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Alleluia! Jesus Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

᛭ INI ᛭

Jesus makes a sure and certain promise. It’s an undying promise, even as He is risen from the dead, “never to die again, death no longer has dominion over Him!” Because Jesus “was crucified, died, and was buried,” because “on the third day He rose again from the dead,” because He’s now undying forever, all of His promises are certain and sure and forever and undying.

He cares for everything that’s His. “By Him all things were made” “in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1) Jesus gives of His Father’s bountiful goodness. Co-reigning with His Son, the heavenly Father sends rain both to the righteous and the unrighteous. Ruling with His Father, Jesus makes His sun rise both on the evil and on the good. Jesus cares for the birds of the air. Jesus cares for the lilies of the field. Jesus also cares for His sheep.

When He talks about His “sheep,” He’s not talking about “the beasts of the forest or the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Ps 50) He’s talking about “the dear lambs who hear the voice of their shepherd” (SA), who listen to Him. He’s talking about those who live and believe in Him. His sure and certain and undying promise is this:

“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.”

From His promise we confidently say and believe:

JESUS ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP.

(I. Jesus is the True Shepherd of His sheep.)

JESUS ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP because He’s the true Shepherd of His sheep. He is crucified and raised for them. That message, that Good News, is of “first importance,” the Gospel that “Christ died for our sins ‘according to the Scriptures,’ that he was buried, that ‘the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures.’” As He also says, “I’m the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. I lay My life down that I may take it back again.”

Jesus also promises: “My sheep hear My voice.” That’s His promise to speak to them. Not some demand for them, but a description of them and His promise for them. He speaks to them in His Holy Word. That’s of course the Bible—God’s Word, Jesus’ Word, the Word of the Holy Spirit. It’s also His Word tied to water in Holy Baptism. It’s His Word delivered in Holy Absolution. It’s His Words spoken over bread and wine to bless them in Holy Communion. It’s His Word preached in sermons, His Word sung in hymns and liturgy, and His Word in the forgiveness we speak as Christians to one another. In all these ways Jesus keeps His promise.

Through His Word He shepherds them to Himself. This always involves bringing us back to Himself where He delivers His Word of forgiveness and mercy. Through His Word of forgiveness, His “goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our life.” Psalm 23:6 literally means that Jesus’ goodness and mercy “pursue us,” “chase us,” “hunt us down.” He wants to make sure we have them, so He established His Word and Sacraments, after all JESUS ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP.

(II. Jesus’ sheep are those whom He saves.)

But what are you to make of His sheep? What can you say about them? Are they anything special or spectacular? Nah, they’re sheep! But they’re His. They’re His “treasured possession.” (Ex 19:5) His sheep are only “white as snow” because He’s died for them, risen for them, and by doing that He purchased forgiveness for them. They are forgiven not because they’re worthy of it. His mercy is exactly that they are unworthy!

His sheep aren’t just some wildflowers of the field. They aren’t just chickadees or finches or robins. He does care for them that way. But they are more. They were bought with a price, “you were bought with a price” (1 Cor)—“not with perishable things, like silver or gold, but with the priceless blood of Christ, like a Lamb without spot or blemish.” (1 Pet 1) So, we regard “no one according to the flesh any longer.” (2 Cor) No matter if their name is Roy or Aaron or you! All of us died for!

Jesus sheep do listen to His voice as He pursues them with it all the days of their life. They hear His voice, listen to it, trust it. They trust Him and all that He says and promises. To them He says, “I give you eternal life and you’ll never perish.” In many ways He says it! Holy Baptism, as inspired St. Peter says, “Saves you.” It is “your appeal to God for a good conscience.” “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,” Jesus promises. In Holy Absolution, the Lord again says, “I give you eternal life and you’ll never perish,” just with different words, “I forgive you all your sins.” As inspired Paul says today, “The Gospel message saves you” because in it Jesus says, “I give you eternal life and you’ll never perish.” At Communion, too, the Supper of His body and blood, Jesus promises the same thing. Eating His body and drinking His blood for the forgiveness of sins contains His promise that “whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life and I’ll resurrect him on the Last Day.” (Jn 6)

JESUS ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP. He pursues them with it in all those ways, until He shepherds them to the pastures of eternal life. There they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. “In My Father’s house are many rooms,” He says. “I go to prepare a place for you.” (Jn 14) “‘Christ, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world,’” (Jn 1:29) “who sits in the midst of the throne, will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eye.” (Rev 7)

(Conclusion.)

JESUS ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP. That’s His sure and undying promise, “just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.” (SC) He pursues His sheep with it all the days of their life. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16) His sure and certain words.

But His sure and certain words today hold true at every stage of life, through the valley of the shadow of death, at the resurrection, and throughout life everlasting. His promise isn’t just for birds or flowers, but for His sheep! JESUS ALONE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE TO HIS SHEEP. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God,” this Word of our God, “endures forever.” (1 Pet):

“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.”

Alleluia! Jesus Christ is risen!
He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

᛭ INI ᛭