Sermon Illustrations for Easter 4 (2024)
Illustration
Acts 4:5-12
The hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation” was written by Samuel J. Stone around 1866. It was part of a collection of twelve hymns that emphasized a part of the Apostles’ Creed. “The Church’s One Foundation” speaks specifically to article nine of the Apostles’ Creed, and it emphasizes that Jesus is the one upon whom the church is built. According to C. Michael Hawn, the song became known as the “battle song of the church.”
The first stanza of the song says, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation, by water and the word.” This hymn supports the statements made by Peter and John to the high priest, his associates and family. “This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone” (vs. 11). There is no one else who can bring salvation. There is no one or nothing else that equates to the importance of Jesus. John Newton said toward the end of his life, “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”
Bill T.
* * *
Acts 4:5-12
The apostles, newly arrested, appear before the religious leaders who demand of them “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ‘This’ was the audacious crime of healing a man born lame.
The apostles are doing what we also should do – be ready to defend ourselves for the crime of following in the footsteps of Jesus. What he did, they did, and we ought to be doing. And what is important that it’s not about our agenda, but about the mission and ministry of the kingdom of God. This is a kingdom without political boundaries, so we do not act in obedience to any earthly ruler or in accordance with a party platform. There will be times when the aims of the kingdom and of a government are in tandem, but that will never be always the case. We are most comfortable when performing the works of the kingdom brings us praise, but we should in any event be ready to perform great works with or without praise or recognition. Remember, ours is a kingdom without boundaries, without a visible ruler and we are a people without a single ethnic, cultural, or national identity, instead drawing in all peoples together in the name of Christ.
Frank R.
* * *
1 John 3:16-24
Sometimes we have to believe against how we feel. As Martin Luther once put it:
We must not judge by what we feel or what we see before us. The word must be followed, and we must firmly hold that these truths are to be believed, not experienced; for to believe is not to experience. Nor indeed that what we believe is never to be experienced, but that faith is to precede experience, and the word must be believed even when we feel and experience what differs from the word. (translation mine; Weimar Ausgabe, Vol.40III, pp.37ff.)
Elsewhere the reformer added some good advice for those times of doubt:
It is no small comfort to know that grace has been not taken away but is truly constant and unchangeable. Nevertheless, our feeling and awareness of grace are removed for a while, and fear and trembling set in... (What Luther Says, p.512)
“We cannot have a calm peace,” John Calvin contended, “except that which God’s Spirit gives to purified hearts.” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XXII/2, p.223)
Mark E.
* * *
1 John 3:16-24
Fairly often I am in conversation about mission, about the church’s mission of love in the world. John writes about this and shares this sentiment, “How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” (v 17). There is so much division in the world around approaches to scripture, about the interpretation of what make a “good” Christian. For me being a “good” Christian is a simple understanding of Jesus and his life and ministry- a life that demonstrated love and care for those in need, for those who were seeking healing and wholeness. It seems that we have forgotten that very basic part of being Jesus followers. We forget that we are called to unity in the love of God and the love of our neighbors. The other differences and divisions shouldn’t keep us from those clear calls on our lives. As many have written, “Love Wins” and that is what I believe helps us accomplish the mission Jesus had and has for the world.
Bonnie B.
* * *
John 10:11-18
Do you remember the “Magic Eye” pictures in the comic pages of the newspaper years ago? There was a colorful image printed that, if you looked at it close enough, a picture emerged. I remember looking at those in the paper and even on a few posters. I never could see the emerging picture. Only recently have I discovered why. The reason why I, and some others, can’t see those hidden objects is that we have poor or no stereovision. I don’t have stereopsis. What is that? Most simply put, it is the ability to have your eyes work together to assess depth perception and focus on images behind a particular target. I know that sounds crazy, but I still cannot see those images.
My inability to see those hidden images came back to me as I read this passage in John 10. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him. More than that, there are other sheep of other folds who hear and know his voice. Jesus’ sheep know him and know his voice. They can identify his voice amid a cacophony of voices. They know him and are not misled by strangers.
Knowing and recognizing Jesus is vital. There are all kinds of false gods and teachers who seek to lead people away from following the Good Shepherd. They use enticing words and mix the truth with lies to create a toxic brew. Don’t be misled. Not being able to see the “Magic Eye” is no fun but not a big deal. Not being able to distinguish the Good Shepherd from the thief can be devastating.
Bill T.
* * *
John 10:11-18
John Calvin offered some thoughtful reflections on the meaning of Jesus as Good Shepherd. He wrote:
Christ intended, first, to demonstrate what a remarkable proof he gave of his love toward us, and, next, to excite all his ministers to imitate his example. (Calvin’s Commentaries. XVII/2, p.403)
Martin Luther gives us a helpful insight on Jesus’ context and our status as sheep. In a sermon on this text, he observed:
A sheep is naturally a poor, weak, defenseless animal above all others and is quite dependent upon the protection, care and help of someone. The true shepherd must devote himself to the sheep, ever be with them, watch over them, rescue and defend them, whenever it is necessary, so that they may not perish. (Complete Sermons, Vol.2/1, p.53)
To this point the reformer added an assurance in another sermon:
Another reason this sermon is comforting and precious is that the Lord speaks of himself as shepherd over those who have and hear his word, as little sheep. It follows from this that we are not now, nor ever will be forsaken, no matter how many temptations and sorrows we have here on earth. (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.74)
In a sermon on this text, Augustine envisaged a more intimate relation with the shepherd. He claims that the Christian soul is made beautiful through the pardon and grace of the shepherd’s work and as a result speaks in love of Christ and the desire to join Him in the marriage bed. (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol.6, pp.524-525)
Mark E.
* * *
John 10:11-18
The term shepherd was used as the idealized description of a true king, one who had the well-being and security of the flock to heart. At one point it is even used for a foreign king, Cyrus of Babylon, where it is the Lord who says, “He is my shepherd, and he shall carry out all my purpose….” (Isaiah 44:28). It is Raymond Brown who notes in his massive commentary on John that none of the references to kings as shepherds in the Hebrew scriptures suggest that the shepherd is willing to lay down a life for the sheep. It is Jesus who says that of himself.
This is in contrast to the description he gives of the hired hands who look after the sheep but aren’t going to lay down their lives on their behalf. True, most of us wouldsay that our lives are worth more than a sheep’s. However, what’s important is not a measure of our own courage, but of God’s devotion to us. Because that’s what Jesus is really talking about here.
Frank R.
* * *
John 10:11-18
Not many of us are shepherds anymore. I knew a shepherd in the first church I served as a pastor. He was clear that his sheep knew him, knew their sheep dog, and were skittish around strangers. It may have been a relationship built on proximity, but it was a relationship, nonetheless.
We can be in relationship with our shepherd, Jesus. The question is, have we built a relationship with our shepherd so that we recognize his voice? There is also an inclusion command in this scripture. The shepherd welcomes those who are not yet a part of the flock. How well do we listen to the voice of the shepherd to do the same thing? Often, at least in my experience, if you are a sheep who looks like, sounds like and acts like me, you are welcome. If you are not, well we’ll see if you can conform, and then you will be welcomed.
That, however, is not the call of Jesus. The shepherd says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.” My friends, may we do the same.
Bonnie B.
The hymn, “The Church’s One Foundation” was written by Samuel J. Stone around 1866. It was part of a collection of twelve hymns that emphasized a part of the Apostles’ Creed. “The Church’s One Foundation” speaks specifically to article nine of the Apostles’ Creed, and it emphasizes that Jesus is the one upon whom the church is built. According to C. Michael Hawn, the song became known as the “battle song of the church.”
The first stanza of the song says, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is his new creation, by water and the word.” This hymn supports the statements made by Peter and John to the high priest, his associates and family. “This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone” (vs. 11). There is no one else who can bring salvation. There is no one or nothing else that equates to the importance of Jesus. John Newton said toward the end of his life, “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”
Bill T.
* * *
Acts 4:5-12
The apostles, newly arrested, appear before the religious leaders who demand of them “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ‘This’ was the audacious crime of healing a man born lame.
The apostles are doing what we also should do – be ready to defend ourselves for the crime of following in the footsteps of Jesus. What he did, they did, and we ought to be doing. And what is important that it’s not about our agenda, but about the mission and ministry of the kingdom of God. This is a kingdom without political boundaries, so we do not act in obedience to any earthly ruler or in accordance with a party platform. There will be times when the aims of the kingdom and of a government are in tandem, but that will never be always the case. We are most comfortable when performing the works of the kingdom brings us praise, but we should in any event be ready to perform great works with or without praise or recognition. Remember, ours is a kingdom without boundaries, without a visible ruler and we are a people without a single ethnic, cultural, or national identity, instead drawing in all peoples together in the name of Christ.
Frank R.
* * *
1 John 3:16-24
Sometimes we have to believe against how we feel. As Martin Luther once put it:
We must not judge by what we feel or what we see before us. The word must be followed, and we must firmly hold that these truths are to be believed, not experienced; for to believe is not to experience. Nor indeed that what we believe is never to be experienced, but that faith is to precede experience, and the word must be believed even when we feel and experience what differs from the word. (translation mine; Weimar Ausgabe, Vol.40III, pp.37ff.)
Elsewhere the reformer added some good advice for those times of doubt:
It is no small comfort to know that grace has been not taken away but is truly constant and unchangeable. Nevertheless, our feeling and awareness of grace are removed for a while, and fear and trembling set in... (What Luther Says, p.512)
“We cannot have a calm peace,” John Calvin contended, “except that which God’s Spirit gives to purified hearts.” (Calvin’s Commentaries, Vol.XXII/2, p.223)
Mark E.
* * *
1 John 3:16-24
Fairly often I am in conversation about mission, about the church’s mission of love in the world. John writes about this and shares this sentiment, “How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?” (v 17). There is so much division in the world around approaches to scripture, about the interpretation of what make a “good” Christian. For me being a “good” Christian is a simple understanding of Jesus and his life and ministry- a life that demonstrated love and care for those in need, for those who were seeking healing and wholeness. It seems that we have forgotten that very basic part of being Jesus followers. We forget that we are called to unity in the love of God and the love of our neighbors. The other differences and divisions shouldn’t keep us from those clear calls on our lives. As many have written, “Love Wins” and that is what I believe helps us accomplish the mission Jesus had and has for the world.
Bonnie B.
* * *
John 10:11-18
Do you remember the “Magic Eye” pictures in the comic pages of the newspaper years ago? There was a colorful image printed that, if you looked at it close enough, a picture emerged. I remember looking at those in the paper and even on a few posters. I never could see the emerging picture. Only recently have I discovered why. The reason why I, and some others, can’t see those hidden objects is that we have poor or no stereovision. I don’t have stereopsis. What is that? Most simply put, it is the ability to have your eyes work together to assess depth perception and focus on images behind a particular target. I know that sounds crazy, but I still cannot see those images.
My inability to see those hidden images came back to me as I read this passage in John 10. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. He knows his sheep and his sheep know him. More than that, there are other sheep of other folds who hear and know his voice. Jesus’ sheep know him and know his voice. They can identify his voice amid a cacophony of voices. They know him and are not misled by strangers.
Knowing and recognizing Jesus is vital. There are all kinds of false gods and teachers who seek to lead people away from following the Good Shepherd. They use enticing words and mix the truth with lies to create a toxic brew. Don’t be misled. Not being able to see the “Magic Eye” is no fun but not a big deal. Not being able to distinguish the Good Shepherd from the thief can be devastating.
Bill T.
* * *
John 10:11-18
John Calvin offered some thoughtful reflections on the meaning of Jesus as Good Shepherd. He wrote:
Christ intended, first, to demonstrate what a remarkable proof he gave of his love toward us, and, next, to excite all his ministers to imitate his example. (Calvin’s Commentaries. XVII/2, p.403)
Martin Luther gives us a helpful insight on Jesus’ context and our status as sheep. In a sermon on this text, he observed:
A sheep is naturally a poor, weak, defenseless animal above all others and is quite dependent upon the protection, care and help of someone. The true shepherd must devote himself to the sheep, ever be with them, watch over them, rescue and defend them, whenever it is necessary, so that they may not perish. (Complete Sermons, Vol.2/1, p.53)
To this point the reformer added an assurance in another sermon:
Another reason this sermon is comforting and precious is that the Lord speaks of himself as shepherd over those who have and hear his word, as little sheep. It follows from this that we are not now, nor ever will be forsaken, no matter how many temptations and sorrows we have here on earth. (Complete Sermons, Vol.6, p.74)
In a sermon on this text, Augustine envisaged a more intimate relation with the shepherd. He claims that the Christian soul is made beautiful through the pardon and grace of the shepherd’s work and as a result speaks in love of Christ and the desire to join Him in the marriage bed. (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol.6, pp.524-525)
Mark E.
* * *
John 10:11-18
The term shepherd was used as the idealized description of a true king, one who had the well-being and security of the flock to heart. At one point it is even used for a foreign king, Cyrus of Babylon, where it is the Lord who says, “He is my shepherd, and he shall carry out all my purpose….” (Isaiah 44:28). It is Raymond Brown who notes in his massive commentary on John that none of the references to kings as shepherds in the Hebrew scriptures suggest that the shepherd is willing to lay down a life for the sheep. It is Jesus who says that of himself.
This is in contrast to the description he gives of the hired hands who look after the sheep but aren’t going to lay down their lives on their behalf. True, most of us wouldsay that our lives are worth more than a sheep’s. However, what’s important is not a measure of our own courage, but of God’s devotion to us. Because that’s what Jesus is really talking about here.
Frank R.
* * *
John 10:11-18
Not many of us are shepherds anymore. I knew a shepherd in the first church I served as a pastor. He was clear that his sheep knew him, knew their sheep dog, and were skittish around strangers. It may have been a relationship built on proximity, but it was a relationship, nonetheless.
We can be in relationship with our shepherd, Jesus. The question is, have we built a relationship with our shepherd so that we recognize his voice? There is also an inclusion command in this scripture. The shepherd welcomes those who are not yet a part of the flock. How well do we listen to the voice of the shepherd to do the same thing? Often, at least in my experience, if you are a sheep who looks like, sounds like and acts like me, you are welcome. If you are not, well we’ll see if you can conform, and then you will be welcomed.
That, however, is not the call of Jesus. The shepherd says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one shepherd.” My friends, may we do the same.
Bonnie B.
