I am The Good Shepherd

 I am The Good Shepherd

April 29, 2012

The Rev. John Wilkinson 

As some of you know, when I retired from the Navy and moved to Staunton, I bought a small farm and raised sheep, so this gospel lesson has significant meaning to me in a personal way.   After I joined Trinity I decided to peruse ordination to the Diaconate.  During that process, I took a course entitled EFM (Education for Ministry) and we studied among other things the four Gospels and were delighted when we came to John as it seemed to have huge meaning for all of us.  While engaged in the course, I found some information by a Philip Mc Larty a New Testament scholar which stated Staunton, I bought a small farm and raised sheep, so this gospel lesson has significant meaning to me in a personal way. 

After I joined Trinity I decided to peruse ordination to the  Diaconate.  During that process, I took a course entitled EFM  (Education for Ministry) and we studied among other things the four Gospels and were delighted when we came to John as it seemed to have huge meaning for all of us.  While engaged in the course, I found some information by a Philip Mc Larty a New Testament scholar which stated AOf the four gospels, John is clearest in proclaiming the divinity of Christ, so when I received my assignment to preach about today’s Gospel, I decided to reread the entire Gospel of John and it’s amazing how many references he makes to support this conclusion.

Now   In today’s opening verses of chapter one, he writes, the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God."


For John, it's clear: Jesus and God are one and the same. As Jesus told his disciples, "He who has seen me has seen the Father.  Jesus is the heavenly Word from which all things were created.

In the fullness of time, he came into the world to redeem us from our sins and show us how to live in peace and harmony with each other. In the classic words of John,

"The Word became flesh, and lived among us it’s not that the other gospels deny the divinity of Christ; it's just that  John emphasizes it so often. And he does so in a cryptic sort of way so that, if we're not paying close attention, we might miss it altogether. It's embedded in the phrase, "I AM."

 In a word, this is the Old Testament name for God – Yahweh –  the, creator of the heavens and the earth. We find this in the  book of Exodus and the story of the burning bush.  Moses  was Keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Ethos, when he saw a strange sight – a bush was on fire, except that it didn't seem to be consumed. He went over to take a closer look. As he stood before the bush, he heard a voice: "Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground." Moses did and fell on his face, and  the voice said,  "I am the God of your father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I have surely seen the affliction of my people and have heard their cry, for I know their sorrows Moses didn't say a word. Then God said,   now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to me and I will send you to Pharaoh, hat you may bring my people, out of Egypt."  At first Moses said,  "Who  Am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring The children of Israel out of Egypt but God wouldn't  take no  for an answer. So, Moses asked, “Behold, when  I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you;" nd they ask me, "What is

His name? What should I tell them?' God said, 'I AM WHO I AM,' this is my name

Forever,  This is what John has picked up and placed throughout his gospel: Jesus is the great I AM of the Old Testament – God   in human form.  In the lesson for today: "I am the  good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own.  I lay down my life for the sheep."

I know one other way that the sheep will follow you and that is if you have the grain bucket. When we had sheep   whoever fed the grain would shake the bucket and the sheep would all hear it and run to where you were.  Other sheep in the pasture would see them run and come scurrying for the grain trough.     But John’s saying is only one of many examples. He also says, "I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life."  "I am the way, the truth, and the life. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

John would have us to know that every time Jesus says, "I am" – and these are only four of fourteen examples in John's gospel – he is referring to himself as Yahweh, Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Word made flesh.   Of the four gospels, John is clearest in proclaiming the divinity of Christ. In the opening verses of chapter one, he writes, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. His name was in the beginning  with God."

For John, it's clear: Jesus and God are one.  He is the divine Word from which all things were created. In the fullness of time, he came into the world to redeem us from our fallen state and show us how to live in peace and harmony with each  other. In the classic words of John, "The Word became flesh,  and lived among us.  we saw his glory, From his fullness we  all received grace." It's not that the other gospels deny the divinity of Christ; it's just that John emphasizes it so. And he  does so in a cryptic sort of way so that, if we're not paying
 close attention, we might miss it altogether. It's embedded in the phrase, "I AM." In a word, this is the Old Testament name for God – Yahweh – the Lord God Almighty.

We find this in the book of Exodus and the story of the burning bush. Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, when he saw a strange sight – a bush was on fire, except  That  it didn't seem to be consumed. He went over to take a closer look. As he stood before the bush, he heard a voice: "Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy  ground." Moses took off his sandals and fell on his face, and the voice said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and t Jacob, I have heard their cry and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, thechildren of Israel, out of Egypt."
 
Pharaoh,  Then, Moses asked, "'Behold, when I come to the children of Israel, and tell them, "The God of your fathers has  sent me to you;" and they ask me, "What is his name?" What should I tell them?' God said  “I AM WHO I AM,' This is my name forever,

What I want to emphasize God's name: I AM, because this is  what John has picked up and placed throughout his gospel: Jesus is the great I AM of the Old Testament – God Almighty in human form.” I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and  I'm known by my own… I lay down my life for the sheep." But this is only one of many examples. He also says, "I am the light of the world.  "I am the way, the truth, and the life  "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me I will still live, even if he dies.


John would have us to know that every time Jesus says, "I am"  and he is referring to himself as Yahweh, Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Word made flesh. But the best example comes in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prays to God to take this cup –from him, at the side he hears the footsteps
 of the soldiers coming to arrest him. He asks them, "Who are you looking for?" And they reply, "Jesus of Nazareth." And  he answers, I AM." When he said this, the soldiers drew back in fear and fell prostrate on the ground before him.

Here's the point: I AM is the holy name of God, and,  throughout his gospel, this is how John refers to Jesus.
He wants us to make no mistake about it: Jesus is the Word made flesh, God Almighty in human form.  The reason this  is so important is because knowing who Jesus is helps us to be clear about who we're not.  And knowing that who we're not opens the door for us to receive the fullness of God's peace and love.  Knowing who you're not is the first step to  experiencing the fullness of God. For example, instead of having to have all the answers and be totally self-sufficient, we can look to God to lead and guide us and supply our needs  along the way. God calls us to trust him and live by faith. Jesus told his disciples not to worry about such things as food and clothing that God would provide.   Thenhe said, "But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; knowing the great I AM means we don't have to have all the answers. We can live with a certain amount of ambiguity. Knowing Jesus also means it's not up to us to call the shots. We can be responsible without feeling like the weight of the world is on our shoulders.


Remember also what Jesus said to his disciples, come to me, all  you who labor and are heavily burdened, And I will give you  rest. In Jesus' day the Pharisees so emphasized the letter of the Law that no one could possibly measure up. Instead, Jesus emphasized the spirit of the Law and taught his disciples That the secret to life in all its abundance is to live in a  Community with each other. "Bear one another's burdens.


Each of us has an important role to  play in the building of God's kingdom on earth, but it's not  all up to us. It’s in God's hands, not ours. It’s easy to look over your shoulder and compare your lot in life to others. This can be a fatal trap. It leads to resentment, the feeling that Others are getting a better shake than you. It also leads to passing judgments – which others aren’t getting the punishment they deserve. Either way, it amounts to playing  God,. Jesus said, “Don’t judge,  so that you won’t be judged. It’s not for us to say who’s righteous and who’s not, that’s for God, to say.

O.K., here’s where I’d like to conclude: Jesus is the great’
I  AM, God Almighty in human form. And knowing who he is
 can make all the difference for us in availing ourselves of
 the power of his love. I’ll end with just one more example: Jesus said, “I am the bread of ‘life.
As we come to communion today, may we gather together
 Confident that, in so doing, He is with us and we are not
 alone. Amen