This coming Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. The theme of the Good Shepherd is evident in the Gospel and the Hymn of the Day. An emphasis is made on the power of the Good Shepherd. In the Gospel, Jesus says he has power to lay down his life and to raise it again. How does this fit into the Easter season, a celebration of the Resurrection. Jesus has power to rise from the dead.
Jesus explains the parable of the good shepherd. An explanation is made of what constitutes a good shepherd in contrast to a hireling. Emphasis is laid upon the fact that Jesus’ death was voluntary. The shepherd has an intimate knowledge of his sheep. There is one flock with one shepherd. The basic point is that the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
– Psalm 23; Antiphon, John 10:14, 15b – The Fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The Introit combines the twenty-third psalm with a portion of Jesus’ words from John 10. One of the key verses of Psalm 23 is verse 3: He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who restores our soul by laying down His life for His sheep. By this sacrificial act, He redeemed us, that we may be righteous in God’s eyes.
Collect for Psalm 23: Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your church, you give us new birth in the waters of baptism you anoint us with oil, and call us to salvation at your table. Dispel the terrors of death and the darkness of error. Lead your people along safe paths, that they may rest securely in you and dwell in the house of the Lord now and forever, for your name’s sake.
Sources:
Image of the Lost Sheep and the Good Shepherd © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
Collect for Psalm 23, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book for and by the Church, The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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