Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.
What is in a name? Parents give their children a name, indicating that you belong to someone. That was something we had to do that this last week, and it was no easy task. Trying to find a name that we could mutually agree upon was difficult. But eventually, a name was agreed upon. This name identified her as our child. You and I have been given a name, not only by our parents, but a name given to us by our Heavenly Father as well.
In Holy Baptism, we are given the name “child of God.” This name marks us as a member of His family. Today, on what is commonly known as Good Shepherd Sunday, we have Jesus, our Good Shepherd, identifying Himself once again as the Son of God and what it is that He comes to do.
As Jesus is going about His own business during the Feast of Dedication, the people found Jesus and asked one question: “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” John has already identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus has already performed His first miracle of turning water into wine. He has already predicted His death and resurrection on multiple occasions. He has healed people and fed over 5000 people with limited provisions. He has walked on water and even said that He is the bread of life. All of that takes place within just a few chapters of John’s Gospel. Needless to say, Jesus has established who He is. Unfortunately, the people have not grasped what He has said or done to this point as establishing credentials.
Jesus’ response is one that sounds harsh at first glance, but is actually one that is meant to bring them to believe in Him. He responds to them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.” Sad to say, those Jews didn’t really want to know the truth. What Jesus had already told them, what He had already done, and the way He had lived in the Father’s name were clear evidence that He was the Christ, but they did not believe.
Just as there were people in the days of Jesus who did not believe, so there are still those today that claim to want to know who Jesus is but ignore who He says He is. Oh yes, there are many who claim to know who Jesus is, but it is a Jesus of their own making, a Jesus that approves of all that they do, whether it is sinful or not. There are those who claim to know Jesus, but this Jesus says that everyone will go to heaven because they’re a good person at heart. However, there is one problem with this Jesus: He doesn’t exist! The real Jesus is the one who tells the people that because of their disbelief, they will not inherit the kingdom of God. The difference between the real Jesus and the made-up Jesus is that the Good Shepherd Calls His sheep by name and keeps them safe in His Father’s hand. That is something that only the Jesus in the Scriptures can do.
Our Lord knows that His sheep will always be under the attack of the world and all that it offers. This world brings so many challenges against the community of Jesus’ disciples. The world is hostile to Jesus, His message and His disciples because they don’t like the message that Jesus does bring. Instead of a message that says that only believers will be saved, the world wants a message that says that all people will be saved, regardless if they believe or not. The world wants to hear a message that says it doesn’t matter what you believe because all roads lead to the same god and the same eternal destination. What is tragic in all of this is living in that world without a true shepherd.
Without having a shepherd, the sheep would have no sense of direction. The voice of strangers would lead them astray. Without a shepherd, the sheep would have no safety net. The thief would steal the sheep and the wolf would easily snatch them away. Without a shepherd, the sheep would only wander the way of death. The thief would kill and destroy the sheep.
Jesus is that Good Shepherd, the one who promises to always keep us under His care. Through His Word, the Good Shepherd calls His disciples by name. He knows us, and we know His voice and follow Him. He gently leads and guides us in green pastures, to His blessings of salvation and eternal life. Our Good Shepherd does something that no other shepherd, no thief, no hired hand could ever do: He lays down His life in order to protect us to the utmost extent possible. Our Lord tells the Jews who are gathered there in the portico: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”
For you, He goes to the cross of Calvary, with all of your sin and the sin of the world upon His shoulders, willingly, so that you would have eternal life. He goes where only the Good Shepherd will: to death. And He does this with you in mind because you are the reason He goes to the lengths that He does. Everything He does, from birth to death to resurrection is for you, His precious sheep.
As our Good Shepherd, the Son speaks to us the Word, love, and care of His heavenly Father for us and for our salvation. By speaking to us through His Word, the Good Shepherd knows us and we know Him, just as the Father knows Him and He knows the Father. That is because we both share the same name: child of God. While Jesus Christ is the true Son of God, we are made God’s true children by virtue of our Baptism, where we are given His name, making us His beloved sheep.
You have been given a name at your birth. This name identifies you as a member of that family and you are taken care of and protected. That name is indeed a special name for us, for it shows to us the love of our earthly parents. As important as that name is, there is one name that is even more important than that name, the name given to us when we are baptized into Christ: Christian. Christ Jesus, our Good Shepherd, knows both of our names. He knows our given name, knowing each of us personally. But He also knows our baptismal name, and that’s even more personal because it means that we are in Him, for Christ knows each person who is in Him. In Christ, we are chosen as members of the family of God. In Christ, we are protected and cared for by our heavenly Father, for we have Jesus, our Good Shepherd. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.