Sunday, May 11, 2025

Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 20:17-35
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

Glencoe is a village in the Scottish Highlands, located in a valley that was shaped by glaciers and volcanic activity. It is known for its scenic beauty, with waterfalls and dramatic mountain and loch views. The town is picturesque and has a museum that teaches local history. The valley has rugged hills and rocky cliffs that are challenging for hikers and climbers. The region has been used in film. We enjoyed the beauty of Glencoe, and though that was the attraction for us, the region is more well known for its history. In the year 1692, government troops tried to massacre and entire clan of people.

The chief of the MacDonald Clan was late in making a vow of loyalty to the king of England. The men in charge were glad to have an excuse to be rid of those people. The betrayal was incredible. The government troops moved into the homes of the MacDonalds and enjoyed their hospitality for ten days. Then one bitter winter morning, the order was given to slaughter the entire population of Glencoe. Most managed to escape, thanks to the warnings of the troops. Only 38 people were killed that day, including children and elderly. Some also died in the harsh weather. Those who survived returned to Glencoe to restart their lives, but the place was never the same. Glencoe is in a narrow valley which has come to be known as the “valley of sorrows” or “valley of weeping.” It has even been referred to as “the valley of the shadow of death.” Glencoe is a place of beauty, but the pain of death lingers on in the minds who remember the massacre of 1692.

It is impossible to walk through this life without being reminded of the pain of sin and death, especially when we hear the daily news stories of violence and hatred all over the world. As we face these valleys in our life, we are reminded in the words of Psalm 23: God is with us, He loves us, and we have nothing to fear in this life. Life does go on, even in the most desolate places.

Those desolate places are different for everyone. For some, it is the grief they are experiencing over hearing about the death of a friend. For another it is in the news recently received from the doctor of an illness. Some are suffering with questions about the future and their financial well-being. Others are facing separation from loved ones as they begin new phases of their life. Modern issues in culture, politics and even religion can also cause people to feel despair. Our desolate places might not seem so horrible to someone else, but for us they are places where we have to deal with fear and our ruin of our expectations.

The words of the Psalm were written by David and they come from his experience as a shepherd. Though Psalm 23 has been comforting for many generations of believers, sometimes the language is beyond our understanding. Yet, we can find peace in the words as we relate them to God’s care for us. These words remind us how our Good Shepherd can, and does, meet our every need, especially when we are in our own “valley of sorrows.”

I am currently reading through what Martin Luther called the Apocrypha, these are deuterocanonical texts. The edition I am using comes with notes from Martin Luther and other Lutheran theologians. The understanding of those books is that they are useful and good to read, but that they are not part of the core canon. Luther also suggests that some of these books are not valuable as devotional works. The Apocryphal books come between the Old and the New Testament, and they provide a bridge between the two. We say that God was silent for four hundred years, and in some ways that is true because there is no authoritative prophetic voice, but the Apocrypha adds to our understanding of God and the history that continued in the world of the Jews.

I am currently reading 1 Maccabees, the story of the Hasmoneans who were the ruling party from 140 B.C. to 37 B.C. It is a tedious history of the wars between nations in that time, although it does provide valuable lessons in faith, courage, and endurance in the face of persecution. The Jews have always been troubled by their neighbors. The writer of 1 Maccabees shows God’s favor on the Hasmoneans, despite the fact that none of those who lead Israel in those days were part of the line of David, or even the house of Judah. It is a book filled with intrigue and struggle, pain and victory, and is helpful to understand the history of the nations at that time. In it we see that the enemies of Israel were not just those from the outside, but also many Jews who had embraced Greek life and culture. Much of 1 Maccabees parallels the reports from Josephus in his writing of the history of Israel.

One of the reasons why the book of 1 Maccabees is valuable to us as a Christian is because Jesus celebrates a festival that comes from an event in that book. In the 2nd century B.C., the Maccabees, who were a priestly Jewish family, took back the city of Jerusalem and restored the Temple. As the story goes, the family of priests, after defeating Antonius, the Jews shattered the statue of Zeus and cleaned the Temple the best that they could. They found the Menorah, but according to Mosaic Law, there was a special ritual oil that had to be used to light it. They only found one flask, and it would take eight days to produce more. Hanukkah celebrates the miracle that one flask lasted eight days, though that story is not found anywhere in the canonical or deuterocanonical texts.

The reason this matters to us is because in today’s Gospel lesson, John tells us that Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication. This is what we now understand as Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights. Earlier in John at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus said, “I am the Light.” (John 8-9) Jesus often compared Himself to the symbolism of Jewish life. We see that in John’s “I AM” statements. While the Menorah stayed lit for eight days, Jesus is the true light. Now, a few weeks later, Jesus was in the Temple celebrating not only the miracle of lights, but the amazing victory of the Jews by the priestly Maccabee family. God bless the Maccabees because of their zeal and faith in the face of persecution. They trusted Him and were committed to upholding Jewish law and tradition. They were not perfect, abusing power and not caring for the people of Israel. They might have been priests, but they weren’t very good shepherds of God’s people. Jesus, on the other hand, is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus’ words in our Gospel lesson today comes in a response to a question. “Are you the Messiah?” There may have been some in the days of the Maccabees that wondered if perhaps one of them was a messiah, a savior. They won many battles. They negotiated deals that eased the oppression on the people. God blessed them. Yet, in the end, like all human dynasties, they fell. None of them were the Messiah.

Jesus was the presence of God incarnate in the flesh of man. He was the light of the world. He was the Good Shepherd. He spoke with authority and performed miraculous deeds of healing and forgiveness. Yet, there were those who did not recognize Him. “Tell us plainly,” they said. Jesus answered, “I have told you.” They did not recognize His voice. When He called, they did not hear. His sheep are those who hear, but hearing is not a passive verb in the scriptures. Hearing is doing, it is acting, it is following, it is obeying.

I remember having a lot of freedom as a child, especially in the summer. I didn’t have to tell my mother where I was every minute of the day. We never knew where we would end up, whose house we would invade, whether we would wander in the woods or go to the arcade right down the street. It would have taken too much time to go home to tell mom every time we went to do something different. We didn’t wear watches. We didn’t worry.

When it was time to go home, Mom would go to the door and yell. I was usually somewhere that I could hear, but not always. She would yell until I came home. She didn’t worry about me; but she became annoyed when she could not immediately find me. I can remember my reaction whenever I heard my mother’s voice calling to me. I was usually disappointed because I was having too much fun with my friends to stop playing. I can still remember her voice crying through the summer evening air calling me home. Sometimes, I confess, I wanted to ignore her voice. Sometimes I had selective hearing.

Those who have children are quite familiar with selective hearing. Kids hear what they want to hear. I am sure that there were times my mom called me more than necessary because I did not hear. The last thing a child wants to hear on a pleasant summer evening is Mom’s voice calling them to go home. I probably heard it with my ears, but I didn’t respond with obedience.

Jesus clearly declared with word and deed the truth of His identity and purpose. He was the Good Shepherd. He was the Light. He was the presence of God they so desperately were seeking in their oppression, and they did not hear because He was not what they wanted for a Messiah. They wanted a new Maccabee who would fight with zeal and overcome with violence the oppression they experienced. They didn’t see how He could be a king; He could not deliver them from their enemy. His teachings were different than the established Jewish thought. They did not want to hear because they had rejected Him. He did not fit into their expectation, so they ignored His voice. They were not His and it was not because Jesus rejected them. They rejected Him.

John was exiled on Patmos when he wrote the book of Revelation. In this week’s text, we see a vision of a great multitude, more than anyone could count, from every nation praising God with palm branches in their hands. In this vision, John tells us that the earthly cares will no longer be concerns for God’s people. We may look to others to be our saviors, but Jesus is the true Messiah, the Son of God who saves.

We acted out this picture of heaven during our worship on Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus’ victorious ride into Jerusalem the week before His crucifixion. The Romans would have understood that moment to be a victory parade, since palms were used to reward returning heroes and the champions of the games. The Jews were also known to carry palms at festive times. As a matter of fact, palms played an important role in the ritual at the Feast of Tabernacles. As the people presented their offerings in thanksgiving to God, they waved palm branches to rejoice over His blessings.

The palm branch means many other things. In Judaism, the palm is a symbol of peace and plenty. It is also believed that the palm represents the Tree of Life. Muslims believe that Mohammed built his house out of palm branches and is therefore a symbol of hospitality. To the ancients, palms were a symbol of the connection between heaven and earth and were also a symbol of longevity. The midrib of the palm was strong enough to be used as a walking stick.

John describes Jesus as the Lamb of God whose blood sets us free. In this vision of heavenly worship, a great multitude from every nation and tongue are standing before the throne of God in white. They are waving palms, just as been done in religious ceremony for generations. The symbolism here can mean many things: God’s victory, hospitality, peace, and strength. It can represent the joy of the multitude and their thanksgiving for God’s blessings.

The white of their robes does not come from their own righteousness, but because they have washed them in the blood of the Lamb. They cry out, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” They sing out praise and thanksgiving to God for to Him belongs the blessing and honor and glory for ever and ever.

In this passage we see the Lamb as the Good Shepherd who will guide His people to the springs of the water of life. They will no longer hunger and thirst; they will not mourn as God wipes the tears from their eyes. This is such a vision of hope and promise; that God is with us. Those who will be standing at the throne of God praising Him will not do so by our own power or ability. John tells us elsewhere in Revelation that the Lamb is like one who was slain. He is the Son of God who was sent to save us, not through military might, but by His own blood. He won the victory by dying on the cross. It is only by His grace that we will wave those palms and proclaim thanksgiving for His blessings.

The Church was bought at a heavy price. Jesus calls us so that we will stay on the right path, to live in obedience the life He is calling us to live. When we read the stories of God’s people, both in the canon and in the deuterocanonical works, we see that it isn’t easy to live according to God’s Word. Generations of people came before us. Over and over again in the scriptures we see that it only took a few generations for God’s people to turn away from Him and follow the ways of the world. Though there were faithful judges, kings, and priests to shepherd the people, their sons often turned to other gods. It took catastrophic events to bring God’s people to their knees so that they might seek His grace and return to Him. Then they'd be faithful for a generation or two, quickly forgetting all that He had done for them.

We might think that because we live under the grace of God that we will be more faithful than those previous generations, but we face the same temptations. We can be led astray by the expectations of the world and the ways of those who have selfish or self-righteous ambitions. Paul warns us that fierce wolves will try to twist the Gospel and lead the people astray.

Paul is warning us that it does not take long for a false gospel to sound right, especially when it tickles the ears of those listening. We can see examples of this in the church today. Leaders get rich selling a gospel that is not what Jesus taught. We forget that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Prosperity gospel and works righteousness are rampant these days. The “shepherds” often seek all the wrong things, like fame and fortune, willing to do anything to get it. Division is caused by those who seek to keep their power, “killing” Jesus for their own sake, like the leaders in His day.

The leaders of God’s church are meant to be like Paul: humble, obedient, and unafraid. He spoke the truth with passion, despite the reality that it would get him killed. Are any of us willing to do the same? Are we willing to tell those wolves that they are wrong? Are we willing to go against the expectations of the world and do God’s will over those of men? The leaders of today’s church must be shepherds that protect the flock. We must be Christ-like, doing His work as God intends. We can do so because God is our shepherd caring for us.

This image of God as the Good Shepherd is a comforting image for most people. Though we do not know what it is like to be a shepherd, we do know that the shepherd loves his sheep so much that he takes care of their every need. He protects them from danger, ensures that they are watered, and leads them to the best food. We see those images in the Psalm for today, along with some other aspects of the life of sheep and shepherds. Water, food, and shelter are vital, but so are those other things, like safety and courage, goodness and mercy, restoration and comfort.

The Good Shepherd provides all the needs of his sheep. He makes the sheep lie down. How many of us could use someone to tell us to go to rest, especially when we get ourselves caught up in so many activities? He leads the sheep beside still waters. Our hectic lives are often chaotic like the churning waters of a fast-running river. We need someone who will make us slow down, walk carefully along a better path, a safer path. He leads the sheep in right paths; He helps us to make the right decisions, to do the right things according to His Word. The most comforting thing about this Psalm is the reminder that God is with us. He is with His sheep.

That’s the key message for this week: God is present among His people. He is there doing miraculous things, and yet He is doing them in ordinary ways with ordinary people. He calls us to do the same. We are tempted to offer so many activities that we are constantly busy, but perhaps we should be encouraging one another to practice a Sabbath rest. We are tempted to go our own way, but we are called to follow a very narrow path. We are called to be God’s presence among the people and in the world, and to do so demands a faithfulness that is extraordinary. We cannot go our own way.

The people in the Temple at the Feast of Dedication wanted to know if Jesus was who they thought He was? They wanted Him to make it clear; they wanted it spelled out in easy-to-understand language. Jesus was the Messiah, but they couldn’t see it because they were looking for someone to do it their way. They didn’t understand that God’s work was not to conform to the world, but to overcome the world. Suffering and death don’t fit when we are looking for prosperity and success.

We might want this life to be filled with the fulfillment of all our wishes and dreams; we want to be satisfied. But that’s not why Jesus came. He didn’t come to make life easy or to give in to all our whims. He didn’t come to make our foolishness acceptable to God. He came to restore us to Him, to overcome sin and death and to provide us with a new life. That life is meant to be lived under the care of God, following His path, doing His work. That means giving up the world. That means being a sheep, but not the kind of sheep that follows every voice. His voice is the only one that will lead us down the right path.

His voice is hard to hear in the cacophony of noise that we hear every day. Every generation faces it, but I think it might be even harder for us. We can't go to the market without being inundated with temptations. We even carry it with us, on our phones and tablets. Everything is acceptable and embraced in our entertainment. Faith is ridiculed as something that is a way for people to blind themselves to the reality of life. God is a myth. Jesus is just another prophet or teacher. The Church is filled with hypocrites and sinners.

Of course, they are right about that last one, but what they don’t see is that God embraces those who hear His voice, and He gives them forgiveness and life. Yes, we fail, but Jesus died so that we might be forgiven. Yes, we wander away, chasing after our own wishes and dreams, but Jesus the Good Shepherd calls our names and draws us back into His presence. Those who do not believe do not hear His voice. They aren’t His sheep, they are of this world. And while it is up to us to share the Gospel with them, we must never allow ourselves to be conformed to the world. When the wolves come, we must be sure to remember the true Gospel, not follow the false gospels that lead us astray.

Jesus answered their question, “I told you, and you don't believe.” I think this is hard for us to understand for two reasons. First, I'm not sure I have found anywhere in the scriptures where Jesus tells us plainly that He is really the Messiah. He says many things that lead us to believe in Him, but does He ever say plainly that He is the Messiah? And those who do not believe because they aren’t His sheep. Why? Doesn’t God love all His creation? Doesn’t He promise His grace to all? How can there be sheep that do not belong to Him?

His sheep are those who hear, but hearing is not a passive verb. Hearing is doing, it is acting, it is following, it is obeying. Paul heard and he believed. He went out and began preaching the message of the Gospel to all who would hear. The Jews heard, but they did not believe. They demanded proof. They wanted to see Jesus do and say what they expected from the Messiah, but Jesus didn’t fit their mold. He refused to conform to their expectations because God had already proven Him to be who He said He was. Jesus’ authority and power were established in the signs (especially in John’s Gospel) and in the words He spoke. Saying “I am the Messiah” would never change their hearts.

Paul knew the truth: it is all about God. He is The Good Shepherd. He is the healer. He is the Savior. Are we ready to be His sheep, to follow Him wherever He leads? Our story might not be as extraordinary as Paul’s, but we are called to do the same thing: to speak the truth, share the Gospel, and live faithfully in this world. We might even be called to die. But whether at the hands of nature or man, death will bring one thing: the eternal life God has promised us.

Do not fear, for the Good Shepherd is nearby. Hear and believe. Go and speak and do as He has commanded. God has chosen you to be the vessel through which He will guard and protect and provide His sheep with everything they need so that we will be part of the multitude that will spend eternity together dressed in white robes, with palm branches in our hands, singing God’s praise and thanksgiving at the foot of His throne.