Sermon – “The Good Shepherd” – April Karli

May 5th, 2020 | Josh Williams

This Sunday April led us through John 10:1-10. We considered what Jesus meant when he used metaphors calling himself the good shepherd and a gate.

Scripture and Quotes:
Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

“It matters that he [Jesus] is king. For people without status in the eyes of the world…life becomes manageable knowing that the King of the Universe is on your side…it matters that Jesus was Jewish and poor, a resident of an occupied territory. The gospel is not just about a savior who didn’t sin, but about one who places himself in solidarity with marginalized humanity, “taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2:7). Not only does the death (and resurrection) of Jesus matter, so does his life.”  — Dennis Edwards

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