FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (April 26, 2026)
The Crucified and Risen Lord Jesus Christ Is Our Good Shepherd
Although we “were straying like sheep,” the Lord Jesus Christ has willingly suffered and died for us, bearing our sins “in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24–25). We are healed by His wounds (1 Peter 2:24), and in His resurrection He gathers us to Himself as our Good Shepherd, by whose righteousness we “have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Now through other shepherds whom He calls and sends in His name, He guards and keeps us in the green pastures of His Church, leading us beside the quiet waters of our Baptism and spreading the feast of His table before us. Since He has called us by the Gospel to be His own dear sheep, we also “hear his voice” and “know his voice” (John 10:3–4) in the faithful preaching of His Gospel, and we follow Him by faith. When we receive His Gospel, we have the abundant life and common unity of the entire flock under one Good Shepherd, in “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship” and in “the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
Readings for this Sunday: Acts 2:42–47, 1 Peter 2:19–25, John 10:1–10
Good Shepherd Sunday
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Grace, Mercy and Peace be to You from God our Father, and the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
He is Risen, Indeed, Alleluia!
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, a day set aside in the church year as Good Shepherd Sunday. And on this Day, we remember and study the texts that describe our God and King, Jesus Christ, as the Good Shepherd.
Last week the word we focused on was HOPE. Jesus is our living HOPE. Because He died and rose again, we have a sure and certain HOPE. A HOPE based on a promise that comes from the one who can tell no lies. And so our HOPE is secure; our future is firm because Christ has said so.
Today as we focus on the image of our Risen Lord as the Good Shepherd, another word that comes to my mind. The word is COMFORT. This is what the image of Jesus as our Good Shepherd brings to us. It brings us COMFORT. Because it conveys to us this basic reality…that although we are weak and face many challenges and trials in our lives, yet our Shepherd is with us. He is watching over us, taking care of us, protecting and defending us against all our enemies. That is his job, that is his work, and this brings us COMFORT… especially when we face so much uncertainty, sorrow, frustration and need in our broken and sin-sick world.
In my experience, it is not unusual for people to name one of these Good Shepherd passages… often times it’s Psalm 23… as their favorite passages of scripture. And the reason is the comfort and peace they draw from this image, this reality, that our Lord Jesus is watching over us as our Good Shepherd.
So let’s take Psalm 23 as an example.
The psalmist writes,
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
This kicks off the imagery as we imagine our Lord, the mighty one who saved us, who is victorious over sin, death and the devil, now watching over us, with all His strength and wisdom and the will to protect us. And He provides for all of our needs of body and of soul, according to the riches of His grace and mercy…so that we do not want. And even when do face times where we lack something, we can endure that because of His presence and strength.
Next,
THE LORD, my SHEPHERD, makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters
He restores my soul.
Green pastures…an idyllic image, especially for a sheep. It conveys this idea of absolute peace, security, comfort, and provision. It is a safe place, where God, our Shepherd, provides.
And then, still waters. Another idyllic image — an image of refreshment, drinking deeply of water that quenches our thirst. The image of water is, of course, widely used in the Bible. Often it is an image of the the Word of God, the Gospel, which is and brings to us life… this is the same imagery we see in Baptism, by which we are washed clean with water and the Word and made children of God — the old is washed away, drowned in the flood, and the new person, alive in Christ, is established, and restored, down to the very soul of the person.
The psalm continues:
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
(Psalm 23:1-3)
Here is God’s leadership…the direction and the guidance that we desperately need, so that we are not lost in this world, but found and filled with purpose, because we are at the Shepherd’s side, following Him.
What wonderful, comforting words we have here. What an image of peace and provision from the hand of God!
But then the psalm changes it’s direction, just a little bit. The shepherd is still there, but something else is there too. Adversity. Struggle, Trial, Temptation.
We see this in verse 4 :
4 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.
The shepherd is still there, to guide and comfort and provide…but the setting has changed. In the first verses we were in this idyllic environment…green pastures, still waters. There was a sense of safety and security, conveyed by that setting. But now the setting is different. Now the psalmist describes walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Those are frightening words. Death is there. The last enemy. And he is casting a terrible shadow. A shadow, which means encroaching darkness.
Back in 2020, my family and I were living in New York City. I know that in the history of the world there have plagues that were far worse in scope than COVID-19. But still, living in the city at that moment, we saw a glimpse, a small taste, of what it means to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. In the parish we served, we had several members who became gravely ill. Friends and neighbors of the congregation got sick and some died. It was terribly frightening to see and hear of morgues filling up. It was quite plainly, not a setting or situation that made us feel secure at all.
Yet here in the psalm, though the psalmist is experiencing this frightening circumstance, he declares that he will “fear no evil.” Though evil is all around, he will not fear. Why? Because the shepherd is with him, to protect him with the rod. The rod which fends off enemies of the sheep. And the shepherd also guides with the staff…the staff which that directs the sheep into the proper path.
The key to facing even the valley of the shadow of death is the presence of the shepherd. The shepherd is there, even in the most challenging and frightening of circumstances. And indeed, it is the presence of God, rather than the circumstances of life, that provides peace, comfort, security. This reminds us of the words of the apostle Paul, which remember, he wrote while imprisoned in Rome:
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13 ESV)
Paul is not saying that he can accomplish any ambitious goal that he has with God’s help. He’s not saying, I can move mountains and achieve greatness because I believe in God. No, he’s saying that he can ENDURE all things…good things and even bad things, life, and even death. Because the shepherd is with him, and that’s where true security is found…so that even the valley of the shadow of death can be a place of peace and security when we walk though it with our Lord, Jesus.
Let me say that again:
Even the valley of the shadow of death can be a place of peace and security when we walk though it with our Lord, Jesus.
…
The psalmist goes on:
5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Again, this is not an ideal setting…there are enemies present. Looking at us with a desire to, steal, kill and destroy. But the shepherd is present too. He is present to set the table for us and to bless us, His sheep, with blessings that overflow beyond anything that could be expected.
The psalmist concludes by returning us to an ideal setting in verse 6:
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Now we are back in the house of the Lord, back in the green pasture by the still water. Now we are back in a place that brings us a sense of peace and comfort, goodness and mercy. And we have the promise that it will be this way for God’s lambs, God’s sheep, all the days of their life.
What a beautiful picture this psalm gives us of our life as children of God, as sheep belonging to the good shepherd.
And Jesus adds to this image in the Gospel for today. As with the 23rd Psalm, Jesus describes the reality of threats to the sheep. There are thieves and robbers prowling about the sheepfold. The devil is seeking to devour you poor sheep. But Jesus is there. Jesus is here. And He knows His sheep, he calls them by name, he leads them and protects them…He lays down even His own life for their sake…for your sake.
You know… these words are for you. Jesus is your good shepherd. The good shepherd who has come to give you life, abundantly. Who is with you now and forever. Who protects and defends you against all enemies and provides for your needs. He has laid down his life for you, even though you, like all sheep, have gone astray.
Yet Christ ran after you, pursued you, saved you by taking your sins from you and bearing them for you on the cross. And now, and forevermore, you are secure by faith in Him. And that is true, even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. WE are secure. Christ has our lives and our future in His hands. And no matter what we face, we know that one day soon, we will find ourselves in the house of the Lord where we will dwell forevermore.
And on this day we receive once more the pledge and token of His presence and promise to us. For here in the valley of death’s dark shadow, Jesus is with us. He sets the table for us. He blesses us with Words of Comfort and Peace and with the true food of His body and blood, given and shed for you.
And this table, set for you, even in the presence of your enemies, this reminds you and declares to you that your sins are forgiven. That you have hope and a future. Because your good shepherd is here and He stands with you to protect and defend you, to lead and guide you, now and forevermore.
Amen.
And now the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds until the Day of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
He is Risen, Indeed, Alleluia!