We all have voices we listen to... and sometimes those voices are not trustworthy.
In a few months, Melissa will have a baby. Her husband Brad will tell you that lately she has become much more intentional about talking to their son. In one of their pregnancy books, Melissa read how babies can hear their mother’s voice around 26 weeks. So, Melissa talks to her baby, even though he is still in the womb.
Melissa loves the idea that, when her son is born, he will recognize her voice. Her husband teases her about it. Brad leans down and jokingly uses his best pirate voice to form a connection with his son. Melissa, however, is serious. She speaks to her baby because she wants him to recognize her voice. To have her child recognize her voice is important to Melissa.
“Imagine what it will be like,” she says. “When our baby comes into the world, he will be surrounded by strange noises and new people.” But then, she looks at Brad and says, “But when I speak, he will hear me. He will know he is with someone who loves him, who has been speaking to him even before he was born or knew what words were.”
I thought of Melissa when I read the words of Jesus for Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand” (10:27-28).
Jesus uses the metaphor of a shepherd and sheep to talk about God and His people. He tells us He has created a world where, when He speaks, we will hear His voice and recognize Him as our shepherd.
What a blessing it is to have that promise from God. The one who created us will not leave us alone to find our way through this world. Instead, He sends His Holy Spirit so that, when He speaks, we will hear and recognize the voice of someone who loves us and has loved us from before the world was made.
In our text, Jesus is speaking into an argument. The religious leaders are not sure what to make of Him. Some are saying He is insane and others that He is possessed by a demon. When He claims He and the Father are one, they accuse Him of blasphemy. “You, being a man, make yourself God” (10:33), and they grab stones to stone Him.
But Jesus is not afraid of their anger. He is not scared of their rejection. In fact, He is willing to bear their rejection because they cannot stop what He is doing. What Jesus is doing is not blasphemy. It is mercy. They think Jesus, being man, has made Himself God. In fact, it is the opposite. Jesus, being God, has taken on human flesh and become man. Not only has He taken on human flesh, but He has become human in order that He might suffer and die for the sins of the world.
What Jesus is doing is not blasphemy. It is mercy.
Like a shepherd, He will lay down His life for His sheep. He will suffer and die under the punishment for sin and then rise from the dead and proclaim the triumph of His love. Though they kill Him, Jesus knows that His Father will raise Him from the dead and deliver into His hands His sheep. Nothing can separate sinners from God’s love. With this proclamation of love, Jesus will gather His sheep. And, having gathered them, He will guard them as He leads them through this world.
Today, Jesus invites us to stop and listen, to hear this message. God, the Father, has set His heart on us. He has given us Jesus and then given us to Jesus, and no one will ever snatch us from His hand.
What a blessing it is to have this message from the gospel reading. It breaks through the voices of our world and assures us of God’s love.
We all have voices in our lives that we listen to. It could be a teenager who listens to her likes on an Instagram post. Several times a day she checks her app to see if she is loved. It could be a college student who listens to his fraternity’s definition of a good time. After a long weekend of partying, he hopes he is accepted. It could be a convenience store clerk who cannot get the voice of his father out of his head. Every day, he hears his dad telling him he will never amount to much.
We all have voices we listen to... and sometimes those voices are not trustworthy. Think of the voices in your life that have not proven trustworthy.
A co-worker encourages you to share your ideas with her and tells you she has your back. But, later, you find out she presented your work as her own and is receiving a promotion to supervise the implementation of your concepts.
A neighbor talks with you about her struggles in marriage. You try to support her and share with her some of your own difficult times. Later, you realize she has shared your marital difficulties on Facebook, and you feel betrayed.
In this world, there are voices we cannot trust.
How beautiful, then, is our gospel reading. Jesus speaks to us and assures us of His love. He is both our Good Shepherd and our Gracious Savior, guiding us through the voices of this world to the voice that speaks of a love for us before the world began.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on John 10:22–30.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching John 10:22–30.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaeching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
