John 10:22-30
May 11, 2025
I think it is interesting how we find great comfort in the image of Jesus as our Shepherd and all of us as His sheep, even though none of us have ever worked as a Shepherd or are caring for sheep at our homes. I have never met a child who has said, “When I grow up I want to be a shepherd.” I don’t think we have any shepherds or sheep living in our communities. Of course, it is possible that someone in the greater Clayton or Raleigh area is raising sheep and I am not aware of it. I cannot imagine that any college student at any of our local universities put on their college application – “Parents’ Occupation – Shepherd.” But somehow the concept of God as our Shepherd and all of us as His sheep brings us great comfort. Maybe it’s because we have a hymn in the church titled, “I am Jesus’ Little Lamb,” with words that state, “Ever glad at heart I am; Loves me every day the same, Even calls me by my name.” Maybe it’s because last Sunday we read at the end of the Gospel of John when Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” and Peter replied, “Yes;” Jesus then told him, “Feed my sheep,” meaning, “tell the world all about me, teach people about my love and forgiveness, and show them my grace and mercy.” Or maybe it’s because Jesus referred to us again as His sheep in our Gospel lesson from John when He said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
However, sheep have a reputation of being mindless, defenseless animals that are not very bright. And this reputation has been around for a long time. In the 1700s George Washington apparently once said, “If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” Even today to call someone a “sheep” is to suggest that he/she will follow others without thinking. So while the Bible refers to us as “God’s sheep,” it certainly doesn’t sound very flattering to be called a sheep. Couldn’t God have picked a better, more intelligent animal to compare us to as being part of His flock? This led me to do a Google search for a list of the most intelligent animals in the world and near the top of every list I found were pigs. But I don’t think I want the church to call me a pig. “I am God’s Little Pig” doesn’t sound comforting. I don’t think our mothers on this day would ever want us to say, “Mom, you are as smart as a pig. Happy Mother’s Day.” That doesn’t sound right, does it?
Therefore, since it is the 21st century and since the Clayton area is really no longer a farming community as it might have been 100 years ago, is the language of the Bible – especially in our Gospel lesson – appropriate for us today? After all, I don’t think any of our friends, relatives, or neighbors are shepherds. And outside of the zoo or state fair, we probably haven’t spent any time recently around sheep. So how do we explain Jesus’ words, “I am the good shepherd” to someone who has never seen a shepherd working with sheep? It’s a wonderful message to teach to our children, and the picture of a shepherd fighting off wolves with his staff is fine, but what does that do for us in our 21st century technology driven world? I think as we look closer at our text we will see that Jesus as our Good Shepherd is actually not so outdated. Jesus is truly a Shepherd for the 21st century, because He deals with 21st century problems and leads 21st century sheep – people who wonder off, who do foolish things, and are incapable of saving themselves.
Our text for today begins with Jesus in the temple area surrounded by a group of Jewish leaders who ask Him, “If you are the Christ, then tell us plainly.” Now I’m sure there were some there who genuinely wanted to know, who may have believed that Jesus really was God’s Son; but there were others there who did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God and by asking this question they were hoping to trick Jesus into making a statement that could be twisted into a charge of lying against God, which would then bring a sentence of death on Him.
In all their conversations Jesus always made it clear that He was the Christ. His whole life – the miracles He performed, living without sin, and teaching with authority – is a testimony as to who He is; so the real question is did they believe His claim or not? I always find it amazing how every year around Easter and Christmas, there are television shows and news articles that all claim to be searching for the “real Jesus.” They will ask questions like, “Who was this man who left such an influence on the world? Was He a prophet, a teacher, a carpenter, or just a myth?”
But when we get right down to it, what would a man from the 1st century who was simply a teacher or a carpenter really have to offer us in the 21st century? The truth is: very little. But Jesus’ perfect life – His words, His actions, His resurrection from the dead, witnessed by hundreds of people – proved He was God and as God He has a lot to offer us, even today. Our 21st century Shepherd knows exactly how to deal with 21st century problems. How? Well, the Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun. The main problems the existed for those Jewish leaders 2000 years ago are the same problems that we face today. The Bible tells us that 2000 years ago people were struggling with immorality in society, a lack of commitment in marriage, stress, war, the killing of innocent people, dictatorships, false religions, and people doing whatever they wanted. Sound familiar? The problems are still the same, because our sinful human nature hasn’t changed.
So, who needs a shepherd? We do, because without Jesus, our Good Shepherd, we would be lost. We would be separated from God forever because of our sin. What’s the greatest problem facing us in the 21st century? Sin, but Jesus took care of that, He destroyed the power of sin through His life, death, and resurrection. And today, as our Shepherd, He continues to lead, guide, and protect us – His 21st century sheep – as we make our way through this difficult world.
I read an article several years ago that suggested if we were to travel back in time about 1000 years, one of the things that would shock us the most would be the silence. Just think about it, all of the background noise of our modern world: television, computers, cell phones, cars, planes, and air conditioning did not exist 1000 years ago. The article said that this silence would be very difficult for us, because we are surrounded by voices today on TV, computers, and phones, all telling us what we should buy, how to get rich, how to find peace, and how to be happy.
As believers in Jesus, I know we try to listen to His voice in the midst of all the noise, but sometimes we can become confused as Jesus warned us in the Gospel of Matthew by saying, “Beware of false prophets.” And He characterized those false prophets as “wolves wrapped in sheep’s clothing.” For example, in the beginning, Adam and Eve listened to the voice of Satan disguised as a serpent; Pontius Pilate listened to the noise of the crowd shouting, “Crucify Him,” even though he declared Jesus to be innocent. And in our day we see people who listen to the voices of scammers who convince them to put their money into all sorts of get-rich-quick schemes that so often lead to disappointment and frustration. We see people trying to find happiness in drugs and alcohol. And we see people listening to the voices of evil as they shoot innocent people. Yes, there are a lot of voices in our world and sometimes in the midst of tragedies and pain, it seems like we can’t hear the voice of God. However, it is not because He hasn’t spoken, but rather because we fail to believe and trust Him. Do we believe that Jesus is God, our Good Shepherd, who will always provide and care for us? Jesus says in our text, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” That is the heart of the matter.
Through faith in our hearts, we seek to not only hear God’s Word on a Sunday morning, but also to apply it in our daily lives. The road we travel, following our 21st century Shepherd, leads to eternal life in heaven, but it is not easy. It is filled with challenges and obstacles, because sometimes what our Shepherd tells us does not match with the views of our 21st century world. But the Bible is not an outdated book. The Word of our Good Shepherd is just as relevant today in 2025 as it was in the year 125. So let’s listen to His voice, because Jesus alone has the words which lead to eternal life, and let’s follow Him, because only He has the truth that can guide us through the difficult journey of this 21st century world.
