Fourth Sunday of Easter– Year C
Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People
RCL Readings – Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30
ACNA Readings – Acts 13:14b-16, 26-39; Psalm 100; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30
Seasonal Introduction. Eastertide, the season of Easter, is always 50 days long. It follows the pattern of the Jewish calendar with 50 days from Passover to Shavuot or Pentecost. During these days we remember the last weeks of Jesus on earth after His resurrection. Easter is all about the resurrection! This season's traditional greetings of “He is risen!” and “He is risen indeed!” can bring hope and light to our broken world. “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. And if Christ is not risen–nothing else matters.”[1]
The Fourth Sunday in the Easter season is also called Good Shepherd Sunday and includes the familiar shepherd readings of John 10 and Psalm 23. The metaphor of the Good Shepherd is deeply messianic and even more so in light of the resurrection.
Common Theme. Shepherds and sheep are the obvious themes in this Sunday’s readings. We all need a shepherd. Unfortunately, the experience of flawed human leadership can persuade so many people to think that they don’t. But the readings make it clear that we must listen to, and follow, our savior and shepherd. He cares for us but we too are called to be faithful!
Hebraic Context. For millennia, shepherding was an incredibly important job. It was usually a family business, where knowledge (and riches) was passed on from father to sons as well as mothers to daughters. But those riches could be quickly and easily lost by a lazy or bad shepherd while an astute shepherd would benefit both their flock and their clan.
Biblical shepherds generally lived on the edge of society as farmers did not want cattle and sheep eating their crops (although, during the hottest months in Israel after the harvests, sheep would be welcomed to feed on the stubble and fertilize the fields). In Judah, the edge of society was a wilderness. And so shepherds had to be knowledgeable about where to obtain food and water where there was no food or water, who to make alliances with, and when to move the flock. Shepherds had to be warriors who could defend the flock from predators in the wilderness. Shepherds had to be able to guide their sheep, keep them from falling into ravines and keep them away from flash floods (knowing hydrology and meteorology). Shepherds were also the veterinarians for their flock, binding up their wounds, caring for the injured, and expertly helping them through difficult births.
Exodus Rabbah 2.2 speaks of the skill David used in shepherding the flock. Psalm 78:72 says that David “guided them with his skillful hand.” The midrash explains that David would first take the littlest lambs to graze and then the oldest to graze, keeping the strongest and most choice lambs back until the weak and elderly had their fill.
But Shepherds at the time of Jesus ranked rather low on the social status spectrum. While shepherding could still be lucrative, many families no longer cared for their own flocks. Instead they would buy servants or pay low wages to hirelings while they lived in the cities or villas. This transition has caused many scholars to assume that shepherds were thought of as poor, stupid, lazy, or outcasts—as seen in so many modern sermons.
Arguments are made from Aristotle and even the Talmud to enhance this idea. However, while Sanhedrin 25b.15-16 is used as an argument that Shepherds were not highly thought of by the Jewish sages as their testimony was not admissible, what it actually says is that Shepherds who repeatedly and intentionally took their flocks to another’s field to graze were considered robbers and the testimony of robbers was inadmissible in a court of law.
The ever-present mythos of Shepherds as great leaders seems to still be present in the time of Jesus. Psalm 23 and other Scriptures, such as Ezekiel 34, still highlighted the qualities of shepherds. People knew how shepherds should act. However, this vividly contrasted with the hirelings that were used as shepherds by many of the rich in His time. In John 10, Jesus does not speak of the bad shepherd, he speaks of the hired hand who was not a shepherd. Jesus and Paul both understood that a true shepherd wasn’t someone who lived far from his flock but someone who was present and cared for each sheep—something that we are challenged to do as well.
Rather than speaking of the poor and outcast, the ancient profession of the shepherd was thought of quite highly and became a major metaphor for the characteristic of leadership. Many kings, mythological figures, and even gods were known to be shepherds. Abraham and Jacob along with Moses and David were extremely talented shepherds in the Bible. But II Kings 3:4 also speaks of Mesha, the king of Moab, being a successful shepherd. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Enkidu is taught to be civilized by the shepherds he met on his journey. All the patriarchs of the Jewish people were shepherds,[2] from Abraham to Moses and David. There is something about shepherding that produces good biblical leaders.
Before the advent of coinage, wealth was measured in usable goods and services, which included livestock.[3] Owning large herds of animals indicated you were a rich person and displayed your importance to the community. The community itself was often centred around the extended family with the patriarch acting as leader and decision maker. This also tended to lead shepherds towards a nomadic lifestyle where the leader of the clan, the owner of the flocks, would move his encampment from water source to water source and from grazed pastures to fresh pastures because that was the best thing for his flock.
Shepherding was esteemed as incredibly important in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. The problem with shepherds in the New Testament was largely that they simply were not present.[4] As urbanization took hold of society, the wealthy elites migrated from the land and farms to the cities. Hirelings and low skilled workers were then hired to guard their flocks out in the countryside, while the wealthy resided in large villas in town. Wealth may still have been counted in the size of the flock, but the owner did not physically engage in the day to day business of animal husbandry, instead trusting someone else to do the job.[5]
Acts 9:36-43. While Acts has moments where the followers of Jesus are persecuted, imprisoned, and killed (both by the Jews and the gentiles), it has many more moments when the good news of God’s salvation is proclaimed and welcomed with joy. Peter had just healed a man in Lydda who had been paralyzed for eight years and many in the area “turned to the Lord”. But Peter wasn’t the only disciple in the area. Tabitha was a precious disciple of Jesus who lived in Joppa, on the coast of Israel.
Ancient Joppa, or Jaffa, was a port used for millennia on the Levantine coast. It wasn’t as important a port in Israel as Gaza to the south nor Acco to the north. Newly built Caesarea overshadowed Joppa with its man-made port—one of the greatest engineering feats of its time. But Joppa was still the closest port to Jerusalem and was historically significant. It served as the site where David and Solomon brought material from Lebanon for the building of the Temple. It was also the port that Jonah used to flee the command of God.[6]
Joppa, a previously significant city, was eclipsed by the new power-house in the region, Caesarea. Joppa was inferior in almost every way. The port of Jaffa was never large nor completely safe from the ravages of the sea but it maintained its economic importance until the building of Caesarea. But Tabitha was “full of good works and acts of charity.” When she died Luke indicates it was the many widows of Jaffa, the poor and desperate in a city which was losing economic possibilities, who mourned Tabitha. The tunics and garments they showed Peter were almost certainly Tabitha’s gifts that she provided them through her own hard work.
Her importance as a disciple should not be underestimated when comparing her acts with that of Peter or the other apostles. Luke is unclear why disciples were sent to Lydda to find Peter, it states that “Lydda was near Joppa” but it was still a distance of 20 or more kilometers each way—a very long distance for a single day’s journey. In no other place is a healer called for after someone is known to have died.
There is no indication in early Christian writing that resurrections were expected in this age. The reality of the resurrection of Christians was even questioned. The apostles are clear that the resurrection of all believers will happen, but in this present age only a few were physically resurrected from the dead: Jairus’ daughter, a widow’s son, Lazarus, several unnamed saints,[7] Tabitha, and Eutychus.
But Peter rushed to Joppa and, following Jesus’ example, put everyone outside and said “Tabitha cumi”.[8] However, there is one major difference between Peter’s actions and Jesus’. Jesus reached out His hand and raised the young girl from the dead, just as He had the widow’s son, and His voice raised Lazarus from the dead. Peter knelt down and prayed. The resurrection is not a miracle but a person. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
It was Tabitha’s witness as a true disciple of Jesus that brought so many to mourn her death—her hard work and faithfulness to God. James 1:27 states, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…” Peter, upon Tabitha’s resurrection, shows her to all the saints and widows that stood mourning her. And many believed.
Psalm 23. Almost every ancient culture had a god and goddess associated with shepherding—it was an incredibly important (and more importantly to the gods, wealthy) job. In his prayer, David reflected on his experience of God. David opened this short psalm by declaring יְהוָה רֹעִי, the LORD is David’s personal shepherd. The equivalent statement, for David, is that (because the LORD is his shepherd) he will never lack.
As a former shepherd himself, David understood well the relationship between sheep and shepherd. Shepherds took care of all the needs of the flock. If God was David's personal shepherd then he knew without a doubt that he would be lacking in nothing. The relationship between other gods and humans did not have this equivalence. In similar situations, the gods of the nations (both shepherd gods and farmers) jealously guarded their most valued possessions such as the golden apples or golden fleece. The Lord's provision went even beyond the physical care to also spiritually restore the soul of David. He wrote of God as both a protector and provider who disciplined His beloved flock.
Without the shepherd, the psalm implies the sheep will face starvation and danger at the hands of predators. Many pictures of Psalm 23 show a beautiful field of fertile green grass where fat, wooly sheep can feed at their ease. In that setting, if there weren’t a shepherd the sheep would likely still be fine. Travelling the Judean wilderness, where David would have shepherded his own flock, displays a very different situation. Individual stalks of hardy brown vegetation grow here and there amongst the many rocks on steep hills. These steep hills have what appear to be concentric circles around them that allow a sure-footed animal to get to the limited food. The “paths” spoken of in Psalm 23:3 are actually just the “circles” of righteousness—wandering off these paths could easily lead to death.
Small, muddy pools can occasionally be found by the extremely knowledgeable shepherd. There are also some pools and reeds that might appear inviting, but they are often in ravines where a rainstorm a couple dozen kilometers away and half a day earlier might cause a flash flood. But there are also some times in the year where the wilderness springs up briefly with a beauty that can only be described by seeing life where life should not exist—the good shepherd knows where is safe and what is good for his sheep. There is no way a sheep would survive without a shepherd in these places.
The staff and rod that David mentions in verse 4 are the shepherds' equipment used to defend the flock from wild animals as well as guide the strays and stragglers and lastly to discipline or punish a wayward sheep. David mentions having to fight off both lions and bears while watching his flock.
Psalm 23 changes tone half-way through, from statements of truth and comfort to interaction. Acknowledging God’s actions towards us should lead us to come before Him. But another interesting point to note in this psalm is verse 5, in which God provided a table of food in the company of David’s enemies. God’s provision “in the presence of my enemies” can be viewed from multiple perspectives. First, it displays God’s blessing of those He shepherds. Even when enemies and rivals surround us and fight against us, God proves His faithfulness to both us and our enemies by providing us with not only food, but a feast. But it can also be an attempt at reconciliation.
Hospitality and food was a point of honour in the ancient world, as it is in the modern Middle East to this day. Both Jews and Muslims trace the art of hospitality back to Abraham, who entertained the Lord Himself and His angels with hospitality and food.[9] Meal occasions are powerful events where people who disagree with each other can sit and eat together, fellowship, discuss and, perhaps, see something in the other person that they had not noticed before. Perhaps they may even rise from the table no longer as enemies but now as friends.
God is gracious and so we too should be gracious in our actions with others. Today the Good Shepherd can still arrange those events for us where an enemy can become a friend. The Shepherd Psalm concludes with David’s assurance that he will dwell in the presence of His divine shepherd forever. God’s love and care is not relegated to this life only but extends into the world to come. The Lord’s character as the Good Shepherd is eternal and we enjoy it in this life but also forevermore.
Revelation 7:9-17. In the revelation of Jesus to John, the apostle was shown the result of world mission. Before the throne of God there are a plethora of nations and peoples. This vision should instill in us a great sense of hope. This provides evidence that the message of Jesus as the Messiah succeeds in reaching people around the world. Satan has been and will be unsuccessful in stopping the spread of the gospel. For “truly… God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.”[10]
Every nation is said to be represented before the Lord. It appears, on a literal reading, that people will continue to have individual characteristics in the world to come. Of note here is that the resurrected bodies of the believers as seen by John in heaven still retain their national identities. Original languages are also retained as John notes that every tongue is represented in heaven. God delights in diversity and the world to come is as diverse as the current one.
In response to the worship of God by humanity in the future, the angelic company of heaven joins in with praise and adoration of God. John then informs us that the people that he sees now before the throne are from a special event in history, the Great Tribulation. They experienced a time of terrible trouble and persecution on earth. We have not been promised an easy life and there is definite opposition to the Good News but this did not cause the gospel to fail! Those that went through persecution did not fail in their conviction, and in their endurance they received a reward so fantastic as to stand and worship before the Lord Himself. They were never abandoned by God in their trials.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, is described as a shepherd. Even from the midst of His throne, Jesus continues to care for His sheep. He cared for them while they were persecuted, enduring the same hardships they do (persecution and death), but He will continue to care for them in the world to come. Jesus never ceases being a Good Shepherd to His sheep. He is our shepherd while we live here on earth and He will forever be our shepherd in heaven, protecting us, guiding us, and comforting us.
John 10:22-30. In John 10:7-18, Jesus declares that He is the good shepherd. The good shepherd takes care of his sheep, even laying down his life for the sheep. The metaphor, and reality, of a shepherd as a leader in Israel is not new. The patriarchs were all shepherds as were Moses and David. But the kings and leadership that followed David were not known for being good shepherds, in fact, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all harshly speak of bad shepherds.[11] They also hint, or outright declare, that God will rescue His sheep.
“‘I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.’ For thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.’”
And so, when Jesus declares Himself the good shepherd, He is declaring that He is sent by God. More than that, Jeremiah 23:4-6 directly connects the shepherds that He will send with the Messiah, the son of David.
During the 1st centuries, there was a strong nationalistic hope that developed out of the rebellion of the Hasmonean family and subsequent defeat of the Seleucid empire over a century earlier. The years that followed were often disappointing, as the leadership often was corrupt and Judea and the Galilee was absorbed by the Roman empire. And so, by the time of Jesus and the apostles, the hope for another messiah, or even the Messiah, was present throughout Israel. Many sons were named after famous Hasmoneans, or even earlier military leaders of Israel, such as Matthew, Judah (or Judas), Simon, John, Eliezer (or Lazarus), and even Joshua (or Jesus). This hope was very much on the minds of the Jewish people during the feast of Hanukkah—the Feast of Dedication.
It was at this time that the people asked Jesus to publicly and decisively declare that he was the Messiah. Jesus’ response was that He had told them plainly. The actions of Jesus were public and decisively bore witness that He is the Messiah. But what does a messiah look like? During the season of Hanukkah, all Judah remembered the great leaders of their past: Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, Elijah and Elisha, and Judah Maccabaeus.
Moses delivered Israel from Egypt with great power from God. Joshua brought Israel into the promised land, defeating their enemies. David united the tribes even beyond what Saul (often called a messiah himself) was able to do and defeated the Philistines. Even Elisha defeated the Syrian army by the power of God.[12] And the Seleucids who had profaned the Temple, were defeated by Judah and his brothers, allowing the Temple to once more be dedicated to be used solely for the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
What had Jesus done that bore witness that He was truly the Messiah? He had not defied the Roman legions, even allowing tax collectors to join His disciples and healing the slave of a Roman centurion, Israel’s enemy. But Jesus had healed the blind, deaf, lame, and mute. Isaiah 35 states that this will happen when God comes to save Israel. And Jesus publicly quoted Isaiah 61:1 at the start of His ministry, “The LORD has anointed me (משח אתי, mashach oti)”. And yet, they did not believe in Jesus.
While John 20:7-18 declares that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, John 20:22-30 tells us that the sheep also have a responsibility. Jesus did the work of God but the sheep must be able to recognize His voice and follow Him. One of Jesus’ statements is that “I and the Father are one.” Upon hearing this, the Jews desired to stone Jesus for blasphemy—no man can claim to be one with God. Of course, the book of John starts with the statement that Jesus is both creator and God but the people who heard were not going to listen to Jesus’ voice and they were not going to believe Him.
And yet, we so often concentrate on those who rejected Jesus—who declared that He had a demon, was insane, or blasphemous against God—but there were others who recognized that the works that Jesus did must come from God;[13] there were many who went to Jesus in the desert and “many believed in Him there.”[14]
Hebraic Perspective. We are used to hearing about bad shepherds, both in the Scriptures and in the news. But sheep also have a responsibility. Ezekiel 34 is a known indictment of bad shepherds. But in Ezekiel 34:17 God declares, “As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and male goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture… therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.” Isaiah 53:6 makes it clear that the sheep have gone astray, we choose to go our own way
There is certainly great responsibility given to the shepherds, but in a passed down traditional proverb, Pirkei Avot 1.6-7 reminds us that we should find a good teacher rather than being attached to the wicked. John 10 is clear that the good shepherd calls out to his sheep, but the sheep must hear his voice. Unfortunately, not everyone that hears the voice of the shepherd will follow his voice. Matthew 25:41-46 reminds us that we are called to follow in the example of God or be judged as a flock that did not hear and follow the voice of our shepherd.
Revelation 7 makes it clear that following the voice of the Good Shepherd will not always be easy. But we have so many examples of great men and women who were persecuted and scattered but still served the poor and the widows and were faithful to the very end.
ACNA Readings
Acts 13:14b-16, 26-39. Acts 13 starts in Antioch and continues in Antioch. However, these two Antiochs are around 700km’s away from one another by foot and intersected by a third Antioch, near the home town of Saul. Even by sea—crossing to Cyprus, walking the length of the island, and sailing on to Perga—it’s close to 200km to Antioch of Pisidia from the Mediterranean. And yet everywhere that Paul and Barnabas go there are righteous Jews and God-fearing gentiles meeting in synagogue (as well as opposition to the gospel from both Jews and gentiles).
When Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch of Pisidia, they go to the synagogue on Shabbat. They don’t go to teach or preach but to hear the reading of the Law and the Prophets. The Jewish people generally followed a lectionary of readings where they would read through the Torah every year (in some traditions they would also read through the Torah every three years) as well as appropriate passages to the Torah reading in the prophets. At this time Rabbis were developing as an office and not the leaders of a synagogue they would become, but it wasn’t uncommon for itinerant preachers or another Torah educated person to provide a teaching.
As Jewish followers of Jesus, Paul and Barnabbas would have continued in the example that He set and in their traditions of worship, study, and faithfulness. Paul is extremely educated in Torah as both a Pharisee and a student of Gamaliel. And so, the rulers of the synagogue invited Paul to speak if he (or his companions) had a “word of encouragement”.
Paul opens by addressing both the Jewish people in the diaspora and the gentiles who had joined them in the fear of God. God’s call for the Jewish people to be a light to the gentiles had already started to be commonplace hundreds of years before Peter and Paul. Paul continues by affirming God’s faithfulness through the generations of Israel to their present day. However, in Acts 13:26, Paul reaffirms that he is speaking to both the Jewish congregants and the gentile congregants.
What is the “word of encouragement” that Paul has? The descendant God had promised David had truly come. Even though Antioch of Pisidia is in the middle of modern day Turkey, the residents seem to be familiar with both John, the forerunner, and Jesus. Yes, the corrupt officials in Jerusalem executed Jesus. But this wasn’t the end of God’s promise, it was the fulfillment of prophecy. The good news is that Jesus rose from the dead.
The people in Antioch were not witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, and so Paul brought forth two witnesses to this good news (as was commanded in the Torah). First, those who had witnessed Jesus' death and burial in Jerusalem had also witnessed His subsequent living physical body (even Paul was a witness, albeit late in time.) The second witness is Scripture.
In Jewish exegetical tradition, a verse is commonly used as prooftext to support your statement—usually with the listeners expected to be able to supply the context of the verse. Paul introduces Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 55:3, and Psalm 16:10. First, Paul makes an argument that God is fulfilling His promises by raising Jesus up.[15] Psalm 2:7 is in the context of the Messiah and Paul connects it, along with the resurrection of Jesus, with the blessings promised to David. By introducing Isaiah 55, Paul also immediately states that those who listen should be seeking God—basically, pay attention—even as he connects Jesus to the witness, leader, and commander to and for both Israel and gentiles.
Paul’s lynch-pin, however, is Psalm 16:10. “You will not let your Holy One see corruption.” The resurrection is a Jewish teaching and God’s power to raise someone from the dead should not be surprising, even as rare as it was. But it was rare. David died, was buried, and rotted in the ground. And so, Paul stated that David was talking about Jesus—who was the promised witness of God’s everlasting covenant—as the one who did not see corruption.[16]
Paul’s arguments were very well accepted in Antioch, as the people responded precisely how Isaiah 55 declares we should, and many of the community asked Paul and Barnabbas to return and continue teaching on the next Sabbath. In the meantime, they continued to ask questions of Paul and Barnabbas. When Paul speaks to “the Jews” in Acts 13:45-46, it is clearly not to the majority of the synagogue but only those who were filled with jealousy as Luke makes it clear that it was the Jewish congregants, along with devout gentiles, who were so eager to hear more from Paul. The resurrection is surely an amazing word of encouragement, for it is hope and light to a dark world.
Psalm 100. This is a simple psalm, the reason provided for it is “for giving thanks”. No other psalm has this title but its simplicity compliments the poetry of the writer. The psalm is written in two parallels, Psalm 100:1-2, 4 and Psalm 100:3, 5. Several times the Psalmists make a point to declare that the worshipper should shout and sing, give thanks and praise, or even bless God before introducing the reasons why God deserves our worship.[17] Nonetheless, there are great reasons to worship God.
Psalm 100 is universal, including everyone on earth at all times. It doesn’t matter if we are Jewish or gentile, male or female, whether we lived in the iron age or in the 21st century, the LORD is still God. The Lord is the creator of all people and He is the shepherd of all His people. God is not just a creator, although that would be a good enough reason to serve Him—which we are called to do even as we also sing—, God continues to be faithful and good.
Endnotes
[1] Jaroslav Pelikan
[2] When Joseph's brothers were presented before Pharaoh and he asked them of their occupation they responded “We are shepherds like our fathers before us” (Genesis 47:3).
[3] Coins as a source of trading power largely developed in the Persian period, so quite late in history.
[4] Matthew 9:36, 26:31; Mark 6:34, 14:27; I Peter 2:25
[5] The same could be said of agriculture. Many of the parables of Jesus speak of landlords of vineyards and orchards hiring servants to do the manual labour of the fields periodically checking on the expected produce. The landlords themselves did not reside on the actual land—that was left for the workers.
[6] Greek tradition also remembers the binding of Andromeda at Jaffa. Strabo Geography 16.2.28
[7] Matthew 27:52-53
[8] Jesus did the same when he came to the house of Jairus: putting everyone outside and saying “Talitha cumi”. Mark 5:40-42; Luke 8:51-56
[9] Genesis 18 has an interesting scene where three men came to Abraham. Two men continued on to Sodom “but Abraham still stood before the LORD”. Abraham proceeded to have an argument with God. In Genesis 19, the two men turned out to be angels. While not explicit, many orthodox traditions believe that the third man Abraham entertained may have been a theophany.
[10] Acts 10:34-35, see also Romans 2:11; Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11
[11] Isaiah 56:9-12; Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34:1-10
[12] II Kings 6:8-23
[13] John 10:21
[14] John 10:42
[15] See Acts 3:24-26 where Peter makes a similar argument.
[16] During the later 2nd Temple period, the majority of Psalms were viewed with some idea of messianic expectation, regardless of whether the Psalm had any obvious prophetic references. While David seems to have been referring to himself in Psalm 16:10, the way Paul used it in Acts 13:35 in reference to Jesus’ resurrection would not have been a surprise to anyone as it followed common hermeneutic practice of the day.
[17] Psalm 33; Psalm 95; Psalm 96