It is through Jesus that one becomes identified as insider or outsider.

Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker with Johannine scholar, Karoline Lewis for an unexpected take on Ash Wednesday through John 10:1-21, the Good Shepherd discourse.

Karoline reveals a crucial connection: Jesus' Good Shepherd discourse is his own interpretation of the healing of the man born blind in John 9. The man has already lived out this imagery—following Jesus' voice despite opposition and finding abundant life. This isn't abstract theology; it's enacted truth the listeners just witnessed.

Why This Text for Ash Wednesday?

While typically an Easter season passage, John 10 speaks powerfully to Lenten themes. Jesus' statement "I lay down my life in order to take it up again" (v. 17) previews the passion we're journeying toward. Ash Wednesday confronts us with mortality, yet this text paradoxically points beyond death to resurrection and abundant life.

The shepherd metaphor carries messianic weight—"shepherd" was royal language in the ancient Near East. When Jesus declares "I am the good shepherd," he's making claims about divine kingship his audience would immediately recognize.

This text overflows with themes: abundant life, sacrificial love, discipleship, dual shepherd/gate imagery. The hosts discuss focusing strategies for a single sermon, addressing the pastoral challenge of the hired hand reference, and connecting Jesus' garden arrest to this discourse—where he both protects his disciples and surrenders himself, acting as both gate and shepherd.

Perfect for pastors, ministry leaders, seminary students, and anyone following the Narrative Lectionary.

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.