Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
May 3, 2009

1 John 3:16-24 (NRSV)
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? 18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

John 10:11-18 (NRSV)
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own 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 do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

“Lays Down His Life”

In March of 2004 a group of people on an expedition in Israel came upon a cave and discovered the mangled body of a man, dressed as a shepherd, lying across its mouth. As the group accessed the situation, they began to hear the bleating of sheep inside the cave. When they dragged his body away from the opening of the cave, about 100 sheep came out and stood over the body of their dead shepherd, licking his wounds.
It was apparent that this shepherd had moved his sheep into the cave to protect them from wolves but then was attacked himself. He had given up his life for the sheep, literally sprawling his bleeding body across the mouth of the cave to prevent the wolves from killing the sheep.
In Palestine, the shepherd was responsible for the life of his sheep. If anything happened to a sheep, the shepherd had to produce some kind of proof that it was not his fault. The Law of the Torah spelled it out: “If [a sheep] was mangled by beasts, let it be brought as evidence.” (Exodus 22:13) “The shepherd was required to bring home proof that the sheep had died, and that he had been unable to prevent the death. To the shepherd it was the most natural thing to risk his life in defense of his flock. Sometimes the shepherd had to do more than risk his life: sometimes he had to lay it down, perhaps when thieves and robbers came to despoil the flock.”
The illustration of Jesus as Shepherd is found throughout the Gospels. In our reading from John, Jesus says: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (10) Just as that shepherd spread out his body to cover the mouth of the cave and protect the sheep inside, so Jesus spread out His body on the cross, and laid down His life so that we might live.
Though our passage this morning begins with the Good Shepherd theme, John’s recounting is also a meditation on the death and resurrection of Jesus. He expresses his thoughts in three points. First, Jesus, cited as the Good Shepherd, is contrasted with a hired hand that tends the sheep. From The Message we read: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him.” (10-13) In this example, John presents Jesus as the model shepherd who gives his life as the ultimate act of caring. His act of love stands out impressively against the dark backdrop of the hired worker who, at the slightest threat of danger, abandons the sheep.
The caring for the sheep by the shepherd leads to John’s second point. Jesus says: "I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary.” (14-15)
Jesus claims a personal relationship with his sheep which is rooted in the intimate relationship that Jesus has with His Father. This relationship is so close that Jesus later says, “The Father and I are one.” (30) In Jesus’ flock, there are no strangers. Jesus cares deeply and personally for each and every person.
Even with the assurance that Jesus will Shepherd those who follow Him, His flock is not a “closed society.” Jesus invites everyone to be part of His flock – believers and non-believers. He says; “You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd.” (17) In the arms of Jesus, there is always room for one more.
The third point of this passage is paradoxical. When Jesus lays down His life for us, He does so freely. And yet, at the same time, He is being obedient to His Father’s command. Jesus explains; “This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father." (17-18) Jesus is not a reluctant victim but a willing participant. In caring for us, His sheep, He voluntarily lays down His life for us.
There is no question that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The only question that remains is this: Do we know the Shepherd? If we know the Shepherd, then we can rejoice in the fact that He will be with us forever and that He will watch over us no matter where we are or what we face.
But, if you do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior – as the Good Shepherd who tends to your needs – or if you are unsure of your relationship with Him, you need to make a decision. You need to commit your life to Christ. You need to be willing to follow Him in good time and in the tough ones.
Missionary Herb Schaefer tells about a thirteen-year-old Chinese girl who, with her family, continued to worship the Lord secretly in their home during the Cultural Revolution in China, a time when religion was forbidden and worship was banned by the Chinese rulers. One evening the Red Guards burst into their small home and threatened them for worshiping Jesus. A small altar with a crude cross stood in one corner of the room. Determined to put a stop to their worship and to command complete allegiance to the Communist state, the Red Guard lieutenant demanded they spit on the cross of Christ. They refused. The lieutenant became indignant and shouted at them that unless they spat on the cross they would be killed immediately.
            Finally the elder in the group came forward, spat on the cross and left. One by one they followed, doing the same disgusting thing until only the thirteen-year-old remained. But this young girl refused to do what the others had done. "I cannot and I will not," she replied. She explained to the lieutenant the depth of her faith – that Jesus loves her and gave His life for her. She then told him that, as Jesus was willing to die for her, she was willing to die for Him.
Remarkably the Lieutenant seemed pleased. "This is the kind of devotion we want for the new China,” he said, “people who will commit themselves so totally that they are willing to die for what they believe." But the guard wanted that devotion directed toward Chairman Mao. "We will change you," he promised the girl and left. She was spared, but she never saw the rest of her family again.
The story doesn't end there, however. For shortly thereafter, that little girl fled to Hong Kong and was taken in. Later she entered the Lutheran seminary and became a pastor of the Hong Kong Lutheran Church, serving the needs of countless souls. Every day she prayed for the day when she would be allowed to return to her village and minister to her people there and perhaps even to that Red Guard lieutenant who spared her but murdered her family. This woman was able to endure, to overcome that tragedy in her life, because she knew the Good Shepherd.
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (11) Yes, indeed, Jesus is the Good Shepherd of our lives. He laid down His life freely for us. He knows each of us personally because we are important to Him. He gathers us together in His fold, the church, so that we might listen to Him. Sisters and brothers, come to Jesus today for He will save your soul. He will place you in His flock. He will give you new life. Amen and amen.