Sermon 11^th May 2025 – Good Shepherd Sunday

Text: John 10:22-30 = The voice of the Good Shepherd

 Today, we find ourselves in a powerful passage from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, the chapter that focuses on the I AM statement of Jesus where he says – “I am the Good Shepherd.  Jesus boldly declares His identity as the Good Shepherd but also in his own way he confesses that he is the Messiah.  In these verses, we read about a conversation with the Jews who demand clarity about His identity as the Messiah, They don’t want cryptic messages - How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.

 John tells us that this is the time of the Feast of Dedication which is also known to the Jews as Hanukkah. The Feast of Dedication celebrates the rededication of the Temple following its desecration in 167BC when, among other things an altar to Zeus was placed in the Temple. The feast of dedication celebrates a time of hope and renewal for the Jewish people. Much like we have now with Jesus and the renewed temple of our bodies cleansed by his body and blood – to give us hope and renewal from the desecration of sin.

 Today Jesus walks in the Temple, surrounded by a climate of uncertainty and division. His words and deeds bring both hope and challenge – perhaps something we still face today. The Jewish leaders question Jesus: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” They long for clarity, a definitive answer to the identity of the one standing before them. Don’t we also find ourselves questioning and seeking signs, wanting to know the answers to our deepest doubts and fears? How long O Lord will you allow the world to attack us. If you are our God – show us plainly.

 Jesus does not shy away from the inquiry. He answers with assurance.  He says, “I told you, and you do not believe.”

His response is not just a statement of fact but an invitation to trust – to believe in the works He has performed in their midst. He is calling them, as He calls us, to look deeper than mere signs and to engage with the truth of who He is. Jesus affirms what he does as our Good Shepherd and why he is good compared to the hired hand, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” As opposed to the false shepherd who has come to kill, steal and destroy.

 Here we encounter deep reassurance for ourselves and protection. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, promises to hold us securely in His embrace. The imagery of the shepherd is rich in the Bible; it denotes care, provision, and protection. Remember King David when justifying why he should fight Goliath. He said if a bear or lion came after one of his sheep he would fight it and wrestle with it till the sheep was safe.

 In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, the assurance of being held in the hands of Christ is incredibly comforting. And it’s comforting to know that if we stray that the good shepherd comes looking for us to bring us home. We may encounter life’s challenges, doubts, and fears, but as His sheep, we are promised security. Let us rest in that assurance. When we face struggles—be it health issues, relational conflicts, or the weight of the world’s uncertainties—Jesus reminds us that we belong to Him. In His hands, we find safety and hope. And in this relationship with Jesus we are further comforted by the intimate relationship He shares with the Father, saying, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

 This statement is not just about our security but also about our unity with the Father and the Son. And did you hear how Jesus refers to us: What my Father has given me is greater than all – that’s you and me – created in God’s own image.

As St Paul reminds us in Romans 8: Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. As children of God through Jesus Christ, we are called to live in that unity.  We are part of a larger family, the body of Christ, and our calling is to reflect His love and grace in our communities.  When we gather in His name, we strengthen one another, reminding one another of His promises and the hope we have in Him.

 As we leave this place today, let us take with us the assurance that we are known by the Good Shepherd.  He knows our names, our struggles, our joys, and our sorrows. He calls us to trust Him, to follow Him, and to rest in His promises. What a powerful promise Jesus gives as our Good Shepherd. The world may shake, doubts may creep in, but His sheep—those who listen, trust, and follow—are held in the unshakable grip of His love. No force can snatch us away, no enemy can undo what the Good Shepherd has done. Even the false shepherd, Satan, who roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Who has asked to sift us like wheat but, as Jesus said to Peter - But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.  As Paul again says in Romans 8: For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 Do you hear His voice today?  Are you listening?  The voice of Jesus sadly has a lot of competition with the world’s noise.

Nevertheless it calls and his sheep hear his voice, in the midst of prayer, in the pages of our bibles, in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. To be His sheep is not merely to acknowledge His existence but to follow wherever He leads. As we heard in our Psalm – the Lord is my shepherd. And we need never fear where he leads because of his promise – I am with you always. And as we heard in our Psalm, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not be afraid – for you are with me.

 Jesus not only affirms the security of the believer but boldly proclaims His unity with God.  This is no ordinary shepherd—this is the Son of God, holding us within the power of the Almighty. He and the Father are one and we are with Jesus.

So let this passage remind us: when the storms of life rage around us, when doubt threatens to weaken our faith, when the voices of the world try to drown out the voice of Christ—our Shepherd does not lose His sheep.  His grip is unbreakable.

His love is unwavering.  His promise of eternal life is firm. Let us be found listening.  Let us be found following.  Let us rest in the hands of our Savior, knowing that He will never let us go.