus hands and side. Jesus suffered for you, for me, for all.

Jesus, then did something wonderful. He breathed on the disciples. Not just any old breathing. No! He breathed out the Holy Spirit upon the disciples gathered.

God did this once before. Remember?

Genesis 2:6-7 NIV

⁶ but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. ⁷ Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Yes, at creation, God breathed the Holy Spirit of life into man. And the man became a living being.

These disciples, perhaps you and I as well, hiding in our tomb of sin and death, behind the locked doors of our tombs, visited by Jesus, the Creator, the Redeemer, the God, who comes to us. Jesus comes to us even after his resurrection to give us new life, in him and with him.

The Apostle Paul puts the proof of believing, in his letter to the Corinthians…

1 Corinthians 12:3 NIV

³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

We can believe in Jesus and this new life Jesus gives us, by, and through, the Holy Spirit that God gives to us through Jesus’ life giving, resurrected breath.

Yet…

There are still those who want proof.

And…

Jesus appears again a week later, to Thomas, who wasn’t present the first time. Jesus appears behind locked doors again. First, Jesus, once again grants “Peace” to those gathered.

 Look! Jesus shows himself, in the wounded flesh of his death… And Thomas believes! Thomas sees!

We, of this day and age are all a little like Thomas. We have not seen. We can’t see. So, how do we believe?

This Gospel passage shows us our sin and our salvation.

This passage is maybe the very first fruits of a new beginning.

The beginning of the Church.

In this passage we witness, along with the disciples gathered together, that Christ is not bound by the physical aspects of this world. Jesus came to them. Jesus came to them through the stone of the tomb of his own death and through the locked doors of our own sinfulness. Jesus comes to you and me and the disciples beyond the physical limitations of this world.

And what happens?

This Good News, this Gospel, spreads from these few disciples, behind locked doors, far and wide. This Gospel of God’s forgiveness of sin for all the people that turn to him, as God comes to us and spins us around in the midst of our confessions and repentance, to face God’s love, in the flesh of Jesus and the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Something NEW has occurred here. Not only did Jesus appear to over 500 people after his resurrection, he appeared to you and me. When?

As God pours the life-giving waters of baptism over his children, we receive the breath of the Holy Spirit.  Something NEW has happened to every one in baptism. God comes to us, through the locked door of death, under the drowning waters of sin, and raises us up to new life in God.

We do nothing! We receive everything!

Do you believe? Why wouldn’t you!

Yes! Look around. Listen and see. The resurrected Jesus is everywhere breathing the Holy Spirit of life into all creation.

Something New is Here… today… tomorrow… and forever!

Christ is risen! Alleluia!

I leave you with a few pictures of my recent trip to North Carolina. Look, see and listen to the life-giving winds and waters.

Our Little Group

Behind the Locked Doors

Toms Creek Falls

(Click on the link above too see and hear the waterfalls)

This reminded me of the waters of baptism

This reminded my of the stone at Jesus Tomb

Valdese Lakeside Park

(Click on the link above too see and hear the wind of change)

This reminded me of the breath of the Holy Spirit from Jesus

This reminded me of following Jesus as his disciple in life

God bless you this Easter Season.