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+ + + In Nomine Jesu + + +
Pastor Galler is presently on vacation. He revised for our use this morning a sermon on today’s Third Reading that was written by The Rev. George F. Borghardt the Third, was published in Concordia Pulpit Resources, and is used by permission of C-P-R’s editor. The revised sermon reads as follows:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!)
Door. Door. Door. Door. The Third Reading today almost does not sound like it belongs on “Good Shepherd Sunday”! The Third Reading sounds more like “Doors Sunday”. Now “Doors Sunday” is not as catchy and does not look as artistic on bulletin covers as “Good Shepherd Sunday”. But, if you just went by what Jesus says in the Third Reading today, you might actually think it was “Door Sunday”. Four times in only ten verses, Jesus uses the word “Door.” Four times! Door. Door. Door! Door!
The guy who does not use the door and gets into the sheep pen a different way is a thief or robber. The thief sneaks over or slithers under the fence. He does not use the door. How could he use the door? He is not the shepherd. The One who uses the door is the Shepherd of the sheep. He loves and cares about the sheep. He is the one given to protect the sheep. He will even give up his life for the sheep. And when the Pharisees did not get it, when they didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about, Jesus doubled down, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. . . . I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (vv. 7, 9).
Jesus is the Door. Through the door of His holy life and bloody sacrifice, we have eternal life. Through Him and Him alone, we have heaven. He is a door dripping with water and blood, through Whom we find good pasture.
Outside of Him is the way the thieves and robbers play. The devil and the other false teachers of this world tempt us to believe that our salvation and life and success are all really based on us picking ourselves up and improving our lives on our own. After all, they say falsely, He has done Hs part; now it is up to us to do ours.
So do you love Jesus enough? Have you made Him the Lord of your life? Really? Have you fully committed to him? Is your life better than it was before? Have you stopped sinning? Do this, do that, change this, change that, pray, work, and maybe God will count you worthy to be saved. And in all this “you doing” stuff, you essentially make yourself the door. You think falsely that you are actually the one who, by what you do and don’t do, determines whether you are in the sheep pen or not. You think falsely that are the door through which you get into heaven.
Putting it that way sounds funny, does it not? Sounds weird. You would never believe such false teaching. You would not even listen to it. For, you do not listen to the hireling. You will never follow anyone’s voice other than that of your Shepherd, because you are the sheep. The Lord uses that word six times today. Sheep. Sheep. Sheep. Sheep. Sheep. Sheep. Maybe it should be “Sheep Sunday”!
But you are not just anyone’s sheep. You are His sheep. You have heard His voice. Each of you is a sheep. You are a sheep. You are a sheep. You over there, sheep. You two over there, sheep. Each one of you is His sheep. You are each uniquely loved, particularly cared for, and led out to pasture by Him. He called you by name. Shepherds used to do that! They would name their sheep. Pet names. Special names for each one.
To most, sheep all look the same. They are all white, fuzzy, and go “baaaaaah.” But to a shepherd, each one is unique. To the Lord, each one of you is unique, too. He gave you your name. He gave me my name. He names His sheep at the baptismal font. In the water and in His Triune name, we were tagged as His sheep.
Your Lord Jesus is the Door for the sheep. He is the way into the sheep pen. He is the way out to green pasture. And He is not just any door or anyone’s door. He is your Door. He’s your way into not just life, but life eternal.
You are the sheep. He is the Door, and He is also the Good Shepherd. He lays down his life for you, and He also takes it back up for you. That is the Good News of this day. Jesus says that hireling shepherds were anything but good or noble. When the wolves or thieves would show up, the hireling shepherds had a choice between their lives and the sheep. “Hmm. Do I want to live and see my family, or do I want to protect these stupid sheep? I’m gonna go with my family.” The hirelings bolted, and the sheep were slaughtered. For the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The thief would draw you away. He would try to steal you. To get you to trust in yourself and what you can do to lock down your green pastures by something that starts and ends with you and your work. But, the only thing that you will find behind that door is death.
But your Shepherd, He gave up His life for you. He took upon Himself all the times that you live for yourself and not others. He died for all the times you try to make yourself the door. He rose again on the third day. You have life in His name, in His Baptism, in His Absolution, in His Supper—Life that goes on and on and on, as long as He goes on and on and on.
You are His own sheep. He goes before you, protects, guides you. He meets your enemies head-on and defeats them for you. You follow Him, for you know His voice. Do not listen to other voices that would tell you that you can make things better with God by doing, saying, and feeling the right things—that there is any other way into the sheep pen than through Jesus and Jesus alone.
You are His sheep. He is not just a shepherd. He’s your Good Shepherd Who lays down His life for you on the cross and took it back up when rising from the dead. When you repent of your sins and believe, then that righteous sacrifice makes you acceptable to God.
“Doors Sunday”? “Sheep Sunday”? Nah, better than all of that is “Good Shepherd Sunday”. The Sunday when we celebrate that “Jesus Is Our Shepherd, the Door through Whom We Have Life and Have It Abundantly Forgiven.”
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Alleluia! Christ is risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!)
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
+ + + Soli Deo Gloria + + +