Michelle, family and friends of Rosalie:
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
[Intro]
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).
Rosalie was a caregiver. As a nurse, she cared for many people at Litchfield Hospital and at Glencoe Hospital. In her later years, she continued her care as she worked in the housekeeping department at Glencoe Hospital. And, most importantly, she was a caregiver to her parents.
All that while, Rosalie was being cared for by the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and He continues to care for her to this day. In fact, he cares for each one of us today and every day of our life, in this life and in the heavenly life to come!
A couple of the most recognizable portions of God’s Word are Psalm 23 and John 10. These words from our Lord are known by both Christians and non-Christians alike. Another portion of God’s Word that is as recognizable as our texts this morning is the Gospel in a nutshell, John 3:16.
So, why is this?
Well, Psalm 23 and John 10 are full of comfort and assurance. In a world that is full of distress and doubt, these words from our Lord give us hope in that He leads us, in that He is always present, and that He provides forever.
[The Lord Leads]
“The Lord is
my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3).
In the first three verses of Psalm 23, we hear how the Good Shepherd leads us. The Good Shepherd cares for all the needs of His flock. In doing so, He cares for every human need: physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Under the care of the Good Shepherd, we shall not want. Now, this doesn’t mean that we will never have any desires. Rather, all of our needs are met. The Good Shepherd supplies the basics through His daily bread: food, drink, and protection.
Each day of our life and in the life to come God provides for us abundantly. He leads us to “lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2a). These green pastures are His Means of Grace – Word and Sacrament – where He provides us pasture and sustenance, so that we may be refreshed and strengthened so that we get stronger and stronger in the one true Christian faith.
The Good Shepherd also “restores [our] soul” (Psalm 23:3a). Christ tells us: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). You see, He restores our soul as He sacrifices His life for His sheep – you and me.
The Good Shepherd also leads us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. This path of righteousness is “the right path.” You see, Jesus will never lead us to a place of slaughter. He leads us to eternal life and salvation. Along the way, He leads us along safe paths to heaven through His Word. He leads us to heaven, for the Good Shepherd is the only Way (John 14:6) to travel the righteous path.
[The Lord is Present]
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
Even in the most frightening situation in our life, the Good Shepherd is present. So, we can always be confident of God’s guiding presence.
Even in “the valley of the shadow of death,” the Good Shepherd is with us. He is always present with us. The Good Shepherd never sends His sheep into places He will not go. He is always with us in our lives today and in the life to come!
For Rosalie, the Good Shepherd first came to her in the waters of Holy Baptism on January 9, 1944. As soon as she heard the words of her pastor, “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Spirit gave her the ability to believe in Jesus as her Lord and Savior and Good Shepherd.
Although, the Good Shepherd was always present with her, it was here that the Good Shepherd announced His presence to her.
[The Lord Provides Forever]
“Thou preparest a table before me in the
presence of mine enemies:
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup
runneth 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” (Psalm 23:5-6).
These verses tell how the Good Shepherd always provides for His sheep.
He prepares a table before us. This shows how the Good Shepherd is hospitable to His sheep. The Good Shepherd not only gives us our daily bread – all the needs of our body, such as food, clothing and shelter – but He also gives us the gift of His very Body and very Blood in the Lord’s Supper for the forgiveness of our sins and to strengthen our weak faith.
The “cup runneth over” is the grace that we have received by faith in Jesus Christ. For although we were dead in sin, He took on the death we deserve upon the cross, so that we would be made righteous by grace through faith in Him. For although we sin much in thought, word and deed, God’s grace is the cup that is always runneth over. So, when we repent and confess our sins, we are forgiven.
The Good Shepherd gives all who believe in Him this goodness and mercy all their lives.
[Dwelling in the House of the Lord Forever]
For everyone who dies in
Christ, they experience the ending of Psalm 23: “And I will dwell in the
house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6b).
As soon as those who know the Good Shepherd enter heaven, they are no longer sinners, but only saints. So, while they are in the presence of the Good Shepherd, they “hunger no more, neither thirst anymore” (Revelation 7:16a). While in heaven, the Good Shepherd continues to provide.
Yes, for us here this morning, we are experiencing sorrow. We grieve because death is not our friend. Death is in fact our enemy! But, we don’t grieve like others do who have no hope, because Jesus has conquered the power of death on our behalf!
As the Apostle Paul says, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is always with us! He leads us and He provides forever! Amen.
The peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
T SOLI DEO GLORIA T
Rosalie Hemerick's obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/rosalie-jean-hemerick/
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