Sermon Cloud

Fourth Sunday of Easter Lectionary: Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23:1-6, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10 John 10:4 “When he (the shepherd) has brought out all his own (sheep), he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Jesus also said of Himself in verses 11 and 14, “I am the Good Shepherd.” And so the question being asked in this morning’s message is, “Do you know His voice? ” As pointed as the question may be however, once we understand the context surrounding the story and look at it through the lens of Ezekiel 34, we discover in addition to Jesus declaring Himself to be the Good Shepherd, that there is a second question: “What kind of shepherd are you?” The Pharisees were supposed to be the shepherds of the flock and yet Jesus draws a comparison between good shepherds who “lay down their life for their friends” and bad shepherds (hired hands) that “abandon the sheep and run away” leaving them vulnerable to attack. It’s one thing to know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd which is very comforting to think about, but once we have acknowledged that, we have to probe a little deeper and ask ourselves, “When people look at me, do they see Jesus—the Good Shepherd? Do I care enough about those for whom Christ died, that I would be willing to lay down my life for them?” These are deep, penetrating, and convicting questions we must consider.