The Fourth Sunday of Easter - 5.3.2020 · The Fourth Sunday of Easter May 3, 2020 Jesus, our Good Shepherd, says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Denver—1

The Fourth Sunday of Easter

May 3, 2020

Jesus, our Good Shepherd, says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” By his resurrec-tion Jesus proved that he had, through his innocent life and death, paid for the

sins of all people of all time. Knowing that every sin has been forgiven, we enjoy peace with God. What’s more, our Good Shepherd equips us each day to live for him as we serve others in thankful response to his love.

OUR

FOCUS

ZION

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN

CHURCH AND SCHOOL

W E L C O M E A N D I N T R O D U C T I O N O P E N I N G H Y M N

The King of Love My Shepherd is (Christian Worship 375)

1 The King of Love my shepherd is 2 Where streams of living water flow, Whose goodness fails me never; My Savior gently leads me; I nothing lack if I am his, And where the verdant pastures grow, And he is mine forever. With food celestial feeds me.

3 Confused and foolish oft I strayed, 4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill But yet in love he sought me With you, dear Lord, beside me; And on his shoulder gently laid Your rod and staff my comfort still, And home, rejoicing, brought me. Your cross before to guide me.

5 You spread a table in my sight, 6 And so through all the length of days A banquet here bestowing; Your goodness fails me never. Your oil of welcome, my delight; Good Shepherd, may I sing your praise My cup is overflowing! Within your house forever!

I N V O C A T I O N

M: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.


C O N F E S S I O N A N D A B S O L U T I O N

M: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me

according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

M: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen. K Y R I E

M: Lord Jesus, you forgive us all our sins . . .

Lord Jesus, you feed us with the Word of Life . . .

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life . . .

Minister

Kyrie eleison is a

transliteration of a

Greek phrase

meaning, “Lord,

have mercy.”

Congregation


G L O R Y T O G O D

The choir introduces the refrain the first time. All join in singing the succeeding refrains as indicated.

Choir: Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Refrain

Choir: Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take awaythe sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

Refrain

Choir: For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Final Refrain


S A L U T A T I O N

M: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you. P R A Y E R O F T H E D A Y

M: Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Good Shepherd who laid down your life for the sheep. Lead us now to the still waters of your life-giving Word that we may abide in your Father’s house forevermore; for you live and reign with him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

W O R D F I R S T L E S S O N

1 Samuel 17:34-37 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.” (NIV84)

P S A L M O F T H E D A Y

Psalm 23

The vocalists sing the refrain the first time. The congregation joins in singing the refrain after the verses.


Vocalists: God is my shepherd, so nothing shall I want; I rest in the meadows of faithfulness and love; I walk by the quiet waters of peace.

Vocalists and congregation: Refrain

Vocalists: Gently you raise me and heal my weary soul; you lead me by pathways of righteousness and truth; my spirit shall sing the music of your Name.


Vocalists: Though I should wander the valley of death, I fear no evil, for you are at my side; your rod and your staff, my comfort and my hope.


Vocalists: You have set me a banquet of love in the face of hatred, crowning me with love beyond my pow’r to hold.


Vocalists: Surely your kindness and mercy follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of my God forevermore.


S E C O N D L E S S O N

Hebrews 13:20, 21

20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (NIV84)

V E R S E O F T H E D A Y

The choir introduces the refrain.

All sing the refrain.

The choir sings the verse of the day:

Your words, O Lord, are spirit and life, you have the words of everlasting life.

All sing the refrain.


Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“Now that’s a good shepherd.” If there were any people who had seen young David caring for his

flocks, I’m sure that’s what they would have said. “Now that’s a good shepherd.” Can you imagine a

witness telling the story? “This young man – this kid, really – he’s out in the fields, watching over his

flock when suddenly, out of nowhere, a lion just comes crashing into the pasture. Before the shepherd

could move, the lion grabs a sheep between its teeth and takes off. But that’s when things got inter-

es*ng – the shepherd chased the lion down! With one swing of his staff, the lion was stunned, and the

sheep was free! And then, just when it looked like the shepherd was about to become lunch– he grabs

the lion, gives it one more smack with his staff and… wow. The Lion? Dead. The Shepherd? Unharmed?

And the sheep? Safe. Now that’s a good shepherd.” The fourth Sunday of Easter is o3en called “Good

Shepherd Sunday.” And as good a shepherd as David was, this Sunday isn’t about him. It’s about Jesus,

our Good Shepherd. In fact, it’s about Jesus, our Great Shepherd. In our epistle lesson, a prayer found

at the end of Hebrews 13, we see what makes Jesus our Great Shepherd. Our great shepherd shed his

blood for his sheep, and he equips his sheep.

H O L Y G O S P E L

St. John 10:1-10

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV84)

H Y M N O F T H E D A Y

Jesus, Shepherd of the Sheep (Christian Worship 436)

1 Jesus, Shepherd of the sheep, 2 In your promise firm we stand; Who your Father’s flock does keep, None can take us from your hand. Safe we wake and safe we sleep, Speak–we hear–at your command, Guarded still by you. We will follow you.

3 By your blood our souls were bought; 4 Father draw us to your Son; By your life salvation wrought; We with joy will follow on By your light our feet are taught, Till the work of grace is done, Lord, to follow you. There to live with you.

5 We, in robes of glory dressed, Join th’ assembly of the blest, Gathered to eternal rest In the fold with you.

S E R M O N

Hebrews 13:20-21 (Scripture text printed on page 5)

J E S U S I S O U R G R E A T S H E P H E R D


In our epistle lesson, Jesus is called, “That great shepherd of the sheep.” And that really fits what the

book of Hebrews is all about: it’s about showing how Jesus is superior. In Hebrews 1, we see that Jesus

is a superior prophet to all the old testament prophets. In Hebrews 4 through 7, we see that Jesus is a

superior priest to all the old testament priests. And when we come to Hebrews 13, our reading for to-

day, we see that Jesus is superior to any old testament shepherd, too. But why does that ma>er? Well,

there’s only one reason. The only reason we should care that, “Jesus is our great shepherd,” is if we

realize what that makes us. If Jesus is the great shepherd, well, then that makes us sheep. And if you

look closely at who we are and how we act – “sheep” is just about the best comparison there is.

When we hear the Bible call us “sheep,” I think we o3en get a cute “cartoon character” type of picture

in our heads. That image of a cute li>le lamb, wool white as snow. But that was not the kind of picture

that would have popped into the heads of the first readers of the book of Hebrews. These readers,

who knew a thing or two about sheep, knew that sheep weren’t cute – they were dirty. They were

foolish. And they were helpless.

When we see the picture of that cute li>le white-as-snow lamb, we don’t realize how o3en sheep don’t

look like that. Sheep can get dirty. They can be disease-ridden. In fact, modern-day shepherds will even

go through the process of dipping their sheep in powerful chemicals because that’s what it takes to rid

them of all that dirt and disease. And, of course, these sheep are almost always blissfully unaware of

how dirty they are.

And that makes a lot of sense because sheep are not the smartest creatures. If someone outside the

context of church were to call you a sheep, you probably wouldn’t take it as a compliment. People use

that term as an insult – it’s someone who is easily tricked or someone who can’t think for themselves.

And that’s really what sheep are – they’re the perfect storm of stubbornly wan*ng to go their own way

while at the same *me mindlessly following the other sheep around them.

And maybe worst of all, sheep are helpless. They’re extremely needy, even when they don’t know

what it is that they need. No*ce how the sheep in David’s Old Testament account doesn’t fend off the

lion with claws or teeth and the rest of the flock doesn’t join together to defend their friend. That’s

because sheep don’t have sharp teeth or claws. They don’t defend each other. They have absolutely no

way to take care of themselves against their enemies. In other words, sheep wouldn’t survive without

a shepherd who washes them clean, directs their ways, and protects them from harm.

It’s not very fla>ering to be called a sheep – a dirty, foolish, helpless sheep. But, remember what we

said before? If you look closely at who we are and how we act – at least from a spiritual perspec*ve –

“sheep” is just about the best comparison there is. When it comes to being spiritually dirty, by nature,

we are just like sheep. In fact, God’s word o3en uses the picture of being unclean or filthy to talk about

our sin. On our own, we don’t realize how deeply infected we are by sin. And when it comes to being

spiritually foolish, by nature, we are just like sheep. In fact, God’s word goes a step further and calls us

“spiritually dead” by nature. On our own, we don’t know what to believe or do. And when it comes to

being spiritually helpless, we are just like sheep. In fact, God’s word tells us that the devil is like a lion.

On our own, we would quickly be overtaken by him and our other enemies: sin and death. In other

words, we are just like sheep – we wouldn’t survive without someone who washes us clean, directs our

ways, and protects us from harm. Thanks be to God that we have a shepherd who does that.

Jesus is our shepherd. A shepherd knows that his sheep get dirty – so he washes them clean. And that’s

exactly what Jesus does for us. Jesus washes us clean from every last sin we’ve ever commi>ed. A

shepherd knows that his sheep are foolish – so he directs their way. And that’s exactly what Jesus does

for us. Jesus gives us the direc*on we need to know which way to go. And a shepherd knows that his

sheep are helpless – so he watches and protects them. And that’s exactly what Jesus does for us. Jesus

promises us that he is with us always, and that he protects us against all sorts of spiritual danger.


And what makes Jesus be>er than any other shepherd is how he did all this – by shedding his own

blood – the blood of the eternal covenant as the writer to the Hebrews calls it in verse 20. Even David

– a shepherd who defeated bears and lions for his sheep – even David didn’t shed his own blood and

die for them. God saved David from those enemies. But with Jesus, it was different. Jesus went to the

cross and faced enemies much more terrifying than lions and bears – he faced the devil, the sins of the

en*re world, and the condemna*on that threatened his sheep. But instead of being saved from those

enemies – Jesus faced them alone, as he shed his blood and gave his life to save us, his sheep. And Je-

sus didn’t just die for his sheep. He rose from the dead for them, too – an act that assures us that we,

too, have life in his name. And his resurrec*on also means that his sheep can have peace, knowing that

he didn’t only shepherd them in this one *me of great need, but that he lives and will con*nue to

shepherd them – to equip them with everything they need.

And that’s really what this prayer – this lesson from Hebrews – is asking God to do: “to equip you with

everything good for doing his will, and [to] work in us what is pleasing to him.” And our great shep-

herd con*nues to show his greatness as he answers this prayer.

Just think of how a good shepherd equips his sheep with everything good. He gives them clean water

to drink. He gives them a field of grass to eat from. He gives them shelter. He provides them with eve-

rything they need to live as his sheep. That’s how our great shepherd equips us – he gives us every-

thing we need to live as his sheep. He equips us with everything good – our *me, our talents, our vari-

ous callings – all these and more, so that we can live as his sheep.

And just like any other shepherd, our great shepherd works with purpose. A shepherd doesn’t give his

sheep water just because. He doesn’t give them food just because. He doesn’t give them shelter just

because. No, he works with purpose. He gives them water so that they can stay alive. He gives them

food so that they can grow stronger. He gives them shelter so that they can be protected from the ele-

ments. Our great shepherd does the same thing with us. He equips us with everything good for a pur-

pose. He gives us our *me so that we can spend it doing his will. He gives us our talents so that we can

use them doing his will. He gives us our callings – our rela*onships and jobs – all of these so that we

can live according to his will.

All of that would be worthless if we had no way to know what our great shepherd’s will is. But our

shepherd gives us an important tool to know his will: he gives us his word. His word is the authorita*ve

last-word on what is and what isn’t his will. In that word, he directs you. He says, “If you’re a parent or

child, here are some ways to do my will – parents, raise your children up in the faith and children, hon-

or your father and mother. If you’re an employer or employee, here are some ways to do my will: em-

ployers, treat your workers with respect and employees, work faithfully as if for your Lord. If you’re

younger or older, here are some ways to do my will – young people, respect those older than you and

older people, set an example for those who are young.” And where he doesn’t give specifics, he sum-

marizes what his will is – love. Love God and love your neighbor. Love them like your great shepherd

loves you.

That’s an incredibly high standard – love like your great shepherd loves you. Love like the one who

gave his very life for you. That standard would lead us to despair if not for the last phrase of our lesson:

may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever.

Amen. We aren’t alone in doing the work. In fact, it’s really God who works this good in us, through

Jesus, our great shepherd. He is the driving force behind your ability to do his will. He works through

your bap*sm – a miraculous source of power for doing his will and a source of peace for when you fail

to do his will. He works through the Lord’s Supper – a miraculous assurance that your shepherd really

shed his blood for you. And he works through that new spirit inside you – a spirit that desires to do

God’s will purely because of how grateful you are to be a sheep belonging to Jesus, our great shepherd.


T H E N I C E N E C R E E D

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven,

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

“Now that’s a good shepherd.” Even be>er than David – Jesus is our great shepherd – the best shep-

herd there ever was or will be. He’s our great shepherd because he shed his blood for his sheep. He

rose from the grave for his sheep. And even now, he con*nues to shepherd us, his sheep, by equipping

us with everything good to do his will. So let’s close with a prayer – the same prayer that the author to

the Hebrews prayed – asking that he would con*nue to shepherd us: May the God of peace, who

through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great

Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us

what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.


O F F E R I N G

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for

God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all /mes, having all

that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

-2 Corinthians 9:6-8

P R A Y E R O F T H E C H U R C H

M: Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd, we have heard the sound of your familiar and loving voice in the gospel and have feasted in the green pastures of your Holy Word. Bless your Word in our lives. Use its message to nourish and sustain us as we journey through this life to the next.

C: Give us joy in knowing that you laid down your life for the sheep–even sheep like us.

M: Gracious Shepherd, we are truly confused and foolish without you. Forgive us for the times we wander from you and stray from the call of your voice. Restore us to your fold, and protect us from the evil one. When Satan comes in the sheep’s clothing of false teaching, expose his lies and guide us in your truth.

C: When temporary pleasures beckon us to follow the wide road to hell, use your rod and staff to curb our sinful nature and lead us in paths of righteousness.

M: Guiding Shepherd, bless your Church with faithful under-shepherds–pastors who proclaim your death and resurrection as they minister to the souls in their care. Continue to feed the lambs in your flock as you bless efforts to teach children to know you, their loving Savior.

C: Give all ministers of the gospel an unwavering devotion to your Word and a passion to share it.

M: Loving Shepherd, we pray also for those who are not in your flock. Let your voice be heard in all the world. Prosper the work of our missionaries at home and abroad. Give us all the zeal and courage to share with our friends and neighbors the good news of sins forgiven.

C: Use our witness to gather your people into one fold under your care.

M: Tender Shepherd, look with special care on all who suffer from loneliness, disease, accident or loss. Lift them into your comforting arms, and embrace them with the warmth of your love.

C: Carry them through life’s troubling times. Renew hope and joy in their lives.

Special prayers and intercessions may follow.

M: Eternal Shepherd, when our days on earth come to an end and we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, lead us safely to our eternal home.

C: There we will enjoy your goodness and mercy forever. Amen. L O R D ’ S P R A Y E R

C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory

forever and ever. Amen.


H Y M N

Shepherd of Tender Youth (Christian Worship 515, stanzas 1, 4-5)

1 Shepherd of tender youth, 4 Oh, ever be our guide, Guiding in love and truth Our shepherd and our pride, Through devious ways, Our staff and song. Christ, our triumphant king Jesus, O Christ of God, We come your name to sing By your enduring Word And here our children bring Lead us where you have trod; To join your praise. Make our faith strong.

5 So now and till we die Sound we your praises high And joyful sing; Infants and all the throng Who to your Church belong Unite to swell the song To Christ, our King.

B L E S S I N G

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.

C L O S I N G H Y M N

The Lord’s My Shepherd (Christian Worship Supplement 766)


Soli Deo

Gloria Reprinted under OneLicense.net #A-705801:

Jesus, the Compassion of God © 1999 GIA Publications, 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638

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The Fourth Sunday of Easter - 5.3.2020 · The Fourth Sunday of Easter May 3, 2020 Jesus, our Good Shepherd, says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”