God’s Story Is Our Story: From Genesis To JesusSample

 Reflecting on the last week: In the ancient near east, kings were expected to be shepherds of their people: protecting them and providing for their needs (Ps. 23). Of course, reality never lived up to the ideal. Yet, this did not prevent Israel’s prophets from envisioning a day when God would rid Israel of faithless shepherds and set his messiah over them as the good shepherd (Jer. 23:1-7; Ezekiel 34; Zech. 11). Jesus rolls all of these cultural and prophetic hopes into himself and his own mission. He is the king, the messiah, God himself; it is he who promises to watch over his people in the valley of the shadow of death, caring for them when they are injured, seeking them when they are lost, and protecting them from every predator. Political leaders (kings, presidents, etc.) are often distant and removed from the people they lead. Their time and privacy are vigorously protected. So it is all the more remarkable that Jesus is none of these things. He is the shepherd who knows his sheep by name. He knows you by name. Exactly what you need. Exactly how you hurt. He is intimately concerned for your welfare. He is also the great shepherd king, full of divine power to do whatever he wills. Do we struggle to trust Jesus with our hurt? Our doubts? Our loneliness? Our family? Our finances? Remember that whatever happens, your shepherd has not left you. He will step in to heal when the moment is right.