Third Sunday of Easter (1882)

John 10:12-16 The Word of David, "The Lord is my shepherd"1, is, as Luther rightly remarks, "This is a word of a very rich and full faith; whoever believed this would not concern himself with temporal sustenance and peace in this world." But most people remain cold as ice and hard as a rock in the face of this Word. Many would be ashamed to confess seriously before men: The Lord is my shepherd. Mammon is happiness of the earthly minded. The sensualist grazes his soul on the wretched stubble of sensual pleasure. The ambitious one makes a grab at transitory glory. Luther was right when he called this word: "The Lord is my shepherd" a word of a very rich and full faith; for whoever should seriously confess it must be a Christian. Non-Christians, that is, unbelievers, shepherd a different language. Let us therefore now consider the word of the little sheep of Christ: The Lord is my shepherd, 1. as a Word of a firm faith; a. Christ, God's and Mary's Son, is the Good Shepherd: "I".2 He is the Chief Shepherd in the Church; all other shepherds are His servants. He is the Sun; all Church lights shine in His light. He speaks through all prophets and apostles. He is the Shepherd. What a Word of firm faith, to say in truth: Christ, God of God, Light of Light, the Chief Shepherd, Son of God and Son of Mary, is my Shepherd! I am under His Shepherd's staff! b. this Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.3 He has shown them the highest love. Neither gold nor silver has He proffered, but life and limb, He has given Himself up in death. No hireling does that. So, as the Good Shepherd has given up His life for His sheep, no undershepherd can lay down his life. He, the Lord, has offered His life for the reconciliation of the world. "The Lord is my shepherd" is therefore a Word of firm faith, because it testifies: Christ has loved me so highly and deeply that He gave up His life for my salvation; c. Christ's voice - the Gospel - alone is the true voice of the Shepherd.4 Not the word of men, not even the Law of God is the voice of the Shepherd. On the question: how do I obtain a gracious God, forgiveness of sins, life and salvation? this voice alone gives the right answer. It is therefore a Word of a firm faith that says: The Lord is my Shepherd; for this also means: I hear the

Psalm 23:1. John 10:12. 3 John 10:12-13. 4 John 10:12, cf. John 10:3-5.
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voice of the Good Shepherd and follow it entirely alone for my salvation, for my blessedness, etc.; 2. as a Word of rich consolation; a. Christ knows His own, as His Father knows Him.5 The Father also knows His Son, that He embraces Him with the entire height and depth of His love forever and ever. He knew Him as His own even in the deepest disgrace on the cross. Therefore even Christ, the Good Shepherd, knew His own. O, a Word of rich consolation: The Lord is my Shepherd; for because of that a Christian testifies: the Good Shepherd embraces me with all the richness of His love forever and ever; He recognizes me as His own even against sin, death and hell, etc.; b. Christ is known by His own, as the Father is known by Him. Christ knows, as the Father is disposed toward Him, the same know His own from Him. Christ receives on and on the love, etc., of His Father; so also His own. They know from blessed experience what they have in their Shepherd, what His Word, His Spirit, His merit, His grace, His protection, etc., is. O, a Word of richest comfort: The Lord is my Shepherd; for it contains in itself the perception of what one has in Christ; 3. as a Word of more just and more blessed hope; a. Christ has His sheep not only among the Jews, but also among the Gentiles. He has His elect among all peoples. They all hear the voice of their Shepherd in His time. (This is not the talk from the delusion of Chiliasts.) The Good Shepherd gathers His flock from all peoples through the Gospel. O, a Word of greater hope: The Lord is my Shepherd; for that is why a Christian professes: The Good Shepherd does not cease to gather His people, until He has all His sheep under His staff; b. on the Last Day we will see fulfilled the Word: "and there will be one flock and one Shepherd." Then the Good Shepherd leads His entire flock altogether from sin to righteousness, from tribulation to glory, from disgrace to honor, from faith to seeing, from death to eternal life. O, a Word of more blessed hope: The Lord is my Shepherd; for because of this a Christian testifies: the Good Shepherd will lead me together with all believers into glory, He will give me together with all believers an eternal life; this is most certainly true. Georg Link

John 10:14-15.