Easter II- I Peter 2:19-25; John 10:11-16

On the traditional one-year calendar, the Second Sunday after Easter highlights the theme of Christ the Good Shepherd (the three-year lectionary delays this theme for a week). In the Gospel from John 10, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life and takes it up again to save His sheep, whatever fold they may be part of.

The theme of  Jesus Christ as a faithful Shepherd also occurs in the epistle selection from I Peter 2:19-25. In other recently read preceding passages from 1 Peter 1 and from 1 Peter 2:1-10, the Apostle refers to Christ's Resurrection, faith, hope, and the implications for the lives of believers. Thus, our passage in 1 Peter 2 is based on faith in the risen Lord Jesus. With this in mind, Peter is doing more than offering some practical advice about life. He is teaching that those who believe in Christ's Resurrection should live in accord with what they profess. The tribulations that come in this world should remind us of Christ's own innocent sufferings and His victory over them. He is the Suffering Servant who has triumphed over pain and death. He has risen from the dead, and He offers believers new life. He is the shepherd and overseer of our souls. Because of the death and resurrection of Christ, nothing should destroy our Christian hope.

Easter II- I Peter 2; John 10

 The Epistle for the Second Sunday after Easter is from 1 Peter 2:19- 25. At first glance, this passage is a moral exhortation that does not say a lot about resurrection, but if we look at the context, it is related to what the Apostle says in 1 Peter 1:3-4. There the Apostle refers to Christ's Resurrection as the basis for faith, hope, and Christian living.

Thus, our passage in 1 Peter 2 is based on faith in the risen Lord Jesus. Peter is not merely giving some practical advice about a moral life. He is teaching that those who believe in Christ's Resurrection should live in accord with what they profess. The problems that believers undergo in this world should point us to Christ's innocent sufferings. He is the Suffering Servant who has triumphed over pain and death. Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and He offers us new life. He is the shepherd and overseer of our souls, and He calls us to live in ways that reflect our faith in Him.

So as Jesus teaches us in John 10, He is truly the Good Shepherd. He has walked through the valley of the shadow of death for us and risen to life. He has cared for us as sheep in His flock, and He continues to guide and protect us. Although there are real dangers and threats to our physical and spiritual well-being, nothing should destroy our Christian hope. Our Good Shepherd has overcome our greatest dangers, and He is still leading us and providing for us. 

Easter II- The Good Shepherd- John 10:11

In the traditional Gospel for the Second Sunday after Easter from John 10, our Lord boldly proclaims, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). There are two main aspects of Jesus’ claim. 1) Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah- a leader like King David in many ways. 2) By calling Himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus of Nazareth is also moving His claim to a different dimension. Let us notice that Jesus does not merely say “I’m a good shepherd.” He says, “I am the good shepherd.” The “I am” sayings of Jesus in John’s Gospel are reflections of God’s name in Exodus. 

In Scripture, God Himself is the Good Shepherd of Israel, and by identifying Himself this was, Jesus is claiming a unique relationship with God the Father. So in this verse, Jesus is saying that He is both the human Messiah and the divine Son of God. He is the great leader of the chosen people in both ways. 

The Easter season stresses our hope in Christ. Accepting and trusting Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd highlights Christian hope in a special way. All too often we are like wandering sheep, but we do have a leader, a shepherd, that we can trust. Easter is a celebration and a proclamation of the depth of our Shepherd’s love and of His victorious power. So let us heed Him and have faith in Him. Let us follow where He leads and accept His nourishment for our souls through His Word and Sacraments.

Trinity VIII- False Leaders- Matthew 7:15

The Gospel for the Eighth Sunday after Trinity contains this warning from our Lord: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). False prophets and other corrupt leaders were a problem for ancient Israel, during Christ's time, and for the Christian Church at many times in history.

Although corruption is an ongoing human problem, corrupt leadership seems even more of an issue in our time. Such corruption is particularly disheartening when it becomes obvious among leaders who pretend to be Christians of one kind or another. Some corrupt leaders are secular officials, and even sadder, there are many corrupt ministers and church officials who do not seem to have a minimal appreciation of the doctrines and morals found in Holy Scripture. There are many bishops, priests, and pastors from varied backgrounds who are really wolves that mislead and devour Christ's flock.

Thus, we must beware, but we must not despair. Jesus Christ is still our great and good shepherd who watches over us from heaven and assists us with His Word and the Holy Spirit. And although corrupt leaders do cause much damage, they do not endure forever. God limits the rule of evil, and He continues to raise up good leaders among the faithful remnant of His people. So let us persevere in faith and in hope!

Easter II- The Shepherd of our Souls- John 10:11; I Peter 2:25

On the traditional calendars of western churches, the Second Sunday after Easter has been called Good Shepherd Sunday (newer calendars shift this theme to a week later). Of course, this theme is related to the Gospel, in particular, John 10:11 where Jesus says, "I am the good Shepherd." This time, let us focus on a related statement in the Epistle. In I Peter 2:25, the Apostle Peter writes, "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."

This verse presents two truths. 1) Human beings are like sheep, and we go astray. We do not think or live as we should. We wander away on our own and get into all kinds of danger and trouble. 2) Despite our tendency to wander, Jesus Christ is our Shepherd. He wants to guide us and protect us. He is the bishop,  that is, the "overseer," who watches over our souls. So Christians are those who have returned to our Good Shepherd. We have returned to Jesus, and we need to stay close to Him. The risen Lord is the only one who can properly guide and care for us! Thanks be to God for this message of hope!

Easter II- The Good Shepherd

In St. John 10:11, our Lord boldly proclaims, “I am the good shepherd.”  There are two aspects of Jesus’ claim. 1) Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah-a leader like King David in many ways. 2) By calling Himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus of Nazareth is also moving His claim to a higher level. In John’s Gospel, “I am” sayings from Jesus are reflections of God’s name in Exodus. Furthermore, Jesus does not merely say “I’m a good shepherd.” He says, “I am the good shepherd.”

God Himself is the Good Shepherd of Israel, and this claim by Jesus is a reflection of Jesus’ unique relationship with God the Father. So Jesus is making a powerful claim. He is both the human Messiah and the divine Son of God. He is the great leader of the chosen people in both ways. 

Jesus cares for God’s flock. He nourishes their souls.  Jesus is not a hired hand who will abandon the sheep in hard times. The sheep recognize Him; they know that He is worthy of their trust. He looks after them even when it hurts Him. He lays down His life for their sakes, and Jesus Christ has the power to take up His life again for the sake of the flock. Even from heaven, He continues to watch over His human flock, intercede for them, and send His Holy Spirit to guide them.

Easter is a season that stresses our hope in Christ. Knowing that Christ is our Good Shepherd highlights such hope in a special way. All too often we are like wandering sheep, but we do have a leader that we can trust. Easter is a celebration and a proclamation of the depth of our Shepherd’s love and of His victorious power. So let us heed Him and have faith in Him. Let us be loyal and stay near our Good Shepherd. Let us accept His guidance and nourish our souls with His spiritual food and drink, with His Word and Sacraments.