The Lord gives you this promise: "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17)

The beautiful, green hills of New Zealand, a country known for its sheep industry, are dotted everywhere with white sheep. During the yearly lambing season, thousands of baby lambs are born. Unfortunately, some lambs die at birth. Many mother sheep are also lost during lambing season; they die giving birth. In an attempt to save the orphaned lambs, the shepherds match baby lambs who have lost their mothers with mother sheep who have lost their lambs. It isn’t has as easy as it sounds, though. A mother sheep will not accept a lamb and nurse it unless it is her own.

How, then, do shepherds get a mother sheep to accept an orphaned lamb as her own? The process is as old as shepherding itself. The process is pretty ingenious, but it is also kind of gross. The mother’s own lamb, which has died, is skinned, and the skin of the dead lamb is draped over the living lamb as it is placed by the adoptive mother’s side. The mother sheep then smells the skin and accepts the orphaned lamb as her own.

Lambing season in New Zealand reminds us of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Our Bible lessons for today make the point that Jesus is our Good Shepherd, but that he is also our sacrificial Lamb. Jesus himself said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." There is the great paradox of our Savior. Because of the blood from the Lamb of God, our heavenly Father accepts us as his own. Because of the guidance from our Good Shepherd, we are led to the green pastures and quiet streams of our heavenly home. Once we were like orphaned sheep, but now we are God’s adopted children.

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. It is also Confirmation. The two themes fit marvelously well together. These three little lambs, used to be lost. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, found them. He adopted them into his family through baptism. Today they are publicly confirming the faith into which they were baptized. Today the Good Shepherd is officially bringing them into our flock.

Megan, Katie, Alyssa, and all of you, you are the Good Shepherd’s sheep. Listen again to what Jesus says about his sheep: "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me. I lay down my life for the sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." You may not have wool, chew grass, or have a little bell around your neck, but you are still the Good Shepherd’s sheep. As his sheep, follow the Good Shepherd because you know his voice. Follow him to the green pastures of eternal life.

The Jews who challenged Jesus in our sermon text were not Jesus’ sheep. They would go to damnation. Sadly, there are many today who are not Jesus’ sheep. They are the wicked, the rebellious, the heathen. They are the atheists, the agnostics, and the idolaters. They are not Jesus’ sheep – although Jesus wants them to be. There are many also who claim to be Jesus’ sheep. Yet they do not follow Jesus as their Good Shepherd. They stray. They become lost. They mingle with the ravenous wolves.

You, though, are Jesus’ sheep. But, how do you know for sure that you are Jesus’ sheep? Jesus said: "I know my sheep and my sheep know me. My sheep listen to my voice." That is, they are drawn to what Jesus has to say. They believe that what he says is the truth, and they long to hear more. One confirmand said "I plan on attending the worship services every Sunday, unless I am deathly ill with an overly contagious disease." Our three confirmands are examples of sheep listening to the Shepherd’s voice. They are faithful in worship attendance. They are active in music and athletics at WLS. They are willing to use their talents God gave them to sing in church, play the piano and violin, or to paint. And in confirmation class they were always eager with an answer. O.K. They did everything else except the last one.

Megan, Katie, and Alyssa understand that although they are being confirmed today, they are not graduating from studying God’s Word. They are not finished listening to the voice of Jesus. Jesus’ words give insight into life. His words offer solutions to the problems with which we wrestle. His words offer deliverance from depression, forgiveness from sins, freedom from guilt. As true sheep of the Shepherd, we long to hear his voice in the Word of God. We want to know more. We read and study and learn and hear the Word of God. "My sheep listen to my voice."

Jesus also said: "I know them." As Jesus’ sheep we know that Jesus’ words of deliverance and healing applies to us. We feel accepted. We know we belong. We have a personal relationship with our Savior. We have become children of God. We are sheep of Christ’s flock.

Our confirmands like to complain that our confirmation class was much more difficult than First Evan’s confirmation class. First Evan’s students only have memory work to do. Our class had memory work, workbooks, homework, quizzes, tests, and journals. Still, their parents told me how their child would come home and talk about what they learned in class. I don’t ever remember talking to my parents about confirmation class – especially speaking favorably about it. Although the kids worked hard and I expected a lot out of them, we had fun as we studied and applied God’s Word to their lives.

Every once in a while they were able to talk me into finishing class early and going to the gym to play kickball or dodgeball. They thought they were getting out of class. I thought it was great to play dodgeball against them. How often does a pastor get to bean one of his students?

Before our last confirmation class I asked our three confirmands "can you honestly say that you agree with all the teachings of this Lutheran church, having found them all to be clearly taught in the Word of God?" Here are their answers. "Yes, I can honestly say that I agree with all of the teachings of the Lutheran church, though I don’t exactly understand them all clearly because my head cannot perform like that. No, just kidding! I do understand the majority of it and it may take me awhile to understand it but I will eventually get there." Another wrote: "Yes, I can honestly say all of this because I have been clearly taught all of this in my past couple years of catechism. I have faithfully studied God’s Word to the best of my ability, and I have asked pastor questions if I didn’t understand something. I can also trust Pastor because he knows a lot more than I do." (Very smart.)

I grew up raising sheep. And although sheep may seem dumb, they really aren’t. They just behave far differently from cattle. Cows are herded from the rear by shouting cowboys with cracking whips. But that won’t work on sheep at all. If you stand behind sheep making loud noises, all they will do is run behind you because sheep prefer to be led. You push cows, but you lead sheep, and they will not go anywhere that someone else does not go first. Their shepherd goes ahead of them to show them everything is all right.

Sheep know their shepherd and their shepherd knows them. While growing up, it was always amazing that a shepherd could walk right through a sleeping flock without disturbing a single one of them, while a stranger could not step foot in the fold without causing pandemonium. Sheep and shepherds develop a language of their own.

You are the Good Shepherd’s sheep. Continue to follow him because you know and trust his voice.

Jesus also promises us that if we follow him we will not only know his voice for this lifetime, but we can know and follow his voice to the green pastures of eternal life. This is why we come to church on a Sunday morning. This is why we put so much effort into living a Christian lifestyle. This is why you endured those long, agonizing hours in confirmation class. We follow Jesus as his sheep because he keeps on giving us life, eternal life, God’s kind of life.

Following Jesus to eternal life is our goal for this life. Jesus promises us that we will never perish. We live in a world that is perishing, a world that is headed for ultimate destruction. People all around us are committed to a life that will put them in hell. Yet, we shall never perish! We will follow Jesus to the green pastures and the quiet streams of eternal life. Even though you may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil, for your Shepherd is with you. You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What comfort you receive from knowing that Jesus is your Shepherd and you are his sheep.

One day Linus and Charlie Brown are walking along and chatting with one another. Linus says, "I don’t like to face problems head on. I think the best way to solve problems is to avoid them. In fact, this is a distinct philosophy of mine. No problem is so big or so complicated that it can’t be run away from!"

We all have problems in our lives. We have huge decisions we have to make – decisions that will impact numerous lives. We face complications and deadlines and diseases and frustrations. Rather than running away from these problems, we can run into the safety of Jesus’ arms. He will shield us. He will guard us. He will protect us. We’ll make it through. The answers will come. We’ll be all right. Another confirmand’s passage says exactly that: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Since Jesus is their Shepherd and they are his sheep, these confirmands are willing to publicly confess their faith in Jesus today. I asked the confirmands "are you ready to face all, even death, rather than lose the faith in which you are about to be confirmed." These were their answers: "The truth is that I’m scared to die. But if it comes to turning to the devil or dying in my faith, I’d rather die and be with God eternally in heaven than with the devil eternally in hell."

Another wrote: "Yes, I am ready to face whatever trials may come before me because I know that God is always with me and will protect me. I would much rather die because of my faith and go to heaven than to lose my faith and therefore not have the hope and joy of eternal life."

And another wrote: I am ready because I know in the end that something even greater than we can possibly think will happen to me and I should be grateful for what I have and what I will have in the future. Especially for when my death comes I know that I will be with God forever and talk to him all I want to." This is the kind of faith in Jesus that we all need to have.

These confirmands are examples of sheep who are listening to Jesus’ voice and are willing to follow him to eternal life. Fellow believers, and especially you the confirmation class of 2006, you are the Good Shepherd’s sheep. Follow him by listening to his voice. Follow him to the green pastures of eternal life. For Jesus is our faithful, dependable, reliable, good, loving, feeding, leading, forgiving, and saving Good Shepherd. It's all in his nail-pierced hands. Amen.

"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Revelation 7:12)