"Perfect Healing In Our Good Shepherd!" 1 Peter 2:21-25

Misericordias Domini, The 3rd Sunday of Easter 14-April-2024
Sermon Text: 1 Peter 2:21-25
Sermon Theme: "Perfect Healing In Our Good Shepherd!"I. The Good Shepherd's Healing Steps! (vs.21-23) II. The Good Shepherd's Healing Stripes! (vs.24) III. The Good Shepherd's Healing Care! (vs.25). by Rev. Nathan  J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. "Alleluia!"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."(Psalms 23:1) Alleluia! Christ is Risen! David's sang of Jesus of Nazareth - The Lord God Creator humbling Himself becoming one with us. Our Brother Shepherd breathing His refreshing Holy Spirit upon us in verdant pastures of His Word and the stilling water baptismal sealed righteousness. Our Champion Shepherd defeating Satan and all our evil foes - leading us through sin's deadly shadowy dark valleys. Our Redeeming Shepherd protecting and feeding us within His mighty fortress the Church. Our Reconciling Shepherd bringing us safely Home to live forever with Him and our heavenly Father physically. David's comforting Christ centered hymn echoes from Genesis to Revelation. Our Good Shepherd is the Alpha and the Omega, the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
      Today is Misercordias Domini Sunday - ""The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."Psalms 33:5-6). God's goodness is seen in creation. Last Monday, many people gathered to witness the beauty of God's handiwork observing the total solar eclipse. The sun, moon, stars, were created and placed to run their pathways by the Lord God on the 4th - 24 hour day of creation - about 6,000 years ago - as the Lord spoke His Word. History records: "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day."(Genesis 1:14-19) The precision by which we could calculate the precise time of last week's eclipse cries out that there is an Intelligent Designer of the universe. Johannes Kepler, a Lutheran astronomer, calculated the three major laws of planetary motion in the 16th century, saw the handiwork of our Creator in the precision written into our created universe. He saw God's intelligence and wisdom testified as he studied this creation. He pioneered the true scientific method - for anything to be scientific its hypothesis has to be observable, measurable , and repeatable. Otherwise it is speculation, mythology, and not scientific.
      After the creation of mankind as either male or female on the sixth 24 day of creation - the institution of marriage as the lifelong union of one man and one woman - the appointing man as the head steward and caretaker of all creation - the Lord God declared everything "very good." What happened? Cancer, diseases, miscarriages, murders, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, thorns, and thistles aren't "very good." Creation has become the dark valley of the shadow of death. Why? Adam exchanged the living Word of our Good Creator for the lie of the fallen angel - the Devil. History testifies, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—"(Romans 5:12)" Creation is corrupted by man's sin - groaning it waits for final redemption of our bodies from the grave, death, and sin.
        Our Good Shepherd isn't a hireling. He never flees when the satanic wolf comes to bite and devour us with the world's anti-christian persecution and propaganda. He had power to lay down His life for us on the wood of Golgotha - He had power to take it up again on the third day. No one took His life from Him - He sacrificed Himself for His straying sheep. Rejoice! Alleluia! Christ Is Risen! ""Perfect Healing In Our Good Shepherd!"I. The Good Shepherd's Healing Steps! (vs.21-23) II. The Good Shepherd's Healing Stripes! (vs.24) III. The Good Shepherd's Healing Care! (vs.25).
I.   God the Holy Spirit writes to Christians facing persecution. At the Last Passover Jesus taught, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."(John 15:18-20) The world treats those who belong to the body of Christ, as they treated Jesus. Congregations seeking friendship with the world by compromising the truth hate God.
      False prophets teach a theology of glory. "Follow us,"they say, "all will go well for you.""Follow our Jesus and you will be healthy, wealthy, and care free." Peddling a false christ - a psuedo shepherd turning men away from the Crucified Shepherd to trust in themselves.
      Peter reminds us Christians living in the end times. (vs.21) We are called to the cross - to suffer - following in Jesus' steps. You first heard your Shepherd's voice calling you from death to life. He said to you, "I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!"Daily hear your Shepherd's voice beginning and ending each day with these words. Hear Him! "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."(John 10:27-28)
      Jesus’ steps were to suffer FOR YOU! God the Holy Spirit testifies through the prophet Isaiah, "Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted."(Isaiah 53:4) Only His suffering steps have the power to save sinners.
        "Receive the sign of the holy cross both upon your + forehead and upon your + heart to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified."The Good Shepherd marked you with His healing steps at the font. Remember grade school and learning to write the ABC’s. Worksheets were a series of dashed lines with arrows to trace over as we learned. Maybe it seemed tedious, but they taught our childish brain, tuned fine motor skills, and built muscle memory. Tracing those letters over and over again in kindergarten enables you now to write not pausing to think of how letters are formed. The Greek word Peter uses here for us to follow Jesus' example - His steps - means the same - a copy set by a writing Master for His pupils to follow over and over and over again until they are second nature. Daily trace Jesus' steps - suffering - trusting our Heavenly Father - rejection by the world - abandonment by friends - the cross - death - and the grave. This world isn’t right - it’s winding down - we will die - the present evil world will fade away - His Word alone endures forever. His steps heal!
II. The false shepherds of Judah abused the flock they were called to serve. Study Ezekiel 34. The Lord preaches against the shepherds of Israel who fed themselves and starved the sheep. Using their office for personal gain while they fleeced their flock. Hirelings they neglected the weak, the sick, and the broken.
      The Good Shepherd seeks out His lost, broken, sick, weak, cowering sheep. He saves them - heals them by His stripes. (vs.22) Imagine being born with super sensitive hearing. Some with autism suffer from every noise - it overwhelms some to the point of causing them pain. Now imagine our Perfect Shepherd conceived and born of our flesh and blood without sin. He suffered every noise of sin from His mother's virgin womb. Born into this world He felt every pain caused by sin and evil intensely through every sinless nerve. The stench of Satan's hellish horde assaulted His nostrils. The stench of man's hatred to God and towards one another assaulted Him every moment of His 33 years of life.
    Conceived and born dead in our trespasses and sins evil news may shock us, but we change the channel to entertain the reality of sin away. Spiritually blind we can't see our own sins looking into the mirror of God's Law - instead wielding the Ten Commandments as a club to beat others. Not convinced - listen to your words. How many times have you asked God to damn something or somebody because it isn't doing what you want? How many times have you complained against those in civil authority? How many times has the flame of your tongue lit a forest fire of gossip to destroy another's reputation? The Good Shepherd preaches, ""A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.""(Matthew 12:35-37) How about we have your phone or smart speaker playback your words spoken over the last 24 hours. Don't you understand that Jesus is with you always - David confessed, "For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether."(Psalms 139:4)
      How do you react when someone accuses you? How about we read all your social media posts and responses here now. Behold the healing bloodly welts of our Good Shepherd! (vs.23). Bloody welts wounding conscience. Jesus, the Man of pure conscience, mocked a blasphemer, a false prophet, a charlaton in league with Beelzabub. Falsely accused Jesus, the Judge all, didn't revile in return. He didn't expose their sinful hypocrisy and vile filled lives. Instead He remained silent - as Isaiah foresaw, ""He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth."(Isaiah 53:7).
    Our Good Shepherd’s were for our sins! Beaten to a bloody pulp He didn't threaten. He told Pilate the Truth - he had no power over Him but what was given from above. In Gethsemane drinking the cup of God's just wrath for my sins - He sweat blood - so great was His anguish. He prayed, "Father, Your will be done!"He is the suffering Servant Shepherd teh Holy Spirit preached through Isaiah: ""Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."(Isaiah 53:4-6)"
      His bloody wounds of body, soul, and conscience are not a pattern for you to earn healing for your corruption - they are YOUR HEALING!(vs.24) He alone bore our sins in His sinless flesh - the Good Shepherd became a lamb like us - our scapegoat - the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. Sacrificing His innocent flesh, pouring out His holy precious blood on the dry wood of Golgotha's altar. The place of the skull, is redeemed by His Holy precious blood - new life poured on creation. It is never what you suffer, the injuries you incur - it is always and only His bloody wounds which heal you - yesterday, today, and forever!
III. Jesus the Good Shepherd - draws near with His peace through His wounds as He breathes Holy Spirit upon us to daily and richly forgive us all our sins within His One Flock - the Church. He is tending His flock (vs.25) Who are we? Wandering sheep. Satan promises us greener pastures than hearing a boring monotone preacher for 20 minutes a Sunday. Our flesh deceives us into a false spirituality apart from gathering with the flock around our Good Shepherd washing us forgiven in His blood, feeding us on the tender green grass of His Word preached, sung, read, confessed, prayed. The world mocks us as fools for wasting time eating a stale round wafer and lukewarm wine - thinking that the Good Shepherd is giving all of Himself to us in so simple an act.
    You are constantly like straying sheep. Easily distracted by flashy screens, video clips, entertained - deaf to your Good Shepherd's voice. Jesus cares for us straying sheep - we stray - He has now returned us to Himself by sending His Holy Spirit. Stop the self-deception that you come back to your Shepherd of your own free will - it is a lie.   Constantly He calls breathing His Holy Spirit upon you through the Gospel preached in our local congregation. It is His care for you in your pastor. His undershepherd from the priesthood of all believers to speak His Spirit filled healing word to you. Caring for your soul in local congregations and pastors the Holy Spirit calls to watch over and care for your souls. He is not dead! Alleluia! Christ Is Risen! Ascended He is present with you always - through every persecution you will face in these end times - as the Healing Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. If He cares for your soul, He cares for your body -Sing with David :Alleluia! "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."(Psalms 23:5-6) Alleluia! Christ Is Risen! Amen.