Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church-Friedheim
Celebrating our 167^th Year

A 21^st Century Parish with a 1^st Century Faith
Acts 2:42

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I.          The Shepherd is a door. Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep” (v.7) Do you know why Christ is the only door to the heavenly pasture?

A.   He went out of a door, the door of His Father’s house. He left that house to be born in a stable and to live, die and rise again for our sake and for our salvation. 

B.   He had a door slammed in His face, on the bloody cross. Being abandoned by His Father Jesus cried from the cross, “My God My God why hast thou forsaken me?” {Matthew 27:46} The Father slammed the door of heaven right in Christ’s face. Jesus pounded on that door until His knuckles were bloody and red and raw. No answer! Christ alone was in the fire and the God-forsakenness of hell for us. He endured that torture that we might look forward only to the blessings of heaven.

C.   He went through the door, the door of death on Good Friday.

D.   He came out the door, the door of death on Easter. And by going through that door and coming out again, He has become your door to the heavenly pasture.

II.          As your shepherd Jesus is deeply concerned with each individual sheep. “…He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.” (V.3)  

A.   The Good Shepherd calls His sheep by name, not number. What a comfort! You are not just a registered number, an anonymous digit, to the Shepherd. You do count, in the eyes of Jesus, the One who counts most of all. He calls you by name.

B.   In Baptism He called you. Are the water and word of Baptism a stern lecture, a spanking for straying? No! He calls you in Baptism to lead you out, to lead you out of the bondage to the devil, to hell, to death and sin. He called you in baptism to bring you to good and safe grazing in His pasture. Jesus calls His sheep out for pardon and life, not for condemnation and death. 

III.         As a Shepherd Jesus goes before His sheep. “…He goes on ahead of them, and His sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” (V.4)

A.   You don’t have to worry about the future. The Shepherd is ahead of you making it good and glad and safe for you. In the Shepherd Psalm, Psalm 23, David reminds us, “Thou preparest a table before me” i.e. pasture land before me, right under the nose of your enemies.

B.   You don’t have to be frightened by death. He still goes before you even in that experience. He knows the way, every inch of it. He stands by with rod and staff.

A.   A robber has only one motive for his actions. That is to get goods out of people, to take them. The robber comes to milk them for what they are worth.

B.   Not so with the Good Shepherd. He doesn’t care to get things out of us, things like obedience and love. We are not worth very much in those things. It really wouldn’t pay Him to rob us. The take would be too small. Our Shepherd doesn’t come to get things out of us. He comes to give, to give His life as a purchase price for our pardon and eternal blessings.