Communion With the Christ:: The Season of Lent: The Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” John: 10:11

In the very early Church, Easter was not thought of as simply one day on which the resurrection of Jesus is to be observed but rather, the early Church saw Easter as a season of fifty days which began with the glorious resurrection and culminates with the manifesting of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost which is found in the Book of Acts:2

The Jubilee Year

This was in part because the early Christians wanted to emphasis that our lives were to be lived out in light of the resurrection of the humanity of Jesus and that the number fifty was drawn from and chosen from the Old Covenant Jubilee Year which restored all things back to the way that the Lord God had always intended for the people of Israel. Lev: 25:11-13

This Jubilee Year occurred every fifty years, so the number fifty was chosen to demonstrate that living in light of the incarnation and glorified Jesus was what the Lord God has always intended for his human children. This means that, when we come to hear the Gospel about Jesus and believe it and come to see that Jesus is the Son of God and embrace that truth we enter into what the Jubilee Year which was only hinted at , which is, life lived in and with the incarnate risen Christ. This is the way it was always intended to be.

Fifty was also the number of days between the resurrection on Easter and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost which ushered in the time when believers would be guided and led by the Holy Spirit, which is the way God has always intended us to live.

The thought of Jesus as the Good Shepherd was a common and reoccurring theme in the Primitive Apostolic Church. Christ, as the Good Shepherd drew on the cultural idea and inspired mythology (the hearth stories passed down about God’s dealing with Israel and preserved in the Holy Word of God) found in Israel that of one who would arise from the House of David, like a shepherd, oversee each and all of their lives and give them the blessings which God had long promised.

This Good Shepherd of Israel found within Psalm:23 was easily seen as embodied in the person of Jesus by the primitive Church, through Jesus’ life death and resurrection.

The early Disciples of the Church witnessed firsthand Jesus’ out flowing love and care for those around him in the same way as would a shepherd would who have been given charge over a flock of sheep.

They saw Jesus moving among the people as would a shepherd would have caring for their needs and giving each and all the care and even comfort which was needed.

The Good Shepherd

Jesus himself, tells us that he, and he alone, is the fulfillment of not only the Good Shepherd of Israel, but that he himself is the means through which anyone would be admitted into his flock and come under his gracious care.

“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture.” Jhn: 10:7b-10

Our Lord then tells us that no other person can fulfill this Shepherd’s role in our live but himself, nothing or anyone else can bring to us what only Jesus can, anything else will, in the end do harm to our lives.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (10)

Lay Down His Life

Jesus contrast himself with any other who would present themselves to us as potential shepherd(s) over our lives. Jesus tells us that he has demonstrated his commitment to any who would but freely accept him as the Shepherd of their lives and thereby gain access to his flock.

Jesus’ commitment is demonstrated to us through his willingness to lay his life down his life for the flock, even unto death, all so that they might live.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (11)

Jesus tells us that any who look to another as their shepherd, one who would be a “hired hand” of their lives will find themselves abandoned by the “hired hand” when the wolves of life surround them and prey upon them.

“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. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep”. (12-13)

Jesus speaking of the evidence of his Shepard’s commitment to and for his flock tells us that this willingness to lay down his life was not in any way forced upon him out of some judicial need or power that could force him to die, but rather, was out of a choice born of his perfect love for God and all humanity.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (14-15)

This willingness and choice to lay down his life in death would be on display as our Lord went to cross to die; all so that we might see God’s salvation and gracious love for us and his commitment to be our Shepherd who is willing to lay down his very own life.

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” Rm: 4:25

Jesus as our Good Shepherd has demonstrated to us all his willingness to confront the wolves who would prey upon his flock, laying down his own life for us, interposing himself between us and any wolves who would stock us, even the greatest of all wolves; sin and death itself which no “hired hand” could defeat.

Jesus defeated the twin wolves of sin and death, by defeating both of them, taking on our own sin and died himself. As St. Paul wrote.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rm: 5:8

Jesus died for us, and even in the violent nature of that death of the cross he died perfectly for us as we could never do our selves. Have you ever considered that Jesus died perfectly?

To Take It Up

But, this perfect of death, the laying down his own life, is and was not the end, as Jesus’ death was within his own authority and approval which was given him by the Father, so did Jesus have the authority to take up his life, and our lives, again and dispelling the very wolf of death itself.

Jesus was in death no longer than he willed to be there. Death could not hold him. He came forth in the glorious resurrection.

Jesus addresses his own power over death and his resurrection.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 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.” Jhn: 10:17-8

Jesus has come forth from the grave to be a living Good Shepherd who is there to watch over his very own flock. Jesus is not just Good Shepherd who once lived and died, but rather one who lives and is there even now to watch over and guilds our lives and keep us safe from the wolves which will assault us, attempting to drag us away from his care.

One Flock

Jesus, as the Good Shepherd is not just the Good Shepherd of Israel, but for all peoples who will but receive him when they hear the message of salvation found within the Gospel presentation, they will hear his voice and recognize it and come into his flock and be under his care.

“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)

The Season of Easter speaks to us about our Lord Jesus, who has shown to us his commitment for us all, his flock, by facing the wolves of sin and death laying down his very own life, and now having taken his life up again through his glorious resurrection. Jesus is there, ever present, to be the Good Shepherd over each and all who will but enter into his flock, being one flock under his loving care.

This is the way our God has always intended it to be.

Benediction: May we each and all give glory to our Good Shepherd Jesus who is ever present to care for and guild us as his flock, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.