April 13 2008:    Third Sunday of Easter.

Text: “I am the Good Shepherd” John 10.11

Some years ago, at the National Portrait Gallery, there was an exhibition of a quite unique series of paintings by the artist Victoria Crowe. These were paintings, landscapes and portraits, of a friend of hers, Jenny Armstrong, who worked as a shepherdess at Kittleyknowe just outside of Carlops. The paintings show her at home in front of the warm fire in the hearth, feeding the hens out in the back gathered by the straggling fence, or round the hen house or, and of course at work; out in the winter fields in the snow, under a lowering purple sky, feeding the sheep, taking care of the lambs under a clear, cold blue sky in springtime, herding the flock in summer days. In the introduction to the book of the exhibition, Julie Lawson writes: “these paintings, of Jenny Armstrong, showing the life of a shepherd in Scotland….. describe an ancient way of living that has long been in decline, and which at the beginning of the twenty first century, may be finally disappearing….”

Throughout the Bible, however, in what we find there,

the shepherd, the sheep are part of life, life lived everyday in the villages.

think for a moment of Psalm 23, ‘the Lord is my shepherd………..’

Much of Israel was pasture land, and normal rural life in the villages in Old Testament times, and in the time of Jesus, centred round the flocks either of goats or sheep. People in the villages lived a pastoral life, just like Jenny Armstrong, the sheep provided milk, curds, cheese, their wool was used for cloaks and blankets, skins were used for coverings, clothing,

the meat was used for food: lamb, mutton……

So, throughout the Bible, the shepherd and the sheep are part of the way of life, and are often referred to: but in a variety of ways, fascinating, contrasting ways

Look at the contrast, for example between Ezekiel, and the gospel of John:

the prophet Ezekiel speaks very clearly,

very directly and bluntly about the bad shepherds of Israel,

and he doesn’t mean those out on the hillsides, leading their flocks to find grass….. the Word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel, who is with the people of Israel, in exile, in Babylon. And it is a Word concerning the leaders of Israel, those who were supposed to offer support, encouragement, leadership at this critical moment in the country’s life: At the very moment, you would think when Israel needed clear, wise guidance from her leaders, since the very life of Israel is at stake here….in far off Babylon instead,

You take care of yourselves, says Ezekiel…. but never tend the sheep,

you have not taken care of the weak ones, healed those that are sick,

bandaged those that are hurt,

brought back those that wandered……

my sheep wandered over the high hills and mountains.

They were scattered over the face of the earth,

and no one looked for them or tried to find them……….

Now, however, the hour of judgment has come and the Lord Himself will intervene. The Lord will Himself tend the sheep of Israel. He will bring them into their own land where at last they will find peace. He will send a shepherd, the Messiah, a Good Shepherd who will rescue the flock, He will look after them, He will take them to green, rich pastures,

He will bind up the injured…

This is a very strong, direct message…….

of judgment , and salvation…

Judgment on the bad shepherds of Israel

and salvation brought by the Good Shepherd.

Listen to the contrast, when we turn to John chapter 10,

Jesus says:

I am the good Shepherd…………….

The Good Shepherd goes out and calls in the sheep, leads them back from the pastures before the night comes on. The sheep are brought back through the gate into the fold. Safely, within the fold, they are cared for, the injured are tended………. by the Good Shepherd, they are protected from danger,

and the Good Shepherd, does not run away, does not leave the flock, when the wolf comes.

The Good Shepherd would and will give his own life, for the sake of the flock….

I am the good Shepherd……………

Jesus says………

If you read through John chapter 9, fascinatingly,

you will catch a glimpse, just a glimpse of what the words of Jesus mean…….

Jesus had healed a man born blind, and shortly after, the Temple authorities, the leaders of Israel came seeking this man. When they find him, a rather tense conversation begins, more like an interrogation:

"Give glory to God," they say to the man born blind. "We know this man Jesus is a sinner." The man who was blind replies: "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

This angers the leaders of the Pharisees and they say to him: "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." The man simply replies: If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

The Pharisees, irritated, say to him: "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And, in the next verse, tellingly, we read they threw him out.

Here, then, is a lost sheep, one deserted, abandoned by those, the religious authorities, who might have cared for him,

But chapter 9 continues:

when Jesus heard that they had thrown the man who was blind out of their presence, the Lord went looking for him, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." Then the man said, "Lord, I believe,"

Here, is Jesus the Good Shepherd, looking for the lost sheep, finding him, here is the lost sheep, the blind man, who knows at once the voice of the Good Shepherd, and comes into the safety of the fold….

Now, the gospel of John declares that what Jesus has done as the Good Shepherd in seeking out that one man, healing him, opening his eyes, restoring him, bringing him into the fold,

he has done for all of us….. The God of grace and love, the Father, has sent His Son, Jesus Christ into the world, and as the Good Shepherd, Christ came seeking us when we were far from the Father’s house, far from His presence.

As the Good Shepherd, He has come to us, who, in the words of Ezekiel,

were wandered……

over the high hills and mountains,

scattered over the face of the earth.

As the Good Shepherd He leads us out from the realm of sin and death,

As the Good Shepherd He lays down His life for the sheep………

at the Cross, He gave Himself for us,

taking our sin and death upon Himself, at the Cross.

The great 19th. century evangelist D.L. Moody, once told how he was in conversation with the Scottish minister Dr. Andrew Bonar…..

who was telling him how in the mountains of Scotland, a sheep would often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they couldn't get out of. Dr. Bonar went on to say that the grass on these mountains was very sweet and the sheep liked it, and they would jump down ten or twelve feet to reach, but then they couldn’t get back up again. They might be there for days, until they had eaten all the grass where they are. But the shepherd would wait until they were so weak they could no longer stand, and then put a rope around it, and pull the sheep up out of the place. D.L. Moody asked him, "Why don't they go down there when the sheep first gets there?" "Ah!" said Dr. Bonar, "in their strength the sheep would wrestle themselves over the edge of the mountain and fall" When they have nothing left, no grass, no strength, in their utter weakness, the shepherd comes and rescues them.

When we have nothing left, no resources, no strength, in our utter weakness,

even in the valley of the shadow of death, it is then the Good Shepherd comes

and we need fear no evil… for He is with us, his rod and staff protect us.

For He is indeed the Shepherd of Psalm 23…….

Here in this psalm of David is set out our personal relationship with the Good Shepherd, He leads us to green pastures, clear and living water, where we are nourished and built up in our deepest inner being. And, when that inner being of ours is broken, emptied, darkened, He, it is who restores our souls,

and guides us once again in the paths of righteousness.

And so, even in the valley of the shadow of death, with the Good Shepherd leading, we need fear no evil… for He is with us, His rod and staff protect us.

And Jesus, the Good Shepherd,

brings us to the green pastures and the living waters of grace and life.

brings us to the Father

brings us back home to the fold.

AMEN.

Nor as the Good Shepherd, will He leave us, His sheep….

we read in John’s gospel, that at the last Passover Festival,

Jesus told the disciples,

I am going to prepare a place for you,

and if I go, and prepare a place for you,

I will come back and take you, to be with me,

that you also may be where I am…

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.

and He prayed for them,

Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name,

while I was with them, I protected them…

and kept them safe……..

I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counsellor

to be with you forever… the Spirit of Truth…..

Instead of us following the Shepherd, walking with Him,

He has set His own life within us,

His Spirit……..

and by His prayer…