Jeremiah 23: 1-6 Pentecost 9 Date: July 21/24
Slaughterhouses sometimes find it difficult to direct sheep marked for slaughter up the ramp to the place of their execution. They will mill about in confusion, desperately looking for someone to follow and show them the way home. To overcome the problem, some slaughter houses use what they call a "Judas-goat." This diabolical creature will mill about the sheep boldly and confidently until he has gained their trust. Then he will walk up the ramp to the place where the slaughter takes place. When the sheep are well on their way, this goat will turn a corner and quickly find a hidden door on the side of the ramp and push his way out, while the unsuspecting sheep keep going to their death.
Over the centuries, our world has seen its share of "Judas-goats." Some come in the form of national leaders like a Hitler or a Stalin. With their well polished speeches, they have led millions to follow godless philosophies and bloody and ruthless policies. Others come dressed in the robes of a preacher - like the not even close-to-reverend Jim Jones, who convinced hundreds of faithful followers to drink kool-aid laced with cyanide.
It is no different today than it was in Jeremiah’s day or in Jesus’ day. Political leaders cared little for right and wrong and did little to lead their people. Religious leaders didn’t teach people the truth about God and the plan of salvation. There always have been and always will be Judas-goats who look for sheep who are confused and ready to follow the first person who looks like they know where they are going.
Our gospel this morning says, "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." Jesus came to be our Shepherd. He came to be our King. We can follow him without fear.
Follow Jesus - Our Shepherd-King
I. he brings leadership to the leaderless
I have to confess that for years I don’t think I understood what it meant when we say that Jesus is our King. I could give the classic catechism answers. There is the kingdom of POWER. Jesus is the King of all and rules over the whole world for the benefit of his Church. There is the kingdom of GRACE. Jesus is OUR king because he rules in the hearts of those who believe in him with his Word. There is the kingdom of GLORY. Jesus rules from his throne in heaven and will someday gather all his people to himself in heaven and rule his heavenly kingdom for all eternity.
Then one day I was teaching a seventh grade child a make-up confirmation lesson. I was questioning him about what it means to say that Jesus is our King. "What does Jesus do as our king?" I was expecting something with the word "rule" in it. Instead, he said, "As my king, Jesus is watching over me." Suddenly lights began to go on in my head. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for shepherding a flock could also be translated to rule or govern when it was used in connection with a king or prince. A good king was not one who ruled his people for his own benefit. A good king was one who watched over his people and looked out for their benefit.
Isn’t that the reason David made such a good king? He grew up in the fields as a shepherd. He was not afraid to risk his life for his sheep - even if it meant a battle with a lion or a bear. When he became a king, David kept his shepherd’s heart. He cared for his people. He watched over his people. And this was not only in physical ways - like taking his army out to defeat the Philistines. It was also a spiritual ruling. He lovingly lead to the children of Israel to serve and worship the true God.
Again, it says in our gospel lesson for today: "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." Jesus was and is the Son of God. He was also David’s Son and had David’s heart - the heart of a shepherd. Because his people were being taught wrong by the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus taught them the truth. Because they needed someone to rescue them from the hands of their enemies - from sin, death, and the power of Satan - Jesus gave up his life for his people. Yes, Jesus is my King. He is also my Shepherd. He is my Shepherd-King.
Our text shows us why that’s both bad news and good news. "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: "Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD. The kings and priests and prophets in Jeremiah’s day were not faithful shepherds. They were Judas-goats. They were leading God’s people astray. And God would not tolerate that! A good shepherd cannot stand by and see his sheep destroyed by some shepherd who doesn’t really care for the sheep.
And it is still bad news for lousy shepherds. I wouldn’t want to be a pastor today who is teaching lies to God’s people and leading them astray. I wouldn’t want to be a political leader who is using his or her position to promote godless philosophies that gather confused sheep into a different pasture than God’s. Because Jesus is still the King and the Shepherd of his people. He is still enthroned in heaven, watching over his flock. I would not want to be on the wrong side of my Shepherd-King when he gets angry!
But that’s good news for the sheep, isn’t it? "I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD. The children of Israel were about to be scattered as a result of the bad shepherding that had taken place in Israel. Some would be in Babylon. Others would just be scattered almost anywhere. But God in heaven would not forsake them. He would be their shepherd. He would gather his scattered flock and bring them back home and give them faithful shepherds again - like Ezra, Nehemiah, Zechariah and Malachi.
Friends, the greatest fulfillment of this prophecy came through God who became man in Jesus Christ - our Good Shepherd. "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." He taught them. He died for them. He trained his disciples and empowered them to go out in his name. From his throne in heaven, Jesus is still our shepherd-king. He provides pastors and teachers and good shepherds for his people. He jealousy watches over his flock. In times of temptation, he stands between them and Satan. In times of weakness, he carries them in his arms. In times of death, he gathers them to his fold in heaven.
We don’t need Judas-goats. We need a shepherd. Jesus is our shepherd-king! And as our Shepherd-King,
II. he brings righteousness to the unrighteous
We can learn a lot about our Shepherd-King from our text. "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. His name is the L O R D our Righteousness. If you have your Bible open, you will notice that this name is in all capital letters. That means it is the special name that God used for himself in the Old Testament. Sometimes it is pronounced Jehovah. But whenever this special name is referred to it just says L O R D in capital letters because no one really knows how this name of God is pronounced. But for our purposes today, lets just use the pronunciation, "Jehovah." It was Jehovah who came to Adam and Eve and promised a Savior. It was Jehovah who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush. It was Jehovah who brought Israel safely to the land of Canaan. It was Jehovah who would come to save his people from sin.
Friends, Jesus is Jehovah God. He is the L O R D. He is the righteous branch from the line of David. Mary was descended from David. So Jesus was David’s ancestor. Jehovah God became a man so he could save his people from their sins.
There is another name for the Savior in our text. He is the LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS. It’s easy to understand the word righteousness. Righteousness is what a person does when he does what is right. Jesus always did what was right. He never cursed or swore. He never disobeyed his parents or the authorities. He never hurt anyone. He never harbored a lustful thought in his heart. He never stole or wanted to be rich. He never doubted or worried.
Or putting it positively, he always told the truth. He always obeyed his parents. He always put the best explanation on things he heard about his neighbor. He was always content with what he had. He always went to the synagogue on the sabbath.
Do you get the picture? Jesus NEVER did anything wrong. And I mean NEVER. He didn’t commit a single sin. He didn’t commit a little sin. He didn’t even come close to committing a sin - not even in his mind or his imagination. We do that all the time. We drive down the road just thinking about all kinds of hurtful and terrible things. There is hardly a sin we haven’t committed in our minds. But Jesus NEVER did. And he ALWAYS did what was right. He did it when he was supposed to. He did it without fail. That’s what righteousness is. He never did what was wrong and he always did what was right.
Do you find this comforting or discomforting? Discomforting - if you are comparing yourselves with Jesus. I consider myself something of a basketball player. At least, I do alright with the noon crowd at the community center. I can hold my own with the 40-something crowd. I have a few moves on the inside. I can shoot a three-point shot when I have to. But every once in a while, someone in his twenties will come down who played a little college ball. That’s when I find out how slow I really am. How hard it is to jump HIGH for a rebound. How easy it is to get faked out by someone who has a few real moves. Can you imagine how helpless I would feel if I played one on one with Michael Jordan or Charles Barkley?
Jesus is righteousness. If I compare my life to his, I can only be depressed. Can God want me as his child if I have to compare myself to his only Son, who NEVER did what was wrong and who ALWAYS did what was right?
I want you to see just one little word in our text today. Go down to verse six. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. Look at the little word that sits between the two names for our Savior-Shepherd-King. It’s a three letter word just before the word "righteousness." See it? It says OUR. Jesus wasn’t a righteous shepherd and king just to show us up to be the unrighteous sinners that we are. Jesus is OUR righteousness.
If God says, "Did you keep the first commandment? Did you give me the glory only in your life? Did you love me with your heart and soul and mind?" You can say, "No, Lord, I didn’t. I must confess my sins. I cannot hide them from you. But Jesus did. He always honored you. Even when he was dying on the cross and you had to forsake him and punish him, he still honored you. Right? Lord, it says right here that Jesus did that for me. He is the LORD our righteousness. So if you asked if I kept the first commandment, I would have to say, "yes." Jesus kept it for me!"
Friends, there are a lot of Judas-goats out there that would love to lead you to the slaughterhouse. There always have been and always will be. But what did our gospel say? "When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things." Jesus is still our Shepherd and King. He will not leave you without his leadership and support. He will not leave you without his righteousness to make you right in the sight of God. Amen.
