Sermon: April 26, 2026
Readings: Acts 2:42-47, Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10
There are a lot of voices telling us who we are and how we should live, but not all of them lead to life.
Whether we realize it or not, there are voices in the world that shape how we see ourselves, how we see others, and even how we see God. But not every voice that speaks into your life is telling you the truth. Not every voice that claims authority deserves to be followed.
So the question is not whether we are listening, but whose voice we are trusting, and who we are truly following.
In the Gospel, we see what happens when those voices collide. Jesus healed a man who had been blind since birth. It was a moment of restoration, of new life breaking into the world. But instead of being received with joy, the man was interrogated, dismissed, and cast out of the synagogue; not because he had done anything wrong, but because he refused to deny what God had done for him.
Jesus then begins to speak about shepherds and gates, about voices that can be trusted and voices that cannot. He speaks of those who come not to give life, but to steal, kill, and destroy.
But the shepherd is different. He calls, he leads, and he brings life. Not deeper into fear. Not into lives shaped by someone else’s power. But out, into life.
Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” That is how we know the difference. The voice of the shepherd leads to a life rooted in God’s love, shaped by mercy, compassion, and grace.
And if what we are hearing does not lead toward that, then it is not the voice of Jesus Christ.
There are voices that claim authority, voices that claim to speak for Christianity and define what it means to follow Jesus. But what they call people toward does not reflect the love, the mercy, or the compassion of Christ.
But the voice of Christ is different. It leads toward life. It restores dignity. It draws us into love.
And so we are given a way to discern: if what we are hearing leads us away from love, then it is not the voice of Jesus Christ. As Bishop Michael Curry says, “If it ain’t about love, then it ain’t about Jesus.”
So may we listen. May we learn to recognize the voice of Jesus Christ, not just in what is said, but in where it leads. And may we have the courage to follow where he calls, away from all that diminishes life, and into the fullness of God’s love.
