Our family was looking to purchase some lambs at the spring livestock auction. A pair of cute lambs were brought into the arena. Eagerly I raised my hand a few times to bid while our children beamed with excitement at their potential new pets. For better or for worse those two lambs, Helen and Hector, would be part of our family for a few months.

Helen and Hector were, shall I say, ”foolish”. They would wander into danger. They needed to be guided, fed and protected. At first, these two lambs were very cute, but they soon were quite a handful.

Now to our Creator, we humans are not lovable sheep. We are worse than a handful—we are open rebels as Scripture declares: “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). As sinful sheep we are all “dead in our trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). We are lost sheep without a shepherd. So it is with great joy we learn from Jesus that He is our Good Shepherd who leads us to life!

The Church regularly recognizes a “Good Shepherd Sunday,” soon after Easter. This Sunday reminds us that Jesus alone is the Good Shepherd who took away our travesty of sin and death. “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)

Jesus took our place under the law, as well as laid down His life in His bitter suffering and death on the cross. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who, “gives His life for the sheep. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have the power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (John 10:11, 17-18)

When our “pet” lambs first came to our family, we enjoyed feeding them with a warm bottle of milk. Jesus sends forth teachers of the Word to feed us with His Word and Sacraments. St. Paul states, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11) The proclamation of the Gospel is the Good Shepherd’s continued work as the Prophet of God as Jesus says to Peter, “Feed My lambs…Tend My sheep… Feed My sheep.” The Good Shepherd lovingly protects us and feeds us through the pastures and still waters of the Public Ministry of His Word.

Sheep can make nice pets. They can learn to trust us. A shepherd will not have to have them on a rope or in a fence at all times. The flock can rest, move and graze freely under careful supervision of the shepherd.

Notice the intimate acquaintance between Jesus and His sheep. “I know My sheep and am known by My own….My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:14, 27). He knows our hearts, our sin, and our largest and smallest concerns. We know His grace, forgiveness, and love. We have fellowship with Him. We know His voice as He speaks to us through His Word. We speak to Him in prayer and He listens to us!.

At this season of Easter we are again going to celebrate “Good Shepherd Sunday.” As part of Easter we celebrate the fact that Jesus, the Good Shepherd died for us, rose for us, feeds us, protects us and keeps us safe in His flock of the Church. Our Good Shepherd, Jesus, is leading us to live in His heavenly home.

Robert Harting is pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Indianola, Iowa.