The Lutheran Hour

"Straight Talk!"

#74-33
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on April 29, 2007
Guest Speaker: Rev. Charles Brandt
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: John 10:25-30

In the last days of World War II, a scrawny 15-year-old boy was drafted into the German army. After two weeks of basic training, he was sent to the front armed with a ground machine gun and a pistol that he wore on his belt behind him. When the boy asked about bullets for the weapons, he was told “You will find bullets when you get to the front!” It was early February, 1945, the last months of the war. The Battle of the Bulge was over, the Allies were advancing rapidly and the German armies were in retreat. These were brutal and desperate days of fighting, with little quarter given on either side.

Arriving at the front, the boy was greeted by a major Allied offensive. After a two-day artillery bombardment, his unit was confused and retreating. That cold wintry night, he jumped into a foxhole with six other German soldiers – all confused and scared. Gunfire erupted from all around them. And realizing that they were surrounded, they threw out their guns and surrendered. One by one the first three soldiers were searched, pulled aside, and shot. When they got to this boy, they found a pistol still in the holster. He realized what this meant, if they shot the first three soldiers who had no weapons, what would they do to him when they found the pistol? As the American soldier searched him, he found a worn German New Testament in his inside jacket pocket. He read the words out loud, “Neuen Testament.” Another American soldier grabbed the boy to pull him aside with the others to shoot, but this American soldier who searched him refused to let him go. The remaining three soldiers were searched and shot, but this boy was not.

That American soldier grabbed this 15-year-old boy’s arm and led him back to where other German prisoners were being held. He said something to him, but the boy didn’t understand English. Then he placed the New Testament back into this boy’s inside jacket pocket and he walked away. The boy became a prisoner of war ending up in a POW camp in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He always wondered who the American soldier was that saved his life and what he said to him that night. That 15-year-old German soldier was my father.

I remember, years after my father died, picking up that little German New Testament. It always lay on the dresser in my parent’s bedroom. It was well-worn with pages dangling from age and use. It opened to John 10. Verses 27 and 28 were underlined where Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice and I know them and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish and no one can snatch them out of My hand.”

Was it a coincidence that this particular American soldier searched my father, and finding the New Testament, spared his life? Was it a coincidence that my father underlined those verses and they just happen to be the text for this morning? I don’t think that there are coincidences when it comes to God. God uses people and events in our lives to help, strengthen, and draw us to Him. Jesus’ Words in our lesson illustrate this very point.
In our text this morning we find Jesus speaking to the Jews in the temple area in Jerusalem. They asked for a straight answer from Jesus demanding, “If You are the Christ, tell us plainly” (John 10:24). Jesus clearly responded saying, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in My Father’s name speak for Me, but you do not believe in Me because you are not My sheep” (John 10:25).

Jesus gave them a “straight answer.” He said: I told you that I am the Christ, the Savior, and the miracles that I have done are the proof. Jesus did miracles to show the people that He really was the Christ, the Savior of the world. He really had the power to forgive their sins and save them, both now and for all eternity. His challenge to them was: “Follow Me,” but they wouldn’t. Jesus wasn’t the kind of Savior that they were interested in. Now fast forward 2,000 years to today. Are we interested in following this Jesus? Is He our kind of Savior?

Jesus described His sheep in the next verse when He said, “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). In this one verse Jesus sums up our life as Christians. It starts with listening. If we are Christians, if we are Jesus’ “sheep,” we will be listening to His voice. That is a voice that we hear through His Word in worship. As we hear Jesus’ Word it feeds our faith and we grow closer to our Savior, by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is something else that occurs as we worship, we join with our fellow Christians in confessing this Savior. This confession is made both to God and our fellow Christians. This confession has the effect of strengthening our faith and the faith of those who worship with us. Jesus goes on to say, “…and they follow Me.” Here Jesus is describing our life as Christians. It is a life-long journey of worship and living for our Lord. To follow Jesus means to go where He leads, to be with Him. This is so much more that just saying “I believe” – anyone can say that. It is like love in marriage – there is far more to it than just saying “I love you.” Unless you live the love, the words mean nothing. It is the same with the words, “Follow Me” – they imply so much more. They refer to a life that is dedicated to this Savior who was and is totally committed to me. Jesus came into this world to become one of us. He fulfilled all the Old Testament laws and promises completely, and He suffered and He died on a cross to pay for all of my sins. He did all of this, “…That I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom” for all eternity. He came to save you from your sins.

Every time I read these words, my mind jumps to David’s words in Psalm 23. David remembered back to his childhood days as a shepherd boy. He remembered the time that he spent caring for his father’s sheep. This involved leading them to fresh grass and water. It meant protecting them from predators, like wolves and bear, that would attack the sheep. It meant risking his life to protect them as he stood between the attackers and the sheep. It meant searching after any sheep that might wander away and bring them back safely home.

With these thoughts David wrote, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the quiet waters.” David had to be thinking – He does for me, what I did for my sheep. David could say with confidence: “The Lord has led me through my life. He has provided me with all my needs. And when I was in danger, He was with me and delivered me.” But it didn’t end there. He said, “He restores my soul, He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” David said that his Lord not only provided all of his physical needs but He also cared for him spiritually. At the times when David was beaten up by life, overwhelmed with doubts and fears, troubled by his sins – his shepherd “restored” him. His shepherd forgave his sins and pointed him in the right direction. David wrote, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

David continued, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Death is a certainty of life. We all know that one day we will die and then what? People try to come up with their own answers to that question. And I think they do that because they don’t like the one they find in the Bible. What the Bible says makes sense – that when we die, we will stand in judgment before the Lord. This is an idea that people do not like to think about. But just because they don’t like it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to happen.

David could say with confidence in the face of death, “I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” Even in the face of death, I have nothing to fear. He knew that his Shepherd was with him and would take care of him. That did not mean that everything would go his way. It meant that he wasn’t alone. This is one of the greatest comforts of life – no matter who I am or what I have done – He will be there for me. The problem never is God deserting me; instead, it is me wandering away from Him.

David ended this Psalm with, “and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” No matter what things happen, David knew that his eternal life was in the hands of his shepherd. He had the comfort of God’s words. He knew that when his years here on this earth ended, he would dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This was God’s promise to him and to us. Think of what this means – it’s huge! David had to feel at times that God was leading him on the “scenic journey” through life. It was not a direct flight. There were all kinds of ups and downs, stopovers and delays. My father once told me – when the journey is scenic, sit back and enjoy the ride. David knew that his Lord was leading him.

Every time that I read these verses, I marvel at the words. The Creator of the universe calls me His own. He refers to me as one of His “sheep.” There is great comfort in those words. My father has been dead for over 20 years now, but many times I wondered what was going through his mind as he endured the fears and the pressures of those days in the war. We think of our military personnel spread out in all corners of the world, especially those who are in combat areas in Afghanistan and Iraq. These words of Jesus mean so much. We may never have experienced anything like they have – but we can know the comfort of what Jesus is saying. No matter what may happen – whether sickness, surgery, disasters, wars, or even death, Jesus says: I will be with you and you are Mine.

Jesus continued in John 10 (verse 28), “I give them eternal life.” To those sheep who know His voice and follow, Jesus gives eternal life. This is nothing that they have earned; it is God’s gracious gift to them. It is because of what their shepherd has done for them that they willingly follow Him and dedicate their lives to Him. They will be eternally alive with Jesus in heaven. Two words give us such a wonderful picture – eternal life. Life as God had always intended for His children, and it is His gift to them. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2 (verses 8-9), “For is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” This is God’s gift to His children.

Jesus goes on to say, “No one can snatch them out of My hand.” These words are comforting to us because they remind us that our faith cannot be stolen from us. This is not saying that we cannot or won’t drift away from Christ, but Jesus says our faith cannot be taken from us. These words of Jesus give us tremendous comfort in the face of all of our struggles as we try to follow. At times we may feel like God is taking us on a “scenic journey” in our lives. We have our ups and downs, with stopovers and delays. But King David’s advice to us might be to follow the Shepherd and enjoy the journey. We all have struggles but Jesus says just follow Me and I will lead you through them. Jesus gives us straight answers for the struggles and the challenges that we face every day. The question is, are we one of His sheep? Are we following our shepherd? Are you?

Straight talk from Jesus!

Amen.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR: 74-33
AIRS: April 29, 2007
TOPIC: Second Rate Women?

ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer.
KLAUS: Hi, Mark. And what is on the agenda before us today?

ANNOUNCER: A listener wants to know why the Bible treats women as personal property and why they are often portrayed as inferior.

KLAUS: Good. I’m going to give a simple answer – and a more complicated one, if that’s all right.

ANNOUNCER: Sure. Let’s go for the simple answer first.

KLAUS: The simple answer is this: The Bible is truthful and it reports things the way they were. As it recounts the stories of God’s relationship with humankind, if women were not treated well, it tells things the way they were. It doesn’t gloss over things. God’s Scripture doesn’t sugarcoat the sinful conduct of people.

ANNOUNCER: But somehow I thought there might be more to it than that.

KLAUS: And there is. Just because women were treated as second-rate individuals, that doesn’t mean God wanted things to be that way. Just because we see women being abused, that doesn’t mean God blesses or approves of such actions.

ANNOUNCER: So you’re saying there is a big difference between the way God wanted things to be and the way people lived?

KLAUS: Absolutely.

ANNOUNCER: Could you give us anything in Scripture that supports what you’ve just said.

KLAUS: While Jesus was conducting His earthly ministry, some Pharisees came to Him and they tested Him with a question. They asked about divorce. Back then, divorce was pretty much a one-way street. Men could divorce their wives easily, but women didn’t have the same opportunity.

During the course of the discussion, the Pharisees said a man was allowed to get rid of his wife by simply writing a bill of divorcement. Jesus allowed how the Pharisees were right in saying that. Then Jesus added, “Because of your hardness of heart he (Moses) wrote you this commandment…” Jesus concluded the discussion when He said, “That is not the way God intended things to be. From the beginning God wanted men and women to be one flesh.”

ANNOUNCER: So what Jesus is saying is: God wants things one way, and people wanted things another way.

KLAUS: Yes. God wants men and women to fulfill their roles in a marriage relationship. It is sinful human beings who take God’s good plan for marriage and home and pervert them. The Bible accurately describes some of those sins, including the disrespect that was given to women. It records those incidents, but that doesn’t mean that God agrees with them.
ANNOUNCER: And you said there was a more complicated answer to the question?

KLAUS: Yes. Maybe it’s not more complicated. It is certainly part of the answer.

ANNOUNCER: Please, continue.

KLAUS: Well, we’ve talked about how God wanted things one way, and humankind wanted things another. The second part of the answer is: How does God, Himself, treat women? How does God conduct Himself?

ANNOUNCER: I would think it would be quite different from the way men treat women.

KLAUS: And so it is. When Adam and Eve fall into sin, God doesn’t pick on Eve and say, “Look, you broke My law first, so you’re going to receive the greater punishment.” Both of them were punished for what they did.

Let’s take a look at Holy Week. How does the Bible show the men?

ANNOUNCER: Well, Jesus’ enemies were doing all they could to kill Him.

KLAUS: OK. And Pontius Pilate?

ANNOUNCER: He showed that he was a coward because he caved in to the demands of the crowd that called for Jesus’ crucifixion.

KLAUS: And the disciples?

ANNOUNCER: Well, let’s see: one of them betrayed Jesus; Peter denied ever knowing Him; and the rest of them ran away and hid somewhere.

KLAUS: So the men are not shown in a very good light here.

ANNOUNCER: Not at all. And what about the women?

KLAUS: Let’s see… the women were there, crying over the Savior’s crucifixion. The women were there at the foot of the cross; the women were there to bury Jesus; the women were the ones who went to finish Jesus’ burial; the women were the first to hear the angel announcing the resurrection; the women were the first ones to whom a risen Savior showed Himself. Throughout the passion and resurrection narrative, the women are shown as being the most faithful, the most honored.

ANNOUNCER: And God appears to honor them over the men.

KLAUS: Remember, these Gospel accounts were written by men. These men are very honest in showing how they failed, and how the women had been faithful. One other thing, Mark – and I’m just going to say this in passing – Christianity has been taking heat for a long time about this topic. I want to go on record as saying there are a number of world religions who make it a practice to treat women as second rate. Christianity is not now, nor has it ever been, one of them.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. And with that we come to the end of our broadcast for another week. We thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC

“The King of Love My Shepherd Is” arr. Mack Wilberg. From Great Hymns of Faith, vol. 2 by the St. Olaf Choir (© 2004 St. Olaf Records, Northfield MN) Oxford University Press #98.208

“The Lord’s My Shepherd” arranged by David Cherwien. From Hymn Interpretations, vol. 1 by David Cherwien (© 1992 Summa Productions)

“The King of Love My Shepherd Is” arr. Alfred Reed. From Rejouissance by the Concordia University Wind Symphony (© 1999 Concordia University-Chicago) C.L. Barnhouse & Co.