THE SHEPHERD IS DEDICATED TO HIS SHEEP
On May 29th, 1994, I was standing by myself in front of the church with my back to the congregation. It was Sunday morning and the day of my confirmation. I had already answered the questions, I had already publically confessed my faith with the appropriate responses, and my father, who also happened to be my pastor, was giving to me my confirmation verse. And the passage of Scripture that I received that day should be familiar to you because it is from our gospel reading this morning, John 10:27-28: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” That verse was printed down on a piece of paper with my name on it, signed by my father, dated, and framed. And now it sits in my office on the top of a bookcase as a reminder about what happened that day. And it’s a reminder not only about what I promised to do and be as a Christian, but more importantly, it is a reminder about what Christ promised to do and be for me. Because in John chapter ten Jesus promised to give me eternal life. He promised that I would never perish. He promised to never let anyone snatch me out of his hand. My Savior promised to always be my Shepherd.
I don’t think this passage meant as much to me then as it does now. Because the farther I am removed from that event as a 14 year old, the more I realize that this promise from the Lord has never failed me. This statement from my Shepherd still remains. It is just as true today as it was on May 29th, 1994. And it’s just as true as it was when the apostle John first wrote these words on a piece of papyrus or when they originally came out of Jesus’ own mouth. My Shepherd is dedicated to me, his sheep. Our Shepherd is dedicated to us, his flock. And that will never change. That will always be true. No matter how undedicated we prove ourselves to be.
For the last 16 years since that spring Sunday morning in a little town in south eastern Nebraska, I have not been the most faithful of sheep to my Shepherd. Even though Jesus says right here in my confirmation verse, “My sheep listen to my voice,” I haven’t always listened to him. I’ve listened to other voices and opinions and suggestions (including my own) over and above the clear and wise words of him who loves me. I have ignored my Shepherd’s voice because I have been interested in something else. I have refused to apply his law to my life on certain occasions and I have failed to grasp the depth and the beauty of his gospel at times as well. Listening to my Shepherd hasn’t been one of my more commendable qualities.
Of course, Jesus also says about his sheep, “I know them, and they follow me,” but I certainly haven’t followed my Shepherd every step of the way either. I have followed my own ideas, my own plans. I have even questioned the direction that my Shepherd was headed on certain days and I was dragged along only kicking and screaming. There have been weeks when I have lost focus and veered to the right or to the left. There have been moments when something has distracted me and I lost sight of the cross and the tomb. I have been unstable and unreliable. I have been a disobedient little lamb. And although my confession of faith in front of that Christian congregation on May 29th, 1994, was genuine and heartfelt, I have not been 100% dedicated to the Shepherd every minute of every day of my life. And I would be fooling myself if I claimed otherwise.
But the Shepherd is still dedicated to me. He has remained stable in an unstable world. He has proved reliable when I have let him down. He has never allowed anything or anyone to harm my faith even though I have harmed him by my sinful actions. His promise of dedication to me is still in effect. He is still my Shepherd. I am still his sheep. And no matter how many ups and downs I have in this life that promise will always be my rock to which I can cling.
In the year 164 BC, a man named Judas Maccabaeus led a revolt in the land of Israel against the tyranny of the Greek and Roman government ruling over them. He did so because the temple in Jerusalem had been desecrated with pagan sacrifices and a foreign altar had even been set up in God’s own sanctuary. The revolt of the Jewish people succeeded. They regained control of the city of Jerusalem, they cleansed the temple, and they rededicated the Lord’s house on December 14th, 164 BC. And every year since that time all the way up until the present day, the Jewish people have celebrated that event with an eight day festival called Hanukkah. “Hanukkah” is the Hebrew word for “dedication” and those of Jewish origin are proud to commemorate what Judas Maccabaeus did a century and a half before Christ came.
Jesus himself was in Jerusalem for this festival during the time of our reading today from John 10. “Then came the Feast of Dedication [Hanukkah] at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.” And there, as the people celebrated the dedication of the temple, Jesus spoke to them about the dedication of the Shepherd. While the people were commemorating the place of prescribed sacrifices given to the Lord, the Lord was preaching about the promise that he was giving to them. Jesus really wasn’t all that interested in the Old Testament temple and the offerings that were brought there every day; he was more interested in the sacrifice of his own body that he would soon offer on the cross. He wasn’t concerned about the results of Judas Maccabaeus’ revolt; he was concerned about the results of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. Because the results of what was to come would give his people something more to rejoice about than the restoration of a physical building; it would give them a reason to rejoice about the salvation for their souls! And so during that festival the Shepherd said about his sheep, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” These were words of comfort for a people who could never find comfort in the law. These were words of forgiveness for a people who could never earn forgiveness no matter how many offerings they had carried inside the temple courts. These are words of dedication - from the Shepherd to his sheep. There is no command here. There is no requirement. There is only a promise that your Shepherd will protect you and preserve you in the palm of his hand.
That doesn’t mean you don’t jump out of his hand on occasion! The Lord’s promise doesn’t mean that you can’t reject his helping hand or walk away from his loving grasp in times of weakness and pride. We do that all the time! Sometimes we just don’t want to be in the Lord’s hand. We want to experience things ourselves! We want to try out our own ideas! We want to be “free” to indulge our pet sins every once in a while! Jesus does not speak about our own sinful depravity here. He doesn’t discuss our own wicked habit of ignoring his Word. We are certainly capable of those kinds of things and we have proved it throughout our lives. But the rebellious actions of the sheep do not negate the promise of the Shepherd. Our sinfulness does not rule out his love. Despite our unfaithfulness he is still faithful. He doesn’t abandon us when we fall away. He doesn’t turn his back on us when we ignore him. He doesn’t close his open hand and shake his fist in anger. He reaches out to us. He pulls us in. He welcomes us home.
Consider what the Shepherd went through because he was so dedicated to his straying sheep. His sheep gave up perfection for a piece of forbidden fruit and so he came down to earth as one of them in the form of a baby boy. His sheep failed to keep his commands and so he kept them himself. His sheep were plagued by doubts and so he taught them. His sheep were overcome with worry and so he preached to them. His sheep were weighed down with guilt and so he prayed for them. His sheep hated him and so he loved them. His sheep ran away from him and so he carried a cross for them. His sheep murdered him and so he died for them. His sheep didn’t treat their Shepherd very well at all when he was here on this earth. His sheep don’t treat him well now even though he promises that he is still right here with us. Our Shepherd is dedicated to his sheep. He would have to be! He would have to be dedicated to his sheep to put up with everything he has put up with from his wayward flock!
In just under a month from now we will all be reminded about the dedication of our Shepherd once again because we will be privileged to witness another confirmation day. Two of the young ladies of our congregation will sit up here in front of church and answer some questions so that you can hear for yourself what they believe. They will publically confess their faith. And they will each be given a Scripture passage as their confirmation verse so that they remember what happened on this important event in their lives. It will be our own Hanukkah in a way - a Feast of Dedication. These two young Christians will verbally dedicate their life to being faithful to God’s Word, but they will also be reminded about the Shepherd’s dedication to them. And although John 10:27-28 probably won’t be mentioned in that special worship service, the promise that the Shepherd gives to them in John 10 will still be theirs. And it will be yours as well - just as it always has been. Whether you were confirmed as an eighth grader or not, whether you have been a member of a church for as long as you can remember or you never have been, this promise is for you. This promise is for every Christian. This is your Shepherd talking about you, his lamb: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.” Rely on these words from your Shepherd. Go back to them when you fall. Remember them when you stray. Your Shepherd is dedicated to you. And nothing can ever change that.
Amen.
“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Heb. 13:20-21
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