Ezekiel 34:11-15

          {Prayer}

            The cowboy is the hero of the American wild, wild west. The shepherd is the hero of the Bible. On the surface, both the cowboy and the shepherd look a lot alike. Both are rugged. Both sleep where the jackals howl. Both work where the wild wolves prowl. Both make the stars of night their roof and the pastures their home.

            But this is pretty much where the similarities stop. For example, have you ever seen a picture of a cowboy caressing a cow? Of course not. However, have you ever seen a shepherd with his arms around a sheep or a sheep on the shepherd’s shoulders? Of course. So why the difference? Well, it’s pretty simple. The cowboy leads the cow to slaughter. The shepherd leads the sheep to be shaved. The cowboy wants the meat of the cow. The shepherd wants the wool of the sheep.

            The cowboy wrestles, brands, herds, and ropes. The shepherd leads, guides, feeds, and anoints. The cowboy whoops and hollers at the cows. The shepherd calls each sheep by name. Aren’t you glad that Jesus isn’t the Good Cowboy, but rather the Good Shepherd?

            During this season of Easter, we’re going to be looking at the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, especially the later half of the book. We’re going to call this series All New Things. God could have said … a new heart, a new covenant, a new glory, a new city. And we are going to look at those, but this morning’s topic … A New Shepherd.

            And, oh man, we need Him, we need a shepherd. As we get older, we experience things like the loss of our hearing, the loss of our vision, and the loss of our mobility. We get things like diabetes, depression, and dementia. And, as we get older, we’re likely to experience several of these conditions at the same time.

            There’s more though. Young parents are facing a whole host of challenges in their lives. They have things like securing adequate childcare to advancing their education or landing jobs that can sustain their families. Most never have enough money.

            And then there’s the teens who are in a mental health crisis. Asked about their experiences in a 2022 survey. 60% reported experiencing depression, 66% reported high anxiety, 75% reported feelings of loneliness, and 35% reported having had suicidal thoughts. Why all the pain?

            Because we’re surrounded by sub-standard shepherds. God tells Ezekiel, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel … You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally” (34:2, 4). Who are these so called shepherds of Israel, who is the you Ezekiel is addressing? They are the last four kings of Judah, they are Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. They each gave empty promises. They were full of empty lies and they led people down empty roads. Sound kind of familiar?

            The question is … are you following the wrong person? Are you following the wrong voice? The wrong crowd? The wrong movement? The wrong shepherd? And where does this all get us? Let me put it this way …

            Sheep are like glue. Their sheepskin is full of an oil called lanolin. Lanolin coats the wool so that sheep stay warm in the cold weather, but lanolin also makes their oily wool one of the most effective types of glue known to mankind! Every time sheep lie down … mud, maggots, mildew, and manure. Pretty much anything and everything imaginable sticks to their coats.

            What is it that is sticking to you? Maybe labels people have given you? “Too old. “Too young.” “Too dumb.” “Too ugly.” What’s sticking to you? What labels you are giving yourself? “Totally alone.” “Totally helpless.” “Totally hopeless.”

            We typically do everything we can to rid of these labels. Some take chemical vacations. Others get lost in the fantasy world of online gaming. Still others pour out all their anger and frustration on someone else.

            The good news is … we have a shepherd! And His specialty is … label removal.

            The LORD takes matters into His own hands. “Behold, I, I, myself will seek … I will search for my sheep … I will search for my sheep … I will rescue. I will bring them … I will gather them … I will bring them … I will shepherd them … I will shepherd them. I myself will shepherd … I myself will cause them to lie down” (Ezekiel 34:11-15). There are seventeen references to God in just five verses. Sheep, sheep like you and me, we need this new shepherd who is so dedicated to his sheep. And John 10, our gospel reading, it fulfills Ezekiel 34.

            The Shepherd is good. Twice Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). How good is Jesus? When I get lost in the lunacy of labels, Jesus loves me and forgives me. When I follow those substandard shepherds, Jesus leaves the 99 and comes searching for me. When I’m confused by the voices in my head, Jesus calls be my name. Jesus gathers me into His arms until I’m better. He holds me until I can live with the hurt. He carries me close to His loving heart forever. The Shepherd is good, very good!

            The Shepherd is giving. Jesus says numerous times, “I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11, 15, 17, 18). Christ’s death stands as the central point of John’s Gospel. John’s Gospel has 21 chapters. Palm Sunday takes place in Chapter 12. Good Friday is Chapter 19. That’s 38% of the gospel focusing in on the events surrounding Christ laying down His life for His sheep. And how did He do it?

            The Good Shepherd became a Lamb. Isaiah 53 says, “He was led like a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (53:7). The Shepherd became a butchered, slaughtered Lamb.  Let that sink in for just a moment. The Shepherd became a butchered, a slaughtered Lamb.

            He did it, willingly, to take away our labels. You know, the ones that say “I unloaded on my kids again!” “I’m a sorry excuse for a Christian!” “It’s too late for me to start over!” Isaiah says, “The LORD laid on him the iniquity of us all” (53:6). Paul says, “He who had no sin became sin for us” (2 Cor. 5:21). Peter says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). The Father put every label on the Lamb! Not just one or two, but every single label.

            On August 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines flight 255 crashed after taking off from Detroit, killing 155 people. There was one survivor, a four-year old girl named Cecelia.

            Rescuers found Cecelia in such good condition that they thought she’d been in one of the cars that the plane crashed into. But that wasn’t the case. Cecelia’s name was on the list of passengers. Later it was discovered that Cecelia survived because her mother wrapped her body around Cecelia to save her daughter from the force of the crash. In doing so, Cecelia’s mom gave up her life.

            Christ did the same thing for you. Jesus wrapped Himself around you and took on the full force of the crash. That’s what happened when the Father put all our labels on the Lamb. Then what did Jesus say? “It’s begun?” “It’s initiated?” “It’s a work in progress?” No. In John 19 Jesus says, “Tetelestia”, “It is finished” (19:30). Salvation is complete. Paradise is open. Access is restored. Sin is forgiven. Christ is alive! Can it get any better than this? Yes, yes it can! And it does!

            The good and giving Shepherd is also gracious. “I have other sheep that are not part of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice” (John 10:16). Listen to Christ’s gracious voice, “I will not only take away all of your ugly labels, I will clothe you in beautiful righteousness.” How does Jesus do this? Through Baptism. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

            What that means is this … when our Heavenly Father looks at you, He sees Jesus! He doesn’t see our labels, the Father sees the Lamb. Baptized into Christ, we’re now, “Complete” (Colossians 2:10), “Free from condemnation” (Romans 8:1), “God’s temple” (1 Corinthians 3:17), “God’s workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10).

            Poema is the Greek word behind “workmanship.” Poema is where we get our English word “poem.” You’re God’s poem, You’re an exquisite masterpiece, a stunning work of art! The best name though, is still “sheep.” Thirteen times in John 10 Jesus calls us “sheep”. Sheep of the Good Shepherd.

            We can lose all our labels now. We can set them on fire, we can blow them up, we can toss them in the trash. We look so much better as sheep, as sheep of our new Shepherd. Amen.

            The peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, guard your hearts and minds in our good, giving, and gracious Shepherd, Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.