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THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER April 26, 2026 Pastor Tom Steers Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto OPENING HYMN: 475 ”Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing Lutheran Service Book Pastor: Halleluiah, Christ is risen! Congregation: He is risen indeed. Halleluiah! Confession and Absolution Page 184-185 The Verse (from Romans 6:9; Luke 24:32) Alleluia. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. Alleluia. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. Alleluia. THE KYRIE (Lord Have Mercy) Congregation: Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. The Salutation – Pastor: The Lord be with you. Congregation: And with thy spirit. COLLECT PRAYER: Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. OUR BIBLE READINGS: First Reading -- Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 (antiphon: v.1) Epistle Reading -- 1st Peter 2:19-25 Gospel Reading -- John 10:1-11 THE APOSTLES’ CREED Page 192 HYMN OF THE DAY: 666 “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mIu4H6pO3A&list=RD8mIu4H6pO3A&start_radio=1 THE SERMON – Today, in this Easter season, we turn our attention to the voice of the Good Shepherd. John 10:1–10 is not only a beloved passage; it’s a deeply revealing one. Jesus tells us who He is, what He gives, and how He alone saves. In a world filled with spiritual confusion and false promises, this text is not just comforting — it is essential. Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Here, our Lord draws a sharp and unavoidable contrast. There is the thief. And there is the Shepherd. There is destruction. And there is life. There’s no middle ground. And so, the question before us is: Whose voice are we hearing? Because the voice we follow determines whether we’re led into eternal life or destruction. Jesus speaks these words within the larger image of a sheepfold. He is not only the Shepherd. He is also the gate. “I am the door of the sheep,” He says. This is not poetic excess. It is a bold and exclusive claim. To say that He is the gate is to say that there is no other entrance into the flock of God. No other path to forgiveness and redemption. This is exactly what Jesus declares in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” This teaching is deeply needed in our own time. Many today claim there are other roads to God. That all religions lead to the same destination. But Christ denies that. If He alone is the gate, then all other supposed entrances are illusions. They are, in fact, the work of the thief. And this brings us to Martin Luther’s insight in his sermon on this text. He draws our attention to the difference between the true Shepherd and the thief. The thief, Luther says, is someone who does not describe Christ rightly. And that is anyone who doesn’t proclaim salvation as God’s free gift in Christ alone. In Luther’s day, this took the form of teachings that burdened consciences with human works. The medieval church, like the Pharisees before it, taught that one must cooperate with grace, perform certain acts, and accumulate merit in order to be saved. Today, the Catholic Church teaches the same error, as do many other churches. They insist that Christ is not the all-sufficient Saviour. He becomes, instead, a helper, even a life-coach, just one player in a larger system of salvation. But this is not the voice of the Shepherd. It is the voice of a stranger. And what does the thief do? Jesus tells us plainly. He steals, kills, and destroys. False teaching is not harmless. It robs Christ of His glory. It robs troubled consciences of comfort. False teaching destroys faith by directing the sinner inward, back to his or her own works. And in the end, it kills, because it leads away from the only true source of life. This is why correct theology matters so much. The Good Shepherd, by contrast, gives life. Abundant life. What does that mean? It does not mean a life free from suffering. It doesn’t promise earthly prosperity or ease. The Apostle Peter reminds us in today’s Epistle that the Christian life includes suffering, even at times unjust suffering. “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,” Peter wrote. The abundant life that Christ gives is not measured by worldly standards. It’s measured by the forgiveness of sins. By peace with God, and freedom from sin, death, and the devil. It is the life of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Notice how complete that statement is. Because the Lord is your Shepherd, nothing is lacking. Not because you possess everything in this world. But because you have been united to the One who gives everything that truly matters. Psalm 23 tells us: “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” “He leads me beside still waters.” “He restores my soul.” This is the work of the Shepherd. He provides, leads, and restores us to true life in this world, and the paradise of Heaven. Even in the darkest valley, the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear. Why? Because Christ is with us. This is the heart of the Christian life. Not that we are strong. But the Saviour who gave His life for us is present. Not that we find our way. We can’t, the Bible makes clear. But that He leads us. How does He lead? Christ tells us, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Luther emphasized this point. The sheep do not follow by sight. They follow by hearing. They recognize the voice of Christ in His Word. This is why the Office of Preaching is so vital. For through preaching, the voice of the Shepherd is heard. Not because of the man who speaks. But because of the Word that’s proclaimed. Where Christ is preached in His truth, there the Shepherd is speaking. Where forgiveness is declared in His name, there the gate is opened. Where the Word is given purely, and God’s Law and Gospel are properly divided, the sheep are fed. This is what we see in the early Church in Acts. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.” They gathered around God’s means of grace, His Word and Sacraments. And they lived because of His gifts. Faith is not a human achievement, but a divine blessing. Brothers and sisters, this remains true for us today. The Shepherd still speaks and calls. Yet the thieves remain. Voices that may sound appealing, but do not bring life. Any teaching that adds to Christ, any doctrine that says His work is not enough, any theology that shifts the burden of sin back to you, is not the Shepherd’s voice, but the thief. And it leads not to life, but to loss. Therefore, cling to Christ. Listen for the Gospel. Hear the promise of forgiveness won by His cross. For the declaration that you are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. This is the voice that gives life. Jesus says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” To enter through Christ is to receive His Good News. It is to trust that no one can snatch you out of His hand. This exclusive claim is not a harsh restriction. It is a gracious clarity from the real Saviour. The Good Shepherd has laid down His life for you. He has borne your sins in His body on the cross. And He has risen from the dead. Now, He lives to shepherd you forever. So even in this world, where many do not know Him, you are not lost. He leads us beside still waters and restores our souls. And He will bring you safely through the darkest valley, into eternal light. PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH THE SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT -- Page 194 P: Blessed are You O Lord, our God, king of the universe, for you have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. C: We give You thanks Father for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully take communion and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come from the body and blood of Christ. P: Father, hear us as we pray as Jesus taught us. LORDS PRAYER C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Preface P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you. P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord. P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise. P: It is truly meet, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to you, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty and Everlasting God. For in the mystery of the Word made flesh, You have given us a new revelation of Your glory; that seeing You in the Person of Your Son, we may be drawn to the love of those things which are not seen. THE WORDS OF OUR SAVIOUR INSTITUTING THE LORD’S SUPPER (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1st Corinthians 11:23-25) Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: Amen. LAMB OF GOD (AGNUS DEI) P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world, C: Have mercy on us. P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world, C: Have mercy on us. P: Lamb of God You take away the sin of the world, C: Grant us peace. The Distribution (Our hymn during distribution is 636 “Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness”) POST COMMUNION COLLECT (Right-hand column) Page 201 SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS Page 201 BENEDICTION Page 202 OUR CLOSING HYMN: 525 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”