This coming Sunday is the 4th Sunday of Easter in Lectionary Cycle B. No matter which Lectionary Year, the 4th Sunday of Easter always takes the gospel reading from some part of John 10 and thus is sometimes referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” There are several layers of context in this part of John’s gospel: the sequence of Jewish festivals, the content of the chapters before and after, and more.

John chapters 5 thru 10 take place during principal feasts of the Jews, including the Sabbath, Passover, Tabernacles (Chapters 7 and 8) and Dedication. Our gospel takes place in what might be called the aftermath of the Feast of Tabernacles (also called the Feast of Booths). The feast was one of the three pilgrimage festivals when faithful Jews were expected to celebrate at the Temple in Jerusalem. That expectation is evident in the gospel: “But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here [Galilee] and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. No one works in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world.” (John 7:2-4)

Throughout John 7 the people and the Jewish authorities are witnesses to Jesus’ public teaching in the Temple precincts. They are not quite sure what to make of him. They wonder how he has such profound knowledge and understanding of Scripture and yet has not formally studied. The authorities are considering arresting him. People are wondering if he is the Messiah.

40 Some in the crowd who heard these words said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? 42 Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them, 51 “Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?” 52 They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” (John 7:40-52)

John 8 presents the well-known story of the “Woman Caught in Adultery,” which introduced the idea of sin and sets off a chapter of debates with the scribes and Pharisees during which Jesus invokes the divine “I AM” expression to proclaim his true nature – which as you might imagine does not go well with the scribes and Pharisees: “So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area” (John 8:59)

Because of the signs and miracles Jesus has performed, the power of his wisdom and understanding revealed in his teaching, we might wonder why some people are unable to see that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah – which is perhaps exactly the point of John 9, the story of the man born blind. The one thought to be cursed by God because of someone’s sin (his or his parents) is the one who truly sees and comes to believe. The others remain in their blindness. And we almost abruptly come to our gospel reading: the Good Shepherd.

This is the last public address of Jesus that John records. It is as if it is a final public declaration of his identity and mission. After this the focus is on the preparation of the disciples for the events of Holy Week and their mission to the ends of the world.

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