May the words that I speak be both spoken and received in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In today’s gospel reading we heard that Jesus was in the Temple at the time of the Festival of the Dedication. Jews gathered around him and asked him whether he was the Messiah, or not. They wanted a straight answer. Jesus said that he had already told them, but they didn’t believe him, despite the fact that his actions or works that he was doing in his Father’s name testify to him.
The Jews were expecting the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah, whose coming was prophesied, even as recently for them by John the Baptist. They were not sure though about his actions and what he would do to bring in the New Age of God’s Kingdom. The Messiah is associated with the Suffering Servant and even the sacrificial lamb. But many of the Jews, especially the hierarchy, did not recognise, or accept Jesus as the Messiah.
If we ask:- How would they expect the Messiah to come? And what would he do when he arrived? Would he come with a great army, or a company of angels? And then what?
We believe that the Messiah brought in the Kingdom of God, according to God’s will and purpose. What he says and does is to glorify God and to give life to his people. He becomes a replacement for the sacrifices offered by the priestly class – the Levites – and as such becomes the Lamb of God as mentioned in the Book of Revelation. And Psalm 23 begins with: “The Lord is my shepherd”. According to the Old Testament, the Jewish leaders were supposed to be watchmen and shepherds of Israel. But they had failed to do their duty. They had become blind and had been unable to understand the will of God.
In the Old Testament, God himself is often depicted as the shepherd of Israel. But later, Jesus was appointed as the Good Shepherd. Jesus is the ‘Gate’, or the ‘Way’ for his sheep, meaning the way for his believers who follow him to everlasting life.
Jesus say: “I am the gate. No one can enter heaven unless he, or she, enters by way of me.” Jesus comes to the sheep, his believers, that they may have life, and have it to the full. This life is the true life which is eternal life. It begins when a person believes in Jesus and it never ends. The life that Jesus gives is spiritual life, life filled with all the fullness of God. It is a life leading to joy, peace, forgiveness, love and harmony.
If we think about Jesus as the Good Shepherd, then we can imagine some of the Victorian stained glass images of the Good Shepherd, which are set in many of our churches. Jesus is depicted in a long robe, with an even longer cloak over it. His hair is well-combed and neatly parted. His beard trimmed and his face white, or pale, rather than of a darker complexion because of where he lived. He will have a long-staff crook in his elbow and a very clean looking and well-behaved lamb over his shoulders, which is the lost sheep he has found and which he is bringing back to the fold.
In the book ‘Far from the Madding Crown’, Thomas Hardy, the author, gives a good basic description of the shepherd Gabriel Oak. He say: “Since he lived six times as many working-days as Sundays, Oak’s appearance in his old clothes was most peculiarly his own… He wore a low-crowned felt hat, spread out at the bast for security in high winds, and a coat like Dr. Johnson’s. His leggings were ordinary leather with boots far too large.” This made good sense as he would stuff straw down them to keep his feet warm! In other words he looked unkempt. But he did get dressed up and go to church on Sundays.
If we go back further in history to some of the early christian mosaics, wall paintings, or sculptures of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, we won’t see any neat and tidy figure – but the shepherd is a rough character, with a tunic and cloak thick enough to protect him from the cold of the night, but short enough to enable him to run easily, with heavy boots and thick leggings to keep out the briars and thorns and the bites of animals.
Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, went beyond all this to die by crucifixion for his flock: for all those people who put their hope and trust in him. He died on the Cross to give his people eternal life. Jesus said “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
If you think about the life of a shepherd it will often involve buying the land, fencing the fold, tending the lambs and so on. The shepherd needs to know them and care for them. The shepherd will run risks rather than see his flock harmed in any way. He or she will protect the flock from intruders and animals and guide them when circumstances dictate. Providing shelter when needed for them against poor weather and lambing time. The shepherd may even lose his or her life when defending the flock.
If the sheep are lost the shepherd will be scorned for being uncaring and negligent. A shepherd can’t be a good shepherd without a flock. The shepherd, Gabriel Oak, whom I previously mentioned in the novel: ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’, loses his own flock of sheep. While he is asleep one his dogs breaks free and worries the sheep so much, that he drives the flock over a cliff and they fall to their deaths on the beach below.
Gabriel Oak then shoots this dog and he has to move away and find himself another living. He now has the dishonour of being a shepherd who lost his own flock. Eventually good fortune comes his way. But let’s return to Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Jesus the Good Shepherd does not boast, as a man among people, that he loves humanity more than any other person. But he simply speaks the truth. Jesus says: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me; and I give them eternal life…”
As a shepherd in 1st Century Palestine daily led his flock to new pastures, so Jesus leads his followers towards new life. When we make ourselves available to God and commit ourselves to God, he will lead us onto new experiences and situations. Sometimes the new experience can be surprising, exciting, or even painful and can bring us to helplessness and confusion for a while. But the knowledge that God is with us, that he loves us immensely and that he is leading us forward, will lead us to joy.
Mary Magdalene experienced sadness, surprise and then incredible joy at the tomb, when she realised that Christ is Risen. Christ calls each one of his flock by name and they respond. As Christ calls each one of us to a newness and fullness of life here and now and eventually beyond, we can remember his words, “I came that they may have life…” That life is the True life, Everlasting life and filled with joy, peace, security and love.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St Peter's Church 