Today’s Gospel is one of those very well known. Everybody knows Jesus as a good shepherd. You probably had seen a picture or a painting of Jesus with a staff holding a sheep in his arms. All of us heard before Psalm 23 that begins with words: The Lord is my shepherd…

Let us take a closer look at this well known Bible passage and see how it connects to our everyday lives and our future. To be able to see the whole picture Jesus portraits here, we first need to look at couple previous verses.

In the beginning of chapter 10 Jesus first uses the picture of shepherd and sheep to describe a very close and personal relationship between him and his followers. Jesus says: I know my sheep by name, I lead them out, and I go ahead of them.

Jesus is making sure that we understand how closely connected he is to us. He says: I know you by name. You are not just a member of a crowd, you’re not just a number in register, but you are very special to me – so special that I know you by name. And that’s not all. Jesus says: As a good shepherd I will walk with you, will lead you, will go ahead of you, but not too far. Just as far that you’ll still hear my voice that you’ll feel close to me and save in my presence.

And as every relationship has to have two sides, then Jesus describes the position of his sheep. That’s us my friends. Jesus says very simply: My sheep follow me because they know my voice. (pause)

Do we follow our good shepherd? Do we know his voice? If a child hears the voice of its parent in a crowded room it’ll right away start follow that voice. When a child sees a parent it runs to him or her, for it knows them, knows that it’s save in mommy’s or daddy’s arms and that it’s loved.

Do we follow our good shepherd? Do we know his voice? (pause) Jesus says: My sheep will never follow a stranger in fact they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. Every good parent will teach their child about the stranger danger. For we live in a dangerous word and we want to make sure that our children know who they should listen to, who they should follow and where and when they should be cautious.

Who do we follow? And what are the voices we’re listening to? Is the voice of our God for us still a voice of comfort and peace? Or is it becoming a voice of a stranger, a voice that we barely recognize and thus it’s difficult for us to trust this voice and to follow it.

This is what it’s about. Jesus talks here about a living relationship based on communication and trust. And you are probably asking: Why Jesus? Why he should be the one to listen to, to follow and to trust? Well Jesus uses another picture to answer this question. He says I am not only the shepherd but I am the sheep gate for the sheep. And whoever enters through me will be saved, he will find the pasture, he will have life to the full.

Is this a promise worth listening to? Is this a promise worth follow? You might think, yeah this is pretty good, but there are many who promise me the same thing. Save and plentiful life isn’t that what we all strive for? The world knows it and it tries to offer it to us. There are many who try to lead us, who try to tell us that they have the answers, that they have the “know how”, that they have the truth.

I can tell you that the world is doing a great job with its glamour and pomp. And we listen to its voice and we get seduced. And we start to follow and it is the voice of our shepherd that becomes more and more strange to us. And if you think about it, if I’m happy, if I’m blessed, if I have everything I need, why should I follow Jesus, how is he different?

Jesus answers this question, and in our Gospel reading he answers is 5 times, in eight verses 5 times. He says: The good shepherd lays his life for the sheep. He says: I lay down my life for the sheep. I lay down my life for you. I lay down my life for you. I lay down my life for you. (pause) Nothing in this world will say these same words to us. No one of this world will be willing to give up their life for you. Here is the difference.

Jesus says: The hired hand sees the wolf coming and leaves. The hired hand runs away because it does not care for the sheep. Who do you listen to? Who do you follow? Is it someone who is willing to lay down his life for you, who know you by name, who has power to give you real life to the full or some who doesn’t care and will run away or simply vanish?

Jesus says: I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Jesus calls us back with his opened arms. He calls us back to his safety. So he can give us something this world cannot give. And he reveals to us the truth in verses 27 and 28 that weren’t part of our reading today, but cannot be separated from the words we just read.

In these verses we read: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never parish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. No one can snatch you out of Jesus’ hands as seek safety and comfort in his presence. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ when you follow his voice and his lead.

For when we walk with him we enter through him into a new life, life eternal. And this life starts here on earth as we listen to God’s word, as we live it out, as we find comfort and peace in it but most importantly this life continues in Christ says: I have authority to lay my life for you and authority to take it up again. No one else in this world had this authority. No one else in this world will give you this promise.

In the beginning of this sermon I asked a question: Who’s voice do we listen to and who do we follow? My prayer is that no matter how far you were led astray, that no matter how far you feel from Jesus, that no matter how long time ago you truly heard his welcoming voice, my prayer is that his voice will be able to touch your hearts and bring you back, back to safety of his flock where real life is given, in the full.

Amen