Sermons

05/04/2025

3rd Sunday of Easter

Text: John 10:11-16

Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!

Today the Lord Jesus Christ, the Shepherd and Overseer of the sheep, pronounces woe on false shepherds and gives a warning to His sheep.

The bible often uses a flock of sheep as an image of the Church. God is the Shepherd of the flock. He shepherds the church by leading them to the truth. He feeds His flock by teaching His word. In the bible, the leaders of God’s people are called shepherds. They lead and teach in Jesus’ stead.

The Lord Jesus rebukes the shepherds of His Old Testament people through the mouth of His prophet Ezekiel. We read part of Jesus’ rebuke this morning in our Old Testament lesson. But hear more of it:

“Thus says the Lord God to the Shepherds: ‘Woe to the Shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the Shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them. Therefore you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, says the Lord God, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock—therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand.”

The duty of the kings, and prophets, and priests of the Old Testament Church was simple. They were to gather God’s flock and lead the flock to the green pastures and sweet waters where they might be filled and refreshed. Those green pastures and sweet waters are God’s word.

But in Ezekiel’s day, the shepherds didn’t do that. The kings cared only for themselves. The prophets prophesied lies to the people. The priests defiled the temple with detestable things and abominations and sacrifices to false gods.

They did not care about the sheep. They lived to better themselves. So the sheep of Israel were scattered. They were prey to the beasts of the field, to the nations around them. But the Lord cares for His sheep. And He is angry at false shepherds—“O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand!”

Ezekiel prophecies that the Lord will destroy the false shepherds and He will shepherd His people rightly. He will appoint His Son David, to shepherd His sheep. There will be one flock, and on one shepherd over the flock, the Good Shepherd, the Son of David and Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

In our Gospel, Jesus names Himself as that shepherd. He is the Good Shepherd of God’s flock. That means He is the only teacher in the Church. All His under-shepherds, the pastors He appoints, teach only His word in all its sternness and sweetness. Unlike false teachers, Jesus cares for His church. He does not seek His own, but, He says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”  

When Jesus says this, He’s talking to the Pharisees. He is pronouncing woe on them. He calls them hirelings, false shepherds. The Pharisees set themselves up as teachers of God’s people. But they didn’t teach God’s word. They added to God’s word. They taught as doctrine the commandments of men. And they hated Jesus and His pure teaching. They wanted to silence Him. But Jesus asserts that He is the Good Shepherd. He does what they do not. The Pharisees are hypocrites who care about themselves and outward appearance, but Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. They are hirelings, but He is the good shepherd.

Jesus’ declaration that He is the good shepherd is also a warning and word of woe to all false shepherds who trouble His flock, then and now. After our Lord ascended, many false teachers troubled the church. They proved themselves hirelings. Today, many do the same. It doesn’t really matter what denomination a congregation belongs to or not. But there are many pastors, or shepherds, who stand condemned by Ezekiel’s prophecy of woe. They prove themselves to be the hirelings Jesus condemns. They are in it for themselves. They want praise or success. So they don’t lead the flock to God’s word. But, as St Jude says, “They mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.” Hirelings say what sounds nice, what they sense sinners want to hear. What that means time and again is that they don’t convict of sin. They don’t say anything that might ever upset anyone because they don’t care about people leaving their sins and growing in knowledge of the truth. They’re hirelings. They don’t care for the sheep. All they want is praise or money. So they’ll say whatever keeps the praise or money coming in steady. What they don’t do is go after the sheep who have gone astray and caught in the thickets. They don’t lead the sheep to life-giving water and food. And so the sheep are not brought into the Lord’s pastures to be fed on wholesome food. But they are scattered and left as prey for the beasts.

But the good shepherd says, “Woe to them!” He will require it of them. And on the day of judgement when the false shepherds say to him, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name?” He will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

Now, Jesus also gives a stern warning to the sheep of His flock. They are not to follow hirelings. But they should listen only to Jesus.

The sheep of the flock is the Church. You’re a sheep of Jesus’ flock. That means Jesus is your shepherd. “I am the Good Shepherd.” I am your shepherd. You must not listen to hirelings. You must listen to your shepherd.

Jesus speaks to you in His word and nowhere else. So beware the voice of strangers. Beware of hirelings, who might seem helpful but will let you down. TV preachers, youtubers, the news, podcasters, don’t hold truth for you. Jesus does in His word. People on a screen do not care about you, whatever they have to say. They’re far away. They’re in it for fame and money. What they teach won’t help when the wolf comes. They’ll leave you defenseless and the wolf will devour you.

So heed Jesus’ warning. Don’t listen to false teachers. Listen to Jesus instead. He is the Good Shepherd. He is your Good Shepherd. He lays down His life for the sheep. He laid down His life for you, so concerned is He for your eternal wellbeing. When He gave His life for you, He reconciled you to God the Father. He bore your sins in His own body on the tree. Jesus suffered the stripes of God’s judgment that you might be healed.

He gathers a scattered flock to Himself. He calls through the Gospel. You hear and know His voice in that Gospel and you come to Him. As a shepherd brings his flock to green pastures and sweet waters, even so Jesus gives you wholesome, sound, words that restore your soul. So come to His pastures and drink of His waters. Read His word and learn to know the sound of His voice. For He is your Good Shepherd, and you are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!