Third Sunday of Easter - Misericordias Domini (15 April, 2018)

Green Pastures

"For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.  As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.  And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country.  I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel.  I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.  I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.  Ezekiel 34:11-16

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  Psalm 23

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  1 Peter 2:22-25

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.  John 10:11-16

There are some topics that the Bible presents that seem to take mental gymnastics to leap through all the hoops.  And then there are others that seem to smack you over the head with the point straight from the get-go.

The Good Shepherd.  Is anything more than Christ's own words even necessary?

Sadly, it is, because we, like sheep, are dumb.

Consider, God chooses shepherds.  Perhaps it is the humble origins.  Perhaps the experiences trying to manage the unmanageable.  Perhaps it is merely for the symbolism.

Abraham was a shepherd.  Moses was a shepherd.  David was a shepherd.  But Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  Everyone else is merely an under-shepherd.

He leads us through this valley of death that we dwell in.  We've been trapped in this valley since the Fall.  But our Shepherd came down to rescue us, to lead us out.  When one of us gets lost, He rescues us.

The Shepherd loves us.  So much that He died for us.