Easter 3 Misericordia Domini – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. John 10:11-16 “Mercy and Goodness”
April 19, 2026 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father, out of Your fatherly goodness You have been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and have given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd, not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech You, grant us Your Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd knows us and helps us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same, Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 155)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 10th chapter of the Gospel according to St. John. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
“I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who with His staff guides and keeps us in His fold under His protection, who continues to call us back and comforts us with His voice, dear fellow redeemed:
From mighty castle walls to trenches, a defensive posture is created when you are trying to protect yourself from an enemy. It could be as easy as climbing up a hill to seek an advantage or to get away. It could be simple like a little door or a gate to a pen. No matter the situation, if there is a worry about a danger that might invade a space, you will do anything to plug up the hole to keep the danger out and the space safe to inhabit. As our enemy comes like a wolf, searching to score us as a meal, our God puts on a defensive show. It is a passive and active one of great proportions. For the enemy to eat, it means for him to see our death. This enemy is cunning, it strategizes, and it will lay various traps to get you to come out into the open. And when he attacks and even chases away hirelings, he ultimately will run into the great defense of mercy and goodness.
And Jesus very beautifully lays out what this mercy and goodness looks like. In verses one through five of this section, Jesus reveals the closeness He has with His sheep. In the next section, verses seven through ten, He points out how he cares for his sheep. Now in our section for today, we hit the climax. The climax describes something the people would have known. An image that has been with them since their nation was born. All the way back even to Abel, the flock was cared for and the first fruits of the flock were given to the Lord in sacrifice. Sacrificing is a part of worship and what sets this apart from the other nations. The foreign nations had the practice of sacrificing people and when it was brought into Israel, this was very bad. As God does not permit this, in the Old Testament prophecies, there is a servant who will be sacrificed for the nation, not an animal. This sacrifice though is set a part as Jesus reveals the Good Shepherd sacrifices Himself for them.
This self-sacrifice, this action of selflessness, is the opposite of what had been taught for a while. Israel’s leaders were motivated instead by self-interest. This selfishness was foretold. Zechariah cried out, “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones” (Zechariah 13:7). The Shepherd was going to come to take care of His flock. And while it looks as though the poor Shepherd is struck, Zechariah is hiding information within this prophecy about this strike. All hope is not lost because of the striking of the Shepherd. The Shepherd stood next to the LORD of hosts and the Shepherd knew this was coming.
Not only does He know this, but He knows of all of the dangers that face the sheep. Before the wolves come, the thief comes to try and climb his way into the fold. For the most part, the sheep are smart as they know the voice of the Shepherd and when the thief speaks, they do not know his voice. The thief, like the wolf is consumed with one thing and that is to kill the sheep. The Shepherd counters because the Shepherd gives new life. As long as we are in this life, even the new life is constantly under threat. Like the religious leaders, of the day, there are still leaders that will have selfish interests in mind. There can be a popularity contest which brings a nice temporal reward. This is a warning for anyone who wants to take care of the sheep. There will always be a temptation to use the job for a means instead of its intended outcome. To usher the sheep from the fold to the green pastures of paradise.
And while we wait for that ushering, sometimes we are able to find the holes in the fold and wander out even as the Good Shepherd stands there. It is amazing He hears our cries when we have wandered out into the wilderness where predators are waiting to devour us, where we are content in our sins. Our selfish hunger that we can sometimes give into does not compare to the hunger of the predators that lurk in the darkness trying to ingest us for all eternity. It is in these moments that as the Shepherd hears our cries, we do not hear the Shepherd’s voice. He is always calling and this is the voice we know. For many of us, we have been hearing this voice for our entire lives. Whatever stage we are in when it comes to hearing His voice, this voice calls out for one reason and one reason only. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:1-3).
Jesus is the only one who can bear this name. From King David to Jesus Himself telling the world, He does what is needed to protect the sheep from all danger. For the protection of His flock for all time, He continues to speak to it. The Good Shepherd’s voice is heard in His Word. The Word that continues to be preached and His sheep hear it and know His voice. Through hearing it and believing what He has to say, the sheep identify themselves as the Lord’s sheep, for He knows who are His as St. Paul writes, But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Through the hearing of the Word and departing from iniquity, the sheep will not hear, “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’ (Matthew 7:23). As the hirelings, thieves, and wolves truly work for the lawless one, the lawless one doesn’t stop the Shepherd’s plan to save the sheep.
Jesus reveals the Lord’s mercy with this picture of a shepherd protecting his sheep. And this picture like all other pictures reveals how Jesus is the only way of salvation because of all He does for mankind. He states, “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). The many sheep that have been placed into the fold by Him were surrounded by predators. In the attack, selfishness is beaten by the selfless act. The predators strike and kill the shepherd. What feels like defeat was the plan for the sheep to be able to survive in the fold without fear of the creatures that hunt them. A plan that is heard from the trusted Shepherd’s voice, a plan that ends with the perfect distribution of mercy and goodness.
The Shepherd who has all power and glory. The Shepherd who saw every time the sheep have strayed and left the fold, wandered from His voice, who didn’t have to deal with the hirelings, thieves, and wolves, filled the gap between the danger and the sheep. And to reveal the complete mercy and goodness He has, He takes up the sheep’s sins on His shoulders to die on the cross. Now, instead of the sheep being marred, filthy, and destroyed, the sheep are still covered with fleece that is white as snow. The shepherd did not abandon them with His death. As the sheep are supposed to be given in sacrifice and do not regain their lives, the Shepherd takes His up again. This is an intimate relationship between the Shepherd and the sheep, a true living of mercy and goodness. For as the Shepherd takes up His life, He confirms to the sheep that His great and loving sacrifice counts as theirs so they may live.
You live as you see the shepherd and the sheep finding the comparison to the Father and the Son. It is a relationship of mercy and goodness that doesn’t overlook, but selflessly takes the sin away. You know how difficult the struggle is to get rid of the selfishness of life. It tries to sink you into the depths of the valleys of life, and because of the selflessness of the Father and the Son you can say, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me (Psalm 23:4). You have no fear because Jesus not only walked this valley, but died on the cross and rose from the grave destroying the shadow completely. Through this prayer His Shepherd voice speaks to you saying, “I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
This does not happen unless it is a true intimate relationship with you which it is. He knows every part of you. He knows your struggles, pains, and He knows your sins as He suffered for them all. What joy you have that you get to hear this wonderful voice. As He speaks to you this mercy and goodness, the mercy and goodness of taking away your sins, in His voice He teaches how this mercy and goodness is for all. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience (2 Corinthians 5:11). The comforting voice of the Shepherd speaks His Word of comfort through you. He will continue to search for His sheep, searching for the ones who have forgotten their baptismal grace and the ones who have never heard Him until now. Undeserved for all people, and yet given to all people. Given to you so you may confess, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:6). Dwell in His house where He is forever. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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