DOELLINGER: Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd

Published 9:25 am Friday, May 31, 2019

One of the most endearing images of Jesus is that of the Good Shepherd. Much of our church art and hymnody depicts this beautiful image: Jesus tends to us and cares for us as His little flock, laying down His life for us in order to take it up again for our forgiveness, life and salvation.

To be a sheep of the Good Shepherd means that you must follow in His steps. We “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” says King David in Psalm 23. To follow where Jesus leads is to bear the cross and follow Him into death. That is to say, you must hear His voice, go where He leads, and that means you, too, will suffer, die and rise with Him.

I don’t know much about sheep, but I’ve been told that they have excellent hearing. You’ve probably seen a sheep point and direct his ears at a particular sound. Sheep actually have good vision but they have terrible depth perception. They cannot see immediately in front of their noses. Because of that, they have a really wide field of vision. They can see all around — even behind — but right in front of their nose, they’re basically blind. Therefore, they rely heavily upon their ears.

That’s the Christian life. Whatever is going on right under your nose —suffering, death, sorrow, pain, being outcast from the world, the burden of your conscience and sin — you can look past that, like a sheep, as though you cannot even see it. Your Good Shepherd has called you by name and is leading you through this suffering and death unto resurrection. In the meantime, you are given to rely on what He promises you in His Word. Don’t trust what’s right in front of your nose. Trust instead in what is ahead of you in the distance: the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Be a sheep. That is to say, look ahead and rely upon the hearing of faith you’ve been given as the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of His hand. To this you have been called: to walk by faith not by sight. Don’t believe in what you see, feel, or experience, but rather what you hear from your Good Shepherd. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Through the hearing with faith you follow where your Good Shepherd leads: through suffering and death unto resurrection and eternal life. Because the Good Shepherd laid down His life and took it up again for you, you can be certain that His father, who wakened Him from death, now grants you his Holy Spirit that when you hear the voice of your shepherd you know Him who calls you by name to follow where He leads.

 

Paul Doellinger is the pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cassopolis. He can be reached at paul.doellinger@gmail.com.