Sunday 21st April. Easter 4

The Fourth Sunday in Eastertide is known as Good Shepherd Sunday.  It is the day that we hear the wonderful words of Jesus in John’s Gospel.  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 

Of course, this calls to mind the Twenty-Third Psalm,  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…… Yea though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death, The Lord is with me.”

The Biblical narrative speaks of the reality of God’s care being not only in this life, but also beyond this life, even in death.  As Christians we understand that the death of Jesus not only allows us to understand the salvation of God being for those who have died, but that those who died before Jesus are also subject to the hope and reality of that saving work.  In the Apostles’ Creed we learn “He descended to the dead” one of the dogmas of the Christian faith (one of the givens).

Jesus understands himself as the one who offers salvation in life and death.  He also offers himself as death in life, through his saving work on the cross.  This of course means that we stand as co-inheritors of a gratuitous offering of grace.

The character of this offering is not only of self-giving love, but also of nurturing care.  The shepherd who protects, feeds, guides, leads, and stays with the flock.

Or to put it simply,  the work of Jesus transcends the boundaries of life and death and is one of dedicated love and nurturing care.