Special and chosen sermons of D. Martin Luther collected out of his writings and…

But that this may be the better perceived, we will now entreat of our text, wherein Christ first saith: I am the good shepherd. And what is a good shepherd? A good shepherd, saith Christ, giveth his life for his sheep. And I leave my life for my sheep. Here the Lord declareth what his kingdom is, bringing a goodly parable of the sheep. Ye know that it is a beast of all living creatures most foolish and most simple, so that thereupon it is commonly spoken as a proverb, if we have to speak of a simple one: He is a sheep. Nevertheless it is of that nature more then other living creatures, that it quickly knoweth the voice of his shepherd, neither followeth it any beside his own shepherd, being always of that quality that it cleaveth to him, and seeketh for help of him alone, being not able to help it self, neither to feed it self, neither to heal it self, nor keep it self from the wolves, but doth wholly consist in the help of an other. Christ therefore bringeth the quality and nature of the sheep in manner of a parable, and transformeth him self into a shepherd, whereby he doth very well show, what his kingdom is, and ⟨p. 83⟩wherein it consisteth, and his meaning is this: My kingdom is nothing else, but that I may feed sheep, that is, miserable, needy, and wretched men in the earth, which do well perceive and feel, that they have no help or counsel any other where, but in me alone.

But that this may be the better perceiued, we wil now intreat of our text, wherein Christ first sayth: I am the good shepeherd. And what is a good shepeheard? A good shepeherd, sayth Christ, giueth his life for his sheepe. And I leaue my life for my sheepe. Here the Lord declareth what his kingdom is, bringing a goodly parable of the sheepe. Ye knowe that it is a beast of all liuing creatures most foolish and most simple, so that thereupon it is commonly spoken as a prouerb, if we haue to speake of a simple one: He is a sheepe. Neuertheles it is of that nature more then other liuing creatures, that it quickly knoweth the voyce of his shepeheard, neither followeth it any beside his owne shepeheard, being alwaies of that qualitie that it cleaueth to him, and seeketh for helpe of him alone, being not able to helpe it selfe, neither to feede it selfe, neither to heale it selfe, nor keepe it selfe from the wolues, but doth wholy consist in the helpe of an other. Christ therefore bringeth the qualitie and nature of the sheepe in maner of a parable, and transformeth him selfe into a sheepeheard, whereby he doth very well shewe, what his kingdome is, and