4th SUNDAY OF EASTER-B
I
Reading: Acts 4:8-12: This is the only name by which we can be saved.
II Reading: 1John 3:1-2: We shall see God as He really is.
Gospel: John 10:11-18: The good shepherd is one who lays down
his life for his sheep.
The Good Shepherd: Jesus, the True Saviour of the World, 10:11-21
In
the Gospel of today, Jesus himself provides us with a most meaningful answer: I
am your shepherd and you are my sheep. The answer is so simple that even a
child can understand it and grasp its full meaning.
Jesus
Christ is our Good Shepherd because Jesus himself said “I am the good
shepherd.” He is not only good but the best shepherd one who loved and cared
for his sheep or people. Jesus has the following qualities or characters as the
good and the best shepherd:
1.
The good shepherd knows his sheep.
He
knows by name and to the least detail, our needs, at each and every moment of
our life and provides for all our needs in body and soul.
2. The good shepherd leads his flock.
No
shepherd can compare with Jesus in leading his sheep. He leads them to his
Church through Baptism, all other sacraments, through his Spirit and by our
repentance or conversion.
3.
The good shepherd feeds his sheep.
He
feeds them with his own hands and gives them food, drink and heals them when
sick or wounded.
And
no shepherd can ever afford such a nourishing food as Jesus provides for us:
He
feeds us through prayer.
He
feeds us with his Word.
He
feeds us with his own Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Who can give us his own
body and blood to nourish our bodily and spiritual needs?
4.
The good shepherd defends his sheep.
He
defends them against wild beasts and thieves; he watches over them day and
night sacrificing his life, time and comforts. “The good shepherd is one who
lays down his life for his sheep”(Jn 10:11).
This is exactly what he did and saved his sheep/people by giving up his
own life on the cross. Jesus clearly said in his Gospel that “no one has the
power to take his life; he lays it down of his own free will.” (Jn 10:18)- The
Jews killed him.
Jesus
continues to lead us also after his death. He leads, feeds, and defends us
today as effectively as ever before.
We
are Jesus’ sheep. What kind of sheep am I?
i.
Good sheep knows his shepherd.
ii.
The good sheep follows its shepherd.
iii.
The good sheep joyfully accepts the food its shepherd offers.
iv.
The good sheep stays close to the shepherd so as to be defended by him.
Am
I careful to stay away from danger? In the time of temptation or sin.
What
would you say of a sheep that runs away from the shepherd and joins the wolves’
company? Are you one such a sheep?
Jesus
Christ claimed to be “the Good Shepherd.” He is not a bad or a false shepherd.
1. The meaning of “Good Shepherd”
(v.11-13)
a.
A
sacrificial life
b.
Not
a hired or employed shepherd
1)
He
sees danger-acts cowardly, flees
2)
He
cause the sheep to be caught-in error
3)
He
lacks genuine care
2. The proof that Jesus is the “Good
Shepherd” (v.14-16)
a.
He
knows His sheep
b.
He
knows His Father the Owner
c.
He
will die for His sheep
d.
He works to enlarge the pen
3. The final proof is the sacrificial
death and resurrection of Jesus (v.17-18)
a.
The
very reason God loves Him so much
b.
His
death was the supreme act of obedience
1)
Was
Voluntary
2)
Was
a command
4. The reaction to Jesus’ claim
(v.19-21)
a.
Some
reject: call Jesus demon-possessed and mad
b.
Some
question: perhaps Jesus is who he claims
Thought: How
many of us/missionaries work and die knowingly, willingly and voluntarily for
the people of God as a good shepherd in our Church?
Jesus is my
shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the one who never fails in his care of the sheep.
I must decide once for all to be his good sheep.
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