EASTER 4                                                                                                      YEAR A ACTS 2:42-47 1 PETER 2:19-25 JOHN 10:1-10 APRIL 12, 13, 2008 Today we celebrate the Good Shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd that lays down his life for the sheep. You and I are considered to be sheep. We are sheep that get lost without the Good Shepherd to lead us and feed us. The Good Shepherd heals our wounds and he saved our lives. John 10 tells us that Jesus calls out to the sheep and the respond because they know his voice. He gave each of us a name. He calls out to us and we follow. We hear about the Good Shepherd and how he calls to us but being the Good Shepherd also meant some difficult things for our Lord Jesus. It meant being humble and being silent when he was going to the cross. Our salvation is free. It is a gift from God but is was very costly. It cost the Lord suffering and it cost him death. Death could not hold him and Satan could not defeat him. Jesus rose again and he provides life for you and me. As we enter into life with Jesus Christ we also enter into his suffering. We are honest and we insist on justice and we insist on living according to the word of God. This sometimes means suffering for you and me. What is this suffering about? 1 Peter 2:19 For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. The verses preceding our text for this day tell about accepting the authority of our leaders whether it is the government or employers. In these verses Peter tells about respecting the government as placed there by God. God gives government for the protection of the people. The place of government is to lift up what is right and punish that which is wrong. Governments make laws and those laws are meant to give order to the land and protection to the people. Peter lived in the first century in the Roman Empire. He knew nothing about a democratic government but knew about the emperor and the injustice of leaders in the empire. Peter gives these verses because they are the word and the will of God. Peter talks about the relationship between slaves and masters. These verses do not promote slavery just as the parts of the Bible that talk about the marriage relationship do not approve of spousal abuse. Peter raises these words and thoughts to give order and to talk about respecting people in authority. We might think about our relationship with supervisors or those that own the business where we work. Slavery was a reality in that time. Slaves were to be the best slaves they could be. They were to be honest and obedient. In our society we go to school or we work at a job. When we go to school the teachers are people in authority over the students. Students are to give their best effort so that the one that is teaching gets the best from his or her teaching efforts. If you go to work at a certain job you give your best to the person you work for. It does not matter whether you like the job or not. It does not matter whether you like what you are studying or the teacher that is teaching. Your Christian attitude is to give your best effort. The word of God in 1 Peter says that we endure the time. 1 Peter 2:21-23 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. During World War II, the Lutheran church in Germany found itself under the rule of an immoral government. The problem faced by the church was whether they should be obedient to that government or undertake non-violent, or even violent action to overthrow it. The church did not take action. One problem the church was having stemmed from their inability to work through the issues in this passage. Similar words are found in Romans 13:1-7. Only a small number of church leaders, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, took action against the Nazi government. So does this passage condone, even encourage, submission to immorality within government? Is there a time you speak out against your employer or the people responsible for you education? The short answer is, “Yes!” We speak out when the government becomes immoral and forces us to buy into laws and other practices that compromise our faith in the Lord Jesus. The church must stand up when the government makes decisions that are against the word of God. We speak out in the work place when our employer requires us to do things that are dishonest or illegal. We refuse to do what is asked of us when we are ordered to ignore the word of God. Following the word and will of God sometimes means we suffer for our actions for the Lord. We might get arrested if we oppose the government and we might get passed when a promotion is available or disciplined in an unjust way. Most of us do everything we can to avoid suffering. We don’t make that doctor’s appointment because it might mean a time of suffering. The nurse might give us a shot and that will hurt. We don’t go to the dentist because he might use a drill and give us Novocain. We avoid times of suffering even when avoiding the suffering might mean more problems later. Most of us do not like the idea of war but there are times we endure the times of war so there will not be greater suffering because of our avoidance. We also go to war so there can be a greater peace. Our Lord Jesus went to a cross. He suffered death on that cross. He suffered for you and me. He died in your place. He died on the cross so I might avoid the greater suffering of the wrath of God. Our Lord Jesus could have avoided the cross. He chose to die there in our place. In John’s gospel chapter 19 we hear Jesus talking to Pontius Pilate. Jesus told Pilate that Pilate had no power over Jesus except for what was given to him from above. Jesus lays down his life of his own accord and he takes it back again. By suffering and dying on the cross our Lord Jesus won the victory over sin, death and the devil. 1 Peter 2:22, 23  “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. It has been said that you cannot fight city hall but you and I have a Christian duty to remain obedient to the will of God when government embraces things that are contrary to the word of God. It might even cause a great deal of suffering. When Peter was writing this letter it is quite possible that he was on the verge of being arrested and would eventually be crucified because he would not stop teaching in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter could have avoided the suffering and the pain of crucifixion. All he would need to do is bow down to Caesar and proclaim Caesar as god. He could teach and preach anything else but he would be required to regard Caesar as god. Peter would die before denying his Lord a second time. Peter and many others went to a martyr’s death because there is only one God and it was not Caesar. 1 Peter 2:24, 25  He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. Jesus bore your sins on the cross and he provided for your salvation. When you were going astray the Lord came to your rescue. When you were lost the Lord found you. It is the Lord that us the guardian of your soul. Caesar is not your Lord and he did not die to give you life. Caesar did not seek you when you were lost and he is not your shepherd. Because our Lord suffered to give you life we must do what is required of us as we live for the Lord. That may be standing up against those that are seeking laws and policies that are against the word and will of God. It might mean getting a new job because your employer is requiring you to betray the teachings of the Lord. It might mean respectfully talking with the teachers about the things of God. Jesus is the Good Shepherd that provides everything you need. Because he died and rose again you have abundant life now. When your earthly life has ended you will spend eternity with the Lord. You are to walk by faith and according to the grace of God. You have received life. Walk in the ways of the Lord. AMEN