“Listen To the Shepherd’s Voice”
Text: John 10:1-10
4-30-2023
In the name of our Good Shepherd, dear friends in Christ. In the Gospel lesson for today, Jesus uses a beautiful parable to describe the loving and caring relationship that He has with us believers. He identifies Himself as the Shepherd and us as His sheep. Unfortunately, most of us don’t fully understand this comparison because we’ve never raised sheep. And even if we had, the conditions wouldn’t even come close to how ancient shepherds took care of their animals. However, there is a key factor in all this that we can understand. Repeatedly, Jesus points out that the relationship of the Shepherd and the sheep hinges on His familiar voice. That’s what I’d really like to focus on with you today and it’s especially fitting as we celebrate BreLee’s Confirmation Day.
Jesus says that the sheep learn to identify their true Shepherd by His voice. I’ve experienced this with raising cattle over the years, so I’m guessing it’s the same with sheep. They get accustomed to my son or me calling them to the feed bunk every day. If my daughter-in-law or my grandkids try calling them, they cautiously stand back. But perhaps a better example of this voice recognition by an animal is a trained dog. I’ve trained 2 of my hunting dogs over the years. I had to work with them daily on various voice commands starting as puppies. We began with the easy stuff and moved on to the more difficult. I was the one who also fed and disciplined them most of the time. That way, they learned to recognize their names and, more importantly, to obey whenever I called them.
That training bonded us together in a similar fashion to what Jesus was describing. Those dogs learned to trust my voice and could pick it out in a crowd. And they learned that they had to obey me 100% of the time even if other people were calling to them. It worked really well… most of the time. You see, if I failed to run them through the drill of commands for a while, their ears get a little “rusty.” So, we have to regularly go back to school and get their hearing in tune. That only happens by the repetition of hearing and obeying my voice. In this way, they learn to trust the voice of their master, but sometimes they get lazy in listening to it.
I highly doubt that any shepherds taught their sheep to sit or fetch, but some of these same principles are in play when it comes to their trusting relationship and bond. The ancient shepherd would literally live with the sheep 24/7. He led them to still waters and green pastures, just as Psalm 23 describes. He spoke to them as he guided them along the way, so they became quite familiar with his voice. He even named his sheep. He also protected them from danger. Jesus describes the sheepfold and says that He is the “door.” What He’s referring to is how the shepherds would lead their flocks into an enclosure of rocks piled up to make a pen where the sheep would be safe from predators. Once they were all in for the night, a shepherd stationed himself at the entryway. Literally, he became the door. Sometimes, more than one flock was in the enclosure. When morning came, the shepherd would call his own sheep and recognizing his voice they’d follow him. This procedure was repeated over and over. Day after day, the sheep became very familiar with the voice of the shepherd. They learned to trust it and follow him exclusively.
But Jesus warns that there are thieves and robbers who would try to steal the sheep away. It should be obvious who they are because they don’t enter the sheepfold via the doorway. Rather, they sneak in by other means. The good news is that the sheep are only familiar with their shepherd’s voice and won’t listen to or follow a stranger. And yet, the implication is that some of the sheep, whose hearing wasn’t in tune with their shepherd, would easily be led astray.
Okay, that’s the word picture Christ gave us. Now let’s apply it to us believers and especially to you, BreLee. Jesus, of course, is the Shepherd and we’re the sheep. He knows His flock quite intimately and has called you by name. The first time you heard His voice calling you was at your Baptism. Your personal name was spoken as those holy waters were poured over your head. Then, God’s name was applied as you were Baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In doing so, He claimed you as a sheep in His flock. That “flock” is none other than the Christian Church. Then, He placed you in the sheepfold here at Zion. As we obey His call to worship Him, He gathers us into His safe presence.
Jesus, your Good Shepherd, loves you and knows you better than you know yourself. In Christian circles it’s quite popular to ask “Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” But actually, it’s more important to first ask if Jesus knows you as His sheep! I saw a plaque in the window of a Christian bookstore which put a new twist to the song “Jesus loves me this I know.” It said, “Jesus knows me, this I love.” If you’ve been Baptized, then He certainly does know you and cares for you. And He speaks to you so that you can recognize His voice and follow Him.
The voice of Jesus is still speaking to His flock today. Through His Holy Word, Christ Himself speaks to you. Not just in the Scripture readings, but also here in the sermon. I am dead serious about this: If you ever get to thinking that the sermon is just Pastor spewing out his “opinion” then I strongly urge you to run away from it and don’t listen. It’s the voice of a stranger who Jesus says is a spiritual thief and a robber. On the other hand, if I’m preaching to you God’s pure Word, then even though it’s my vocal cords, in reality it’s the voice of Jesus speaking to you. The only question is, do you recognize His voice and are you listening to Him?
You see, the problem is that Christ’s sheep can get rusty in their listening skills. We need to re-familiarize ourselves with His voice regularly by hearing His Word in worship and in Bible Classes, and also in reading the Scriptures at home. That’s the only way you will truly know the difference between the voice of Jesus and that of a stranger who only wishes to lead you astray. If you look at our First Reading, you’ll see that this is one of the traits of Christ’s faithful flock. Those first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” St. Luke is describing a worship service where they listened to God’s Word being read and preached. They studied it together, along with praying and celebrating the Lord’s Supper, which is the “breaking of bread.” And notice what happened to the flock when they did this. “The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Now that’s God’s plan for true “Church Growth!” Not fancy gimmicks, videos, or praise bands. God grew the Church by simply gathering the flock around His Word and Sacraments.
If it worked back then, it can certainly still work today as God’s flock hears His voice and gathers together to be guided and cared for by Him. Unfortunately, though, we sometimes willingly tune out His voice because we want to run wild and free. BreLee, as you go forward into adulthood there are going to be all kinds of voices trying to compete with the voice of Jesus. They’ll try to call you away from the safety of God’s flock in the Christian Church. They’ll urge you to ignore the voice of your Good Shepherd. They’ll encourage you to listen to them instead. Their temptations will sound really sweet. They’ll tempt you with the supposed “greener pastures” of our fallen world. However, the temporary pleasures of sin that they offer to you will only bring spiritual death and destruction. That’s why it’s so important for us to stay familiar with the voice of Jesus.
But God is gracious and merciful. His voice continually calls us sinners to repentance. Through the mouth of your Pastor and fellow Christians, He lovingly calls for you to listen and turn back to Him. Don’t run away from His voice. Run to Him and His mercy. Confess your sins. Then listen as your Pastor speaks the word of absolution because you will hear Christ’s voice announcing that you are indeed forgiven. Listen to His voice as He calls you to the Lord’s Supper where your soul can be strengthened and nourished by His very body and blood. There at the altar rail is your true “green pasture” and “still waters” where Christ, your Good Shepherd, feeds you with His heavenly food.
Jesus makes it quite clear that He is the only way by which we can enter into His flock of believers. He says in verse 9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved...” And He invites you to come to Him so that you “may have life and have it abundantly.” That abundant life is the joyful, daily journey that Christians enjoy here on earth, with our eyes focused on the green pastures of heaven. BreLee, along with the rest of Christ’s flock, I urge you to diligently listen to His voice. Stay familiar with it. Because then you’ll experience the security and joyful abundance of living as a beloved, redeemed lamb of Jesus. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!