Your Shepherd is calling you. Have you heard his voice? I have to tell you that sometimes I hear voices, but they don’t belong to my Good Shepherd. No, I’m not crazy. I bet you hear these voices too. They call out to me, “Go ahead, do it!” Or, “It can wait until tomorrow.” “Don’t worry know one will know.” “You deserve better than this. You deserve to be happy.” “You have every reason to be angry.” Maybe the voices in your head sound a little different than this, but I bet you are tempted to do something. Maybe those voices offer to give you something you think you need. Maybe they promise to take something away. There is always the promise of tenderness, acceptance, pleasure or power. So often people follow these voices into a relationship that is not God pleasing. So often following these voices leads to the bottom of a bottle, be it an adult beverage or pills. Hear the voice of the Good Shepherd! He knows you. You are one of his sheep. No matter where you are or what you have done, he wants you back.
The setting for this text is during the Feast of Dedication. We know it as the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. This feast was celebrated by the Jews to remember the rebellion of Judas Maccabeus 125 year before Jesus walked the earth. When the Pharisees came to Jesus they were trying to bate him. They were not his sheep, but wolves in sheep’s clothing. They didn’t want a spiritual shepherd of their souls. They wanted a Messiah who would throw off the Romans like Judas Maccabeus. Jesus’ kingdom was not and still is not of this world. Jesus comes to bring us his peace, to bring his sheep to the peaceful waters of forgiveness and grace. Hear the voice of your Good Shepherd.
Topic(s): EasterBook(s): John
Tag(s): Easter, Good Shepherd
Speaker(s): Fred Guldberg