Jesus, Lamb of God; Jesus our Good Shepherd
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Calling himself a Shepherd and his followers sheep would have been a familiar metaphor for his listeners. Sheep thrived on the tufts of grass on the hills of Judea – where other things couldn’t grow -- and they needed shepherds to watch them. David was a shepherd before he became King of Israel and learned a few lessons about what it meant to care for the vulnerable as he sat with his slingshot, keeping an eye out for predators. When he became King, he like other rulers was called to “shepherd,” to care, for his people like a good shepherd cares for his sheep. The Psalmist uses the image of a Shepherd for God in the 23rd Psalm, as the Psalmist and we proclaim, “the Lord is my Shepherd.”
So, it is not surprising that we find sheep and shepherd imagery in the Revelation to John.
Revelation is a book that many – including me – often avoided because it has been mis-used over the years. But when a woman begged me to do a Bible study on Revelation because she was plagued by some of the things that she had heard and read – like the “Left Behind” series and wanted to know what the Bible really said, I relented. I’m glad I did and I want to share a few highlights of what I learned – especially as reflected in our passage today.
First a little background: The Revelation to John is a letter written by John (because of the date of the letter this is probably not the disciple John). He is on the isle of Patmos during the height of the Roman empire – he may have been exiled there because of his faith. We don’t know any more details but we do know he had an apocalyptic vision and shares it with seven churches. John was concerned about these churches. Some of the churches dared to live out their faith publicly, proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” in the midst of an empire that proclaimed “Caesar is Lord.” The people in these churches were struggling economically and were in danger of persecution. But other churches quietly worshiped on Sunday and then accommodated the empire on the rest of the week – they didn’t make waves and were rewarded for it. John’s letter offers a word of comfort to those who are suffering for their faith and a word of challenge to those who “going along.” He encourages both to follow the Good Shepherd and not the empire. So, everything in this letter – which is a vision – is a word to these churches and to each of us as we make choices about who we will follow -- the Good Shepherd or the Empire of our day.
Our text for today begins with what John sees: “there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.” This is in addition to the 144,000 that he’s talked about in the last chapter. The number has swelled – and it includes people from every nation, every tribe, every language and culture. There is a great diversity. John can’t count the number. And what are they doing? They are having church! They are waving Palm branches like we do on Palm Sunday. They are worshipping the Lamb of God and they are singing. “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Ever wonder where the lyrics for our hymns and worship music comes from? More come from or were inspired by the book of Revelation than any other book of the Bible.
But then John gets asked a question: Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” John wisely responds: “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal.”
This is a message to the members of the churches who have suffered for their faith. Their faith has not been in vain. But as with other things referenced in Revelation “the great ordeal” is not limited to one event in time or space. People of all generations experience challenges to living out their faith honestly and authentically. There is always the temptation to get comfortable or complacent. The encouragement of Revelation is to dare to follow Jesus.
The elder goes on to say: “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
There are many paradoxes in the book of Revelation. Anyone who has done laundry knows that blood is really hard to get out of clothing and, if you want something white, you wash it with bleach – not blood. But this is the paradox - their hearts and souls – as well as their robes are being cleansed by the blood of Jesus, the lamb of God. They were washed, cleansed, made new and whole by what seems as if it should stain them.
The final paradox of this section is that Jesus is referred to as the lamb of God – and the shepherd. Just as there are many Biblical references for the role of shepherds, there are also Biblical references to lambs. God gave Abraham a lamb to sacrifice instead of his son Isaac. God told Moses to put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts to avoid the plague of the angel of death. Lambs had been used for sacrifice throughout the Old Testament. But while prophets had proclaimed the coming of one who would be a sacrificial lamb, it is in the first chapter of the Gospel of John that Jesus is proclaimed as, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This is who John of Patmos is proclaiming in the the Book of Revelation and who we proclaim Jesus to be at every communion service as we sing the Lamb of God.
But Jesus is also called “the Good Shepherd” – both in the Gospel of John and here. Here is the paradox: Just as Jesus, son of God, took on flesh so that he could be one of us and die for us; Jesus is both the shepherd who cares for the sheep and the lamb who died for them and in whose blood, we are made new.
And these are the promises of Jesus, the Lamb of God who is our shepherd. Those who follow Jesus “will hunger no more and thirst no more…for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
These are the promises of Jesus, the Good Shepherd for you.
In response: we are to dare to follow Jesus – and not the Empire. We are to follow the way of Jesus who teaches us to love and welcome the neighbor, the other, to care for the sick, the marginalized, the poor. And even though it is easier or tempting to be distracted by the false and tempting offers of “success” by those whose interest is in enriching themselves, Jesus invites us to follow him and his way. For Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”
Following Jesus means listening to the voice of Jesus. I can think of no better way to listen to the voice of Jesus than by engaging in prayer, Bible study and worship. These practices build the foundation of faith.
When we pray, we are inviting God to enter into our lives and I encourage you, in your praying, to take time to: praise and thank God for the gifts you have received; ask God for forgiveness for the things that you have done and failed to do; share with God your questions and concerns and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Ask God to guide your thoughts and your actions for that day. AND THEN… listen. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” In order to hear Jesus’ voice, we need to listen.
Bible study is not just for Sunday school and confirmation. It is taking the time to read God’s word and apply it to how we live our daily lives. When we do Bible study together, we are seeking God’s direction for our lives – rather than all of the other sources that seek to influence what we do with our time and our lives and the money and resources that we have. How do we spend the time we call “ours”? How do we spend the money we call “ours”? Who do we serve? Who do we protect and care for? Who do we advocate for? Who are we following? It’s less about having head knowledge and more about learning how Jesus would have us act in the world. Jesus sent his disciples out into the world – and sends you and me out too.
Finally – and with great joy -- we worship together. I say together, because when we worship, we are joining a crowd of witnesses both on earth and in heaven above praising God and being strengthened for love and service. So let us sing joyfully. Because no matter what challenges may come your way, or our way, Jesus is still Lord of heaven and earth. So let us join in praising Jesus, the lamb of God, our shepherd and Lord. Amen.
May 11, 2025 + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran