Beth Voltmann
Dec 13, 20232 min
by Beth Voltmann
Our passage today begins with a rebuke, “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” How sobering. It should make us tremble to realize how often we fail when God trusts us to follow Him closely, to follow His perfect law, to train others in the way of righteousness. There is hope to be found in this passage because of God’s plan for his people!
We tend to mark our days with a timestamp.
Would you agree that most of us have memories of the world Pre-9/11 and Post-9/11?
In the same way, I find myself identifying more recent events as Pre-Covid or Post-Covid.
The joy for us is that we are not living in the Pre-Birth of Jesus world, but the Post-Birth of Jesus' days!
Even as God rebuked the religious leaders of the day, he used his prophet, Jeremiah, to speak hope. Our merciful and loving God cares deeply for the sheep of his pasture.
God said:
“I myself will gather the remnant…” (Jeremiah 23:3)
“I will place shepherds over them who will tend them…” (v. 4)
“I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King…” (v. 5)
“This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness…” (v. 6)
And God fulfilled his promise. God stepped in and God stepped down. God sent his One and only Son into the world to be our Good Shepherd, our righteous Branch, our King - and God still calls leaders in our day to partner with Jesus in guiding his sheep while proclaiming the Gospel.
Perhaps with Jeremiah’s prophetic warning in mind, Paul encouraged the leaders of the Ephesian Church: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28)
When John the Baptist was born, his father, Zechariah, knew with certainty that the Messiah was about to be sent into the world. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago)..." (Luke 1:68-70)
We know with certainty that Jesus has come. May we follow him with our whole heart. May we proclaim his praise, and may we remember to pray for our shepherds here on earth as we proclaim the Good News of our Messiah.
Father God, thank you that you did not forsake us but sent Jesus into the world to be our Good Shepherd, our King, the Lord Our Righteousness. We praise you because he has come and has redeemed us!
O come all ye faithful,
Come, let us adore him.