by Fr. Tommy Lane
We honor Jesus today under the title “Good Shepherd.” Jesus gave himself this title, Good Shepherd, as he predicted his passion and death. He is the Good Shepherd because, as he says, he lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:15). He laid down his life for us in his passion and death. Jesus said he would lay it down in order to take it up again (John 10:17). Jesus took up his life again when he rose on Easter Sunday. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he laid down his life for us on Good Friday to atone for our sins and took it up again on Easter Sunday.
Jesus is indeed the Good Shepherd because he was not forced to lay down his life for us but willingly submitted his life to those who sent him to Calvary. In today’s Gospel, he said,
I lay down my life in
order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it
down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it
up again. (John 10:17-18)
Although the Jewish leaders, the crowd calling for Jesus to be crucified, the Roman governor Pilate, and the Roman soldiers all contributed to Jesus going to his death, they were only able to send Jesus to death because he submitted himself into their power. Jesus could have prevented himself going to his passion and death but willing went to his passion and death to atone for our sins. We see many examples showing this during Jesus’ passion, especially in John’s Gospel.
When the soldiers from the Sanhedrin arrived in Gethsemane to arrest Jesus, he asked them, “Who are you looking for?” They replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said, “I am he” and they all fell to the ground (John 18:6). Jesus could have escaped then but he did not.
When the soldiers got up, they arrested Jesus. When Peter drew his sword, Jesus said, “Put your sword back in its scabbard. Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11) In Matthew, Jesus asked, “Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and he will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way? (Matt 26:53-54)
When Jesus was before Pilate, Pilate said to him, “Are you refusing to speak to me? Surely you know I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you?” Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me at all, if it had not been given you from above.” (John 19:11).
As Jesus expired on the cross in John’s Gospel he said, “It is completed.” (John 19:30) Jesus was in control right up to the moment of his death and that is why he said just before he expired, “It is completed.”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us not because he was forced to but because he willingly submitted himself to the Jewish leaders, the crowd calling for his crucifixion, the Roman governor Pilate, and the Roman soldiers in order to atone for our sins. Jesus is indeed our Good Shepherd and that is why Jesus said in today’s Gospel,
I lay down my life in
order to take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it
down on my own.
I have power to lay it down, and power to take it
up again. (John 10:17-18)
We spend seven weeks in the Easter Season celebrating Jesus taking up his life again.
During this Fourth Sunday of Easter every year we pray especially for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, that those who are called by the Lord to lay down their lives for the Good Shepherd’s flock may have the courage to respond. To expect people to respond to the Lord’s call to lay down their lives to him in the priesthood and religious life, we firstly need holy and prayerful families. Such families are the soil that produce when the Lord scatters the seed of a vocation. If we need more vocations, we might ask if this means we need more families who pray. Can our families become ever more families of prayer so that when the Lord scatters the seed of a vocation, there will be fertile soil to enable the seed to grow? When was the last time your family prayed for vocations to the priesthood and religious life?
To be the rich soil, either as a family or as an individual, to respond to the Lord who laid down his life for us and took it up again, Jesus gives us a key in today’s Gospel: knowing him. In today’s Gospel we heard Jesus say,
I know mine and mine
know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. (John
10:14-15)
The type of knowledge that Jesus means is not just learning about Jesus but knowing Jesus personally as the One who is closest to you, the One who is always with you, the One whose love for you is more than you can possibly imagine, the One whose love for you is always personal for you no matter how many billions of people there will be before the end of time. How well do Jesus and the Father know each other? It would be impossible for us to describe or even comprehend. Yet, our love for Jesus and his love for us is to reflect that love between Jesus and the Father. Again, Jesus said,
I know mine and mine
know me,
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. (John
10:14-15)
Can we continue to grow in knowing Jesus and allowing him to know us, so that we may respond better to his call to us, because he is our Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us?
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2021
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Fourth Sunday of Easter Year B
Salvation only through Jesus 2024
Jesus the Good Shepherd carries us on his shoulder and lays down his life for us 2006
Related Homilies: Gospel: Jesus laying down his life: Gethsemane and crucifixion
Good Shepherds laying down their lives: St. Damien of Molokai and St. Patrick
Second Reading Related: Love of God for us 2009