Passion Sunday Lent V

 Passion Sunday. Hosea 6:1-6; Epistle:  Hebrews 10:1-25; Gospel:  St. John 10:17-38 Sermon- "  I Give Them Eternal Life & They Shall Never Perish"

   In the near East there is told the story of a traveler who was traveling with a guide, and came across a shepherd and his sheep. The man showed him the fold into which the sheep were led at night. It had four walls with a way in.  " That is where they go at night?" " Yes, said the shepherd, and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe."  " But (said the traveler), but there is no door."  " I am the door said the shepherd."  He was speaking from the arab shepherd's standpoint.  The traveler said,  " What do you mean by the door?"  Then said the shepherd. "When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in that open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door."  Morgan, The Gospel of John

This is the sacrifice the Shepherd makes for us too.  He places His body on the Cross for us.  Today we remember the Passion (Suffering & Sacrifice) of our Lord.

1."Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" John 10:17

10:18 says Jesus has authority to lay down His life .  

The divine nature of Christ is seen here. vs. 30 " I and my Father are one"

Hymn "Ah Holy Jesus"

" Who was the guilty?  Who brought this upon thee?  Alas my treason, Jesus hath undone thee. Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; I crucified thee"

2. " My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, they follow me, and I give them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand"10:28

When I was in North Dakota...I drove the small bus and picked up the kids. One of my kids was from a Lutheran family.  He was about 8.  I got the word that he and his father were riding in the pasture, and the horse drug the boy.  He must have fallen.....He cried out, " father. help me."  Too late.  These were the words from John,  I used at the joint Service with the Lutheran pastor who I played tennis with.  There were over 500 people at the Memorial. I can still see him getting on the school bus.

10:29 makes it clear. " My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."

This quote got me. below. 

" If there is no silence beyond and within the many words of doctrine, there is no religion, only a religious ideology.  For religion goes beyond words and actions,and attains to the ultimate Truth only in silence and love."  Thomas Merton  

3.  Lastly I conclude with the Hebrews 10 passage we read earlier, " Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

On this Passion Sunday, we are kept and blessed by being part of His family.  So let us be faithful in belief, doctrine and in what we do to love and not leave off meeting together as the writer to the Hebrews exhorts us. 

" Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee, I do adore Thee, and will ever pray thee, think on thy pity and thy love unswerving, Not my deserving. "  Amen.