A foundational component of creating a culture of racial diversity and justice in our churches is an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a message of mercy and justice. Jesus is always pointing us toward a just vision of life in the kingdom. As preachers, we have the opportunity to share this vision every Sunday.

If you are a lectionary-guided church as many of us are, the Office of Racial Diversity and Justice wants to help by providing regular “Preaching Notes” to help with the crafting of a justice-themed message on an upcoming text.

These Preaching Notes are meant to nudge your sensibilities to perhaps “new” thoughts about Jesus and justice. We’ll also point to some trusted resources. Feel free to contact the author for a conversation!

This month’s Preaching Notes are on John 10:1-10, appointed text for Good Shepherd Sunday, shared by the Rev. Vania Gomez.

Preaching Notes on John 10:1-10

By the Rev. Vania Gomez of Restoration Abbey in San Diego

If you’ve only memorized one scripture, odds are it’s Psalm 23. Even for nominal churchgoers, the familiarity of the psalm carries a warm nostalgia. Yet its comfort can feel distant when fear and injustice loom. By pairing Psalm 23 with John 10, this reflection helps preachers connect the Good Shepherd’s care to real threats facing their communities today.

Where Christ Meets Us: Care, Safety and Belonging

In John 10:1–10, Jesus describes himself as a shepherd who cares for his sheep, unlike others who try to harm or use them. This isn’t just comforting imagery for Hollywoodesque moments at a deathbed surrounded by loved ones. It’s also about what is right and fair. God’s justice looks like protection, honesty and making sure the vulnerable are not exploited.

Through the Scripture readings on this Good Shepherd Sunday, we are able to clearly see that through Christ, God leads, provides and restores. Together, these passages show that justice is not about rules or punishment, but about care and safety. Jesus reveals a God who knows people, stands against harm and creates space where everyone can belong and flourish.

From Comfort to Calling: Walking in the Shepherd’s Steps 

In John 10:1–10, we hear echoes of Exodus when Jesus declares that he is the “I am.” We hear him plainly say, “I am the gate” and we see the fierceness and depths of care that God’s love will reach. When Jesus describes the way he cares for his sheep, we see tenderness and invitation. When we read these rich passages on Good Shepherd Sunday, we are able to pull on the threads of God’s compassion for the individual, the community and the world. 

We are not only invited to receive goodness and care, but also to recognize that “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21). As followers of Christ, we are invited to actively participate in the care of those Christ loves, whom the world has turned its back on.

Shepherding in a Broken World: Liberation and Belonging 

This passage also speaks into a world where the vulnerable face injustice and the misuse of power. As the people of God, we are called to hold in mind those on the margins, learning to dwell with the Good Shepherd and recognize his voice—one that never exploits or excludes.

In contrast to forces of harm and destruction, Jesus reveals himself as protector and shepherd, embodying God’s justice through relational care, protection and truth rather than domination. Paired with Psalm 23, this vision of justice flows from God’s abundance, not scarcity or fear. These scriptures become cries of liberation and markers of hope instead of simply comfort because we are able to encounter the goodness of God through the protection of human dignity.

As the people of God, we are invited not only to hear Christ’s voice, but to embody it together:

• God shelters us, so we shelter those who lack or are abandoned.
• God protects us, so we protect those who are abused by unjust powers.
• God leads us, so we lead toward the living water.
• God makes a place for us, so we make a place for those who have been pushed to the margins.

Still Calling, Still Sending: The Shepherd’s Work Continues 

Through it all, we can see that it is both simple and complex: Even today we are not alone, and we are not left unprotected. The Good Shepherd not only sees us but knows us, calls us by name, and leads us into spaces of safety, dignity and belonging. In a world marked by fear, injustice and exclusion, Christ stands as the gate and the guide offering abundant life rooted in care, truth and unshakable love.

God’s justice is not distant or abstract; it is active, personal and present. It looks like protection for the vulnerable, restoration for the broken, and a community where all can flourish. And even more, we are invited into that same work—not as a burden, but as a reflection of the love we have already received.

The Shepherd’s voice still calls today and is still gathering, restoring and sending us out to embody that same love in the world, establishing God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. We can trust that as we follow, we are led not by fear or scarcity, but by a God whose goodness and mercy continue to pursue us, and whose care is more than enough for all. 

Resources 

The New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary (Gospel of John by Miguel G. Echeveria)

Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23  (Dallas Willard)

The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right (Lisa Sharon)