A man was in Germany visiting cathedrals.  At one church he was intrigued by the carved figure of a lamb near the top of a high steeple.  He learned that when the church was being built, one of the craftsmen working high on a steeple fell from the scaffolding.  As the other workers rushed down to find him, they expected to find him dead from the terrible fall.  They were shocked to find him shaken up, but alive!  As he was falling, a flock of sheep was grazing underneath, and the man landed on top of a lamb.  Though the lamb was killed, it had broken the man’s fall, and he was saved.

To commemorate the amazing event, the other craftsmen carved the image of a lamb and placed it on the steeple at the same spot from which the man had fallen.  It was a reminder of the time a man was saved by a lamb.  Might it also remind us that mankind was saved by a Lamb?  Jesus, the Lamb of God, has broken the fall of our sins and saved us.  Without Him we would have been destroyed.  But this helpless, unassuming “lamb” became our Saviour.

The Lamb of God who took our guilt and shame on Himself.  “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12).  Our God became a lamb.  But then, in the vision of heaven our reading in Revelation gave us today it tells us: “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away ever tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17).  The Shepherd becomes a Lamb.  The Lamb becomes a Shepherd.

And He tells us: “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v.11).  From the beginning we are invited to look at Jesus, only Jesus, and away from ourselves, our limitations, our worries, and our problems.  He is the Good Shepherd!  Not good, as in the Maple Leafs are a good hockey team, or that cookie tastes good, or the student who got a 92% on their test did “good.”  But Good, as in excellent, the best, the perfect GOOD!

What makes Jesus the good shepherd?  What puts Him in a class all by Himself?  His selfless, sacrificing love for the sheep: you and me.  Now, we have to understand something about sheep.  Sheep are docile, harmless, and rather dumb animals.  In storms, they have been known to pile up in the corner of their pasture, actually smothering one another to death.  If a sheep stumbles and falls into a ravine and rolls over on its back, the poor animal is helpless to right itself and stand up again.  And of course, a sheep does not have fangs or claws or the ferocity to defend itself from a hungry predator.  Sheep are helpless without a shepherd!

That’s where a dedicated, loving shepherd comes in.  A good shepherd will care for his sheep, provide them with pasture and water.  Jesus does that for us.  A good shepherd will go after a lamb that’s lost.  Jesus will do that for us.  A good shepherd will even stand between the flock and danger.  Jesus did that for us.  A good shepherd might even make the supreme sacrifice for his sheep: laying down his own life for them.  Jesus, the good shepherd, did that for us!

One Sunday morning after church, a layman accosted the pastor and said, “Pastor, this church has been insulting me for years, and I did not know it until this week.” The stunned pastor replied, “What on earth do you mean?” “Well,” said the layman, every Sunday morning the call to worship in this church ends with the words, ‘We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.’ And I have heard ministers over the years call us sheep and call the congregation ‘God’s flock.’ Then this past week I visited the stockyards.  There I discovered that sheep are just about the dumbest animals God ever created!  Why, they are so stupid that they even follow one another docilely into the slaughterhouse!  Even pigs are smarter than sheep, and I would certainly be angry if my church called me a ‘pig’ every Sunday morning!  So I’m not at all sure I want to come to church and be called a ‘sheep’ any longer...even ‘God’s sheep!’”

Are you tired of being called a sheep, too?  I mean, who needs a shepherd, anyway?  Why do we gotta be the sheep?  Can’t we be the shepherds?  I don’t know… how would we rate as shepherds?  Do you think it’s possible we might be more like the hired hands Jesus compares Himself to?  I think we are!  I think we’re bad at being shepherds!  Do you think it’s true that we sometimes go about our purpose in life only because of the pay?  Without investing any love or affection in the mission and purpose God has given us?  Almost seeming like sometimes we don’t even care?  Could you and I ever be heard complaining about the “lousy hours,” the “poor pay,” or the “smelly working conditions”?  And have we ever turned tail and run at the first sign of danger?  Yeah, I think we’re bad at being shepherds.

I think, as the Bible points out, we’re a lot more like sheep.  Huddling up in the corner of our pastures out of fear, hurting each other.  Lacking direction.  Letting fear and uneasiness keep us from taking care of our bodies and feeding ourselves.  Refusing to eat for a number of reasons, because we aren’t comfortable enough, because it doesn’t suit us, because we think we have more important things to do.  While our Shepherd is leading us to green pastures for the spiritual nourishment we need so badly, we refuse to eat.  We don’t feed from the Word.  We stay away from church!  As if it is some kind of scheduling thing…(Oops, I can’t make it to church because I have another thing to attend!)… and we starve our souls from what they need to live!  Yeah, the only reason we should refuse to let ourselves be called sheep is that they have an excuse.  We don’t!  (Who needs a shepherd?)

What would happen to us if no one was caring for us?  Can you just see us huddling in the corner for safety, trying to run from danger, hurting each other?  The attack is inevitable!  We can almost see the wolf licking his chops!  Blood dripping from his fangs!  We, the helpless lambs, are his for the taking!  Yes, we spiritual sheep make an easy target for the wolf.  For the spiritual danger to our souls.  For the Devil.  Without a shepherd, we are helpless against him.

But maybe it’s hard for us to picture sheep huddling in a corner for safety, since we’re not as familiar with shepherding.  But today, it isn’t hard for us to picture 23 Virginia Tech students huddling for safety in Room 204 of Norris Hall on April 16, when a deranged 23-year-old gunman stormed the classroom.  Seung-Hui Cho entered the building that morning and began littering the premises with his murdered victims.  He attempted to enter Room 204, where 23 students were studying engineering with Professor Liviu Librescu.  But this 76 year-old Jewish professor stood in the doorway and did not let the murderer go in.  He held the door shut, and began yelling for his students to jump out the second story window: “Just keep going!  I’ll hold him back!”  He stood there holding the door, as bullets ripped into his body, but did not let the perpetrator come in.  Five bullets entered his body, but he was able to prevent the gunman from entering until almost all of his students had escaped through the windows.  One later said that they “lived because of him.”  His students made it out alive.  He did not.

Is it a bit ironic that on the 60th anniversary of the Holocaust, a 76-year-old survivor of the Holocaust died protecting US citizens from the tyranny of a mad man?  And fulfilled the motto of his University, Virginia Tech: Ut Prosim.  That I May Serve.  Well, here’s more irony:  A Jewish man gave his life for us, too.  When we were scrambling for safety from the Devil as his helpless targets of evil, Jesus stood in the way and didn’t let him touch us.

But the effects of this are greater and far more reaching!  Because Jesus is the GOOD SHEPHERD!  Verse 17: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again.”  You see, Jesus isn’t just a Jewish man – He is also the Son of God!  And God the Father loves his Son Jesus because He lived the perfect life and gave his life for us.  He satisfied the Father perfectly.  And then, He rose again!  He took his life up again!  Something unfortunately Professor Librescu or anyone else here can’t do. 

What if Jesus wouldn’t have?  He would have sacrificed his life to protect us, which would have been very noble, but then with Him dead, we would have no protection at all!  If the shepherd is dead, if the fight is lost, then the sheep are, pardon the expression, “sitting ducks”!  The wolf will polish them off after all!  But here is what really makes Jesus good – HE ROSE AGAIN!  And that’s what makes it certain for us that we are safe!  That God is as satisfied with us as He is with Jesus!  That sins are forgiven and the danger evil held over us is gone!

So Who Needs A Shepherd?  …WE DO!  A shepherd who is a good shepherd as only Jesus could be.  One who forgives us, insuring our spiritual needs are met.  One who promises us the peace of eternal life.  Remember Revelation 7:17?  “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away ever tear from their eyes.”  And finally, we need a Shepherd who motivates us to live differently!  As our Lamb, He saved our lives!  To remember the lamb that saved the life of the cathedral worker, his comrades carved a lamb high on that steeple.  Let’s “carve a lamb” in the highest steeples of our lives by the way we live to proclaim to everyone we can with our words and actions, “Worthy is the lamb who was slain for you and me!”

John Lawrenz, a professor at our seminary, just wrote a new poem/hymn this year to honour the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, called  “To the Lamb.” Let me close with it:

“A yearling lamb no morn did see - When Israel walked from slavery - And left behind the misery - All Egypt set in motion. - Instead its blood was shed for me - The night that death stole stealthily - From door to door in Goshen.” 

The Lamb of lambs on Calvary - Poured out its blood for God to see - And left behind the misery - That sin had set in motion. - They took His body off the tree, - Intent to lay it rev’rently, - Enwrapped in cloth and lotion.”

This Lamb of God, for all to see,- Emerged alive in victory - From mankind’s tomb.  He set us free, - And stirred in hell commotion. - “He lives though dead!  Alive is He!” - In us such news stirs ecstasy—  A thankful, sure emotion!”

Did He not rise for all to see? - Do men still walk in misery? - Does sin still hold the mastery? - How sad to hold this notion! - No!  We will join his Calvary - And share His Easter victory! - God sets our lips in motion!”    Amen.