Easter 3: Misericordias Domini

John 10:11–16

May 4, 2025

The Rev. Christian Mundorf

Introduction

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Gospel reading for today consoles us in our faith in order that we may be strengthened and confident in it in every situation. Here is presented that Christ is the Shepherd, the only one who lays down His life for the sheep. None other could have done this. No other power or saint or angel could have redeemed us from sin and death. Only Christ, by His blood, was able to be our redeemer. This is certainly the proper work of Christ, which belongs to no one else. This is what separates the Good Shepherd from any other Christian, from any other saint, or from any teacher or preacher. All that Christians, saints, teachers, and preachers of any kind can do is point to Christ. All we can do is say: I am nothing. Christ is everything. Christ has done all. I have done nothing. 

No one can say, I have gained salvation for others or from my works salvation and redemption from sins has been achieved. In this way we are taught to trust in Christ as our Good Shepherd above all others we meet in this life, no matter how good, how Christian, or how powerful they seem. In comparison to Christ, the prophets and apostles and all faithful pastors of the Church are of no account—even if they taught rightly and suffered and died on account of that teaching, as many did. None of these can be compared to Christ—He is the Only Begotten of the Father, the Lord of glory, the true and only Shepherd over all souls, who, from the foundation of the world intended to save all His sheep from sin, death, and the devil. To that end, Christ died and rose again and established a Holy and Eternal Church through which He preserves us in the one true faith. 

We must put away all other consolations and hopes which may exist apart from these words: Christ our Lord and God, He Himself, and not another, laid down His life for the sheep. And these words as well: When the wolf comes to scatter the flock, Christ Jesus would rather die than see even one of littlest of His sheep destroyed. In this alone we have hope and faith. Although in this life we are surrounded by dangers and troubles and trials all the time, we can look to our Good Shepherd to protect and comfort us. 

On Wolves and Hirelings

Along with this consolation there is also a warning. Aside from the Good Shepherd and His faithful servants who follow His example, there are also those who would do harm to the flock. Christ warns us, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wold snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” Dear friends, wolves are ever around us. These are false teachers of every stripe who oppose the Gospel of Christ, who seek to turn us away from trust in the merit of Christ, and to destroy our faith. Some wolves come at us with teeth barred, others disguise themselves in friendly clothing. Thus Jesus warns us in the Sermon on the Mount “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves” (Mt 7:15). These hidden wolves are the greater threat, for they soothe us with kind words and friendly promises, but their teaching is a teaching of hell and their throats are an open grave. All who follow them become like them. 

Be on your guard. Do not listen to the sweetness of their voice but to the content of what they speak. Ask yourselves, what do they teach? Is it from God? Does he point you to Christ? Does he repeat the teachings of Scripture, or is it from somewhere else? Do not be children in your understanding, accepting everything that is spoken to you because it has the clothing of Christianity. Not everyone who calls himself “pastor” speaks God’s Word. Christ warns us: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Mt 7:21–23). This is the end of the false prophets. On the last day, they shall be rebuked by the Lord. All who follow the teaching of the false prophets and do not hear the voice of the Good Shepherd shall go with them. For they, wearing the uniform of pastors and priests, and copying exactly the outward forms of the Church lead a great procession down the broad and easy road to hell. 

Dear friends, the Church does not consist in outward forms. Candles, clothing, and crosses do not make for a Church. While these things are helpful and good, they are not the essence of the faith. True faith consists in hearing the Word of God and believing it. Now, it is impossible to warn you against every falsehood spoken from the pulpits, platforms, and stages of the false prophets. Error and lies come in every form and variety, but the truth is one. So flee from every teacher who denies the truth simply taught in God’s Word! Flee from the one who denies that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Flee from the one who denies that Christ died for the sin of the whole world. Flee from the one who denies that we receive forgiveness on account of the blood of Christ through faith by grace. Flee from the one who denies the good works that Christ has set out for us to do. Such teachers deny the plain meaning of God’s Word and seek to draw you away from saving faith. The end of their teaching is the soul’s destruction. 

Do not say: “he has some good things to say, I can sort it out.” Since, with the cunning of a serpent, truth and falsehood are mixed together. No one would say: “There’s only a little bit of sewage in the water. It’s still mostly water.” No one would look to a pond and say: “This water might give me cholera or dysentery, but it is still good to drink.” So why drink from the putrid ponds of teachers who are in error when we have our own pure, spiritual wells to draw from? Do you have a teacher of a false confession you enjoy to listen to, to read, or to watch? I can find you a better one. Only ask and it shall be done for you. 

Do not listen to a teacher who pits one Scripture text against another, or uses one text to deny another. He is a false prophet. Do not listen to a teacher who uses the Gospel in general to deny any particular teaching of God: he knows neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. Do not listen to those who deny the Law, for it is upheld by Christ. Do not listen to those who deny the Gospel, for it is the power of Christ. These, and many more are wolves who seek to devour you. 

Now, the close friend of the wolf is the hired hand, or hireling as we know it from the King James. Upon seeing the wolf, the hireling flees and leaves the sheep like a buffet for the wolf behind him. The hireling is nothing less than a worthless pastor who—although he confesses true doctrine and says nothing false—does not warn and protect his hearers from what is false. It is not enough to only say what is true, but we must teach all that is true and given to us to teach. The hireling, though, does not love the Lord and His Word above all other things. Instead, he chiefly desires a quiet and happy life. He will not boldly speak the truth in the face of creeping errors for fear that the Word of God shall cause him no end of trouble. Yet, Christ did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Preachers ought to know it. 

You should know also, if a preacher only ever speaks what is pleasing to you and easy to hear, he may be holding back the difficult truths of the Word of God for fear of causing offense. Consider the example of Jesus in John chapter 8. He spoke to the Jews who believed in Him such difficult truths that they picked up stones to throw at Him. This example is not for pastors only, but for all Christians according to their office. Parents are called to teach their children, and friends are called to praise the works of the Lord to one another. Do not be ashamed of it, for only these words written in this book can lead to eternal life. 

Discerning Sheep

Christ Jesus continues His preaching in our text by distinguishing His sheep from all others. He says: “I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” The meaning is this: to be a sheep means to know Christ, to have faith in Him, and to have faith in what He has done for you. To be a sheep of Christ means to hear His voice and to follow Him, but to flee from every stranger. Anyone who has heard the voice of Christ and has learned and believed it and who knows to trust in Christ for his salvation, shall recognize it when He calls and flee from any and all strangers, wolves, and hirelings. 

When you know well the voice of Christ, you can judge the words of any preacher and say: in his teaching I hear the voice of my Lord. Or: in his babbling I hear only that of a stranger, liar, and cheat. Dear friends, be wise. Do not be like children in the faith, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine. Every Christian is called to discern the voice of his Lord from among the throng of ramblers, ranters, babblers, chatterers, blatherers, prattlers, gossips, jabberers, and murmurers. Error is manifold. The voice of the Lord is one. If you know well His voice, you will be able to distinguish it from among the thousand false prophets and liars. By knowing His voice well, you will know Christ Himself and He will snatch you out of the hand of falsehood and evil. How can we be led to error if our ears are turned from it and we hear only the voice of our Good Shepherd? If we listen to Him, obey Him, and follow Him, He truly will be our Shepherd and we His sheep. And, even if we suffer greatly in this life, we can say: this Shepherd has redeemed from death, hell, Satan and all his powers. I belong to Christ, and nothing can take me from His hand. 

True Evangelism

Finally, our Lord Jesus Christ tells us, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” This speaks to how those who have gone astray will be brought back into the fold. Does Christ say, they will return when the Church serves their bodily needs? When they are sufficiently entertained by the Church? When it is convenient for them? The question always is, what shall we do to bring back wayward sheep. But what does Christ say? He says: they will listen to my voice. These sheep already belong to the Lord. When they hear His voice they shall recognize it and return to Him. Therefore, dear friends, there is only one way to do Evangelism. That is, to speak the Word of God. There really aren’t tips or tricks beyond this. When those called by God hear His Word spoken truly through you, as an instrument, they shall return to faith. 

Consider how Jesus sends out the twelve Apostles in Mark chapter 6. No bread. No bag. No money in their belts. They have nothing to offer anyone except the preached Word of God. Yet, on account of their preaching 5000 men, women and children besides, search after Jesus in a desolate place to hear even more of His teaching. They heard the voice of their shepherd and followed Him. The Apostle Paul went out from city to city with nothing to offer anyone except the Word that he preached. All the Apostles did the same. What happened? Congregations were planted and grew in every place. So if you think you have nothing to offer anyone, nothing to appeal to anyone, its true. Nothing of yourself. But you have this one thing worth more than all the world. You have the Word of God to share. You do not need to be eloquent or especially articulate, for when the sheep hear the voice of their shepherd, they will come. 

Dear friends, may our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the only true Shepherd and Overseer of our souls keep us safe in the one true faith unto life everlasting. Amen.