A Reason to Rejoice
Jeremiah 23:3-6
INTRODUCTION:
Take a quick Rorschach (Raw-shak) test with me: Consider the word Christmas. What is the first word that comes to your mind? For some, the word might be JOY. Joy is closely associated with Christmas. We wish each other a “Merry” Christmas. Signs say, “Happy” Holidays. We sing: Good Christian Men, “Rejoice.”
But around the Christmas time, JOY may be the last thing we’re feeling. Years back, Susan was driving our youngest daughter, Kimberly to church. Kimberly was about 3 and her cousin was riding in the car beside her. (Now, you have to think back to the old days. The kids were not sitting side-by-side, safely strapped in car seats. They were standing side-by-side in the front seat. If it makes you feel any better, the drive to church was only a couple of blocks.)
Anyway, it was that hectic time of the Christmas season, and everyone was tired and cranky. Kimberly, especially, was in whining mode! Susan told her several times to stop whining. Then Kimberly’s little 2-year-old cousin turned to her and said, “Rejoice, Kimmy!” A pretty big vocabulary for such a little child. And pretty important message for all of us.
The point of Christmas is to remind us that we have every reason to Rejoice. That’s why the Angel said to the Shepherds: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11
It’s amazing that the greatest of all events was announced to some of the humblest of all people: shepherds. But the fact that this news was announced to shepherds is even more significant than that. You probably have noticed that sheep and shepherds are used a lot in scripture to illustrate our need for God and His care for us.
The good news of great joy was not just for the shepherds in the field that night. We can all rejoice --- because Jesus came to earth as the Good Shepherd. In fact, about 600 years before the birth of Christ, the Prophet Jeremiah prophesied the coming of our Shepherd King.
1. Jesus: The Shepherd King
Jeremiah knew that the coming of this Shepherd King was Good News ------ and it was also Bad News. It was good news for the Sheep. But bad news for Bad Shepherds. Look at how his prophecy starts in Jeremiah 23:
1 "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD. 2 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. Jeremiah 23:1-2
Jeremiah knew the names and faces of these false shepherds. False prophets like Ahab, the son of Kiliah, and Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah were following Jeremiah around the country, contradicting everything he said. These False Shepherds led the Israelites AWAY from God by assuring them that all was well and they had no need to repent. You can bet they knew Jeremiah was talking about them, and they weren’t happy about it.
As an interesting side note – these two False Prophets were later taken into captivity in Babylon. A few years later, King Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown in the same furnace Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were thrown into. The difference was: Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego were rescued. The False Prophets were roasted.
God has promised punishment for False Shepherds who lead His sheep astray. I’ve heard it said that when sheep are taken to a slaughterhouse, they tend to mill about in confusion. To overcome the problem, some slaughterhouses use what they call a "Judas-goat." This diabolical creature will wander around with the sheep until he has gained their trust. Then he will walk boldly and confidently up the ramp to the slaughterhouse. The sheep fall in right behind him. At the last minute, the Judas-goat will turn a corner and push his way out through a hidden door --- while the unsuspecting sheep walk blindly into their own slaughter.
Over the centuries, our world has seen its share of "Judas-goats." Some come in the form of national leaders like Hitler or Stalin. With their well-polished speeches, they have led millions to follow godless philosophies and ruthless policies. Others come dressed in the robes of a preacher - like Jim Jones, who convinced hundreds of followers to voluntarily drink cool-aid laced with cyanide.
Many Judas-goats are not that infamous. They are relatively unknown teachers or preachers or politicians or celebrities who lead the innocent astray. They are False Shepherds because they lead the sheep away from God and toward ultimate death. They teach godless philosophies that label sin as “enlightenment.” Like the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day, they reassure people that all is well with their sinful lifestyles. There is no need to repent and seek God’s grace.
But we can rejoice that God does not leave us at the mercy of False Shepherds. The Shepherd King has come. Listen to the prophecy in Jeremiah 23:5 "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.
The day came over 2,000 years ago. The Shepherd King was born --- a descendent of David. It’s interesting that before David became the King of Israel, he was a shepherd. Perhaps that’s why David made such a great King. He had the Heart of a Shepherd. As King, he did not merely Rule over his people. Instead, he Watched over his people.
His descendent, the Messiah, would be that kind of King. Look at this description of the Heart of Jesus, the Shepherd King in Matthew 9:36-37 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.”
Jesus has compassion on us, because we ARE like sheep without a shepherd. On our own, we wander here and there, looking for a leader. We are always in danger of following a Judas-goat and walking to our own slaughter. Notice what Jesus immediately said to his disciples. "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Jesus knew that a Shepherd with a large flock needs assistants.
This, too, was prophesied by Jeremiah in chapter 23:3-4: 3 "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. 4 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
Jesus sends us out as “associate-shepherds.” We are responsible for His flock. Look at the people around you. They are your flock. If you are a teacher, a youth sponsor, or small-group leader --- if you are an elder or deacon or greeter --- if you are a parent or grandparent or aunt or uncle or older brother or sister --- all of us are responsible to be shepherds over them who will tend them, so that they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing.
We can rejoice because we have the opportunity to follow the directions and example of Jesus, our Shepherd King. When Jeremiah prophesied His coming, he gave this coming King another Title that is worth examining. Look in Jeremiah 23:6 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.
2. Jesus: The LORD our Righteousness
The context of this title is interesting. This title is a translation of Jehovah Tsidkenu. Interestingly, the term Tsidkenu is another form of the name Zedekiah. This was the name of the King who was ruling in Judah when Jeremiah made this prophecy.
The name Zedekiah means “The Lord is my Righteousness.” But King Zedekiah was far from righteous in his own life! He was the 19th and final ruler of the divided kingdom of Judah. His foolish and rebellious actions ended when Babylon took his people into captivity.
But someday a King would come who would live up to the name. Just like Jesus was the TRUE Shepherd who would genuinely care for his flock, Jesus was the TRUE King who would rule in perfect Righteousness.
Let’s look at this title in some detail:
· The LORD Our Righteousness
If you have your Bible open, you will notice that the word LORD 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 YahWeh or 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. And it was Jehovah who would come to save his people from sin. Friends, Jesus is Jehovah. He is the L O R D in all capital letters. And, furthermore, he is…
· The LORD our Righteousness
It’s easy to understand the word righteousness. Righteousness is doing 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 envied the rich. He never gossiped. He never worried. He never doubted.
To put it positively, He always told the truth. He always obeyed his parents. He was always content with what he had. He always worshiped in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He prayed constantly. He loved his enemies.
Do you get the picture? Jesus NEVER did anything wrong. And I mean NEVER. He never committed a single sin. He never even came close to committing a sin - not even in his mind or imagination.
How totally unlike the rest of us! We commit sins of imagination all the time. You might as well admit it. Sometimes you drive down the road imagining all kinds of hurtful and terrible things about other drivers you’ve never even met. We imagine harm coming to those who have harmed us. We imagine committing sins we would never actually commit in person. In fact, if we’re honest, there is hardly a sin we have not committed in our minds.
But Jesus NEVER did what was wrong. He ALWAYS did what was right. That is perfect RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Does that make you feel better? Or worse? Worse - if you are comparing yourselves with Jesus. If I compare my life to His, I can only feel hopeless. If God requires perfect RIGHTEOUSNESS I might as well give up now --- I don’t stand a chance.
· The LORD our Righteousness
But now we come to the little word that makes all the difference. This is the word that can give us true JOY. It’s a three-letter word just before the word "righteousness." See it? It says OUR. Jesus didn’t look good in order to make us look bad. Jesus is OUR righteousness! If God says, "Did you keep the greatest commandment? Did you love me with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself?"
You can say, "No, Lord, I must confess that I didn’t keep that commandment. There were many times when I did not love you with all my heart. There were many times when I did not love my neighbor. But Jesus kept Your commandments perfectly. He always honored you. And 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 greatest commandment, I can joyfully answer "YES. Jesus kept it for me!"
CONCLUSION:
You see, Jesus is our righteousness. He paid the price for our sins on that cruel cross. In return He gave us His righteousness as a gift. We stand before God covered with the pure and perfect Righteousness of Jesus: the Good Shepherd and the Righteous King.
That is good news indeed! When the Angels sang to the humble shepherds on the hillside near Bethlehem, the 600-year-old prophecy of Jeremiah was fulfilled. The Shepherd King had finally been born!
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 Judas-goats, and --- sadly --- some of them work in schools and churches. But if you will follow the GOOD SHEPHERD, you will never go astray. Will you follow Him today? Will you let the LORD be your R
