I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s Gospel lesson is what gives the Fourth Sunday of Easter the name of “Good Shepherd Sunday.” It’s certainly one of the most cherished titles of our Lord, no doubt due in part to the prominence of Psalm 23 -- perhaps the most famous of all of the Psalms -- which was also appointed for this morning. The Lord is my shepherd. It’s an image that brings an added element of comfort to the festivities of Eastertide. The risen Lord who has conquered death once and for all in order to bring us to glory is also the Good Shepherd: the one who cares for his flock with unwavering attention and affection.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life...we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Imagine what the Christian Faith would look like if the resurrection story in the Gospels simply ended with the words, “He has risen, he is not here” (Mark 16:6). What would Christianity look like if the account ended with just the claim that Christ had risen from the dead? Without any subsequent appearances to his followers or his journey with the two travelers on the Road to Emmaus. Without him coming to stand before the disciples like he does in today’s Gospel. In short, what would the Gospel look like if there were no “witnesses of these things” -- no witnesses of the risen Lord -- but only a claim that the rest of us simply had to accept or reject at face value?

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Well, I have to say it again: Alleluia, Christ is Risen! This is most definitely the holiest of mornings. For this is the day on which our Lord passed from death into life, from the tomb into glory. It is the Feast of our Lord’s Resurrection; the Feast of his victory over death and sin; the Feast of all time and for all time.

Sacrifices and offerings thou hast not desired, but a body hast thou prepared for me...
Then I said, ‘Lo, I have come to do thy will, O God….

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This solemn day of Good Friday resists interpretation because there is something about the death of Christ that speaks for itself. It’s why we read the entire Passion narrative rather than the usual brief Gospel lesson that’s meant for commentary and reflection. Instead, today’s reading is for our total immersion. We are not spectators here; there is no where to stand “outside” the text, which is why we disperse the voices of the characters amongst ourselves. There is only this all-embracing narrative and the roles we have been assigned within it. The pace of the plot is hurried. It reads like someone is trying to explain an emergency that’s come up while grabbing their things and getting out the door. An extended period of time in which to reflect on the situation, to understand it what it all means, is precisely what we and the disciples don’t have right now. All we have is a string of facts that together comprise an event. First, there’s a garden across the Kidron Valley that Jesus and his disciples decide to go to and the next thing you know, there’s a tomb nearby, and they laid Jesus there. 

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The dominant theme of Maundy Thursday is the institution of the Eucharist. And since the Eucharist is the very center of the Church’s life -- the means by which we partake of the flesh and blood of Christ -- Maundy Thursday is all “about unity” [1]. Because the Eucharist that we commemorate and celebrate this evening is itself “the sacrament...of union with God and the unity of all mankind” [2]. But, as we will find in our Gospel’s account of the Last Supper, this unity is a strange one.