Synoptic Gospels 3: Shepherd and King (7)
Pray Psalm 23.4, 5.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Sing Psalm 23.4, 5.
(The Gift of Love: Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire)
The LORD is ever by my side; His rod and staff with me abide.
A table rich for me He spreads; with oil my LORD anoints my head.
Read Matthew 27.35-37; Mark 15.16-32; Luke 23.26-43; meditate on Luke 23.26-43 .
Preparation
1. How do you see Jesus as Shepherd in this passage?
2. How do you see Him as King?
Meditation
As Jesus endures the brutality of His tormentors, we can see Him both as Shepherd and as King.
As Shepherd He spoke words of grace, comfort, and warning to the women who mourned and lamented Him (vv. 27-31). They must be careful and make ready for the days of persecution that lay just ahead. In His role as Shepherd, Jesus also spoke comfortingly to the dying thief, promising that he would be with Jesus in Paradise that very day (vv. 40-43).
The inscription placed over His head declared the truth of His mission: Jesus is indeed the King of the Jews. But even more than that, He is King of kings and Lord of lords, an appointment granted by the Father for His suffering and triumphant resurrection.
But before this, Jesus had to suffer terribly. Why was all this necessary? Why did the Son of God, the Shepherd and King of Israel, have to endure this? Because, as Anselm pointed out in the twelfth century (Cur Deus Homo), we had incurred a debt of sin that we could never pay. But God loves us too much to leave us destitute forever. The Word of God became Man to pay the debt He did not owe, so that through Him we could be free to know, love, and serve God forever. The Word of God had foretold that the Messiah must suffer and die (Lk. 24.25, 26), for this was the only way to satisfy both the justice and holiness of God.
As our Shepherd, Jesus defended His flock against the wrath of God by enduring that wrath Himself. As our King He reigns at the Father’s right hand (Ps. 110) and is gathering His Church to advance His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. And all this precisely as the prophets of the Old Testament had again and again foretold.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
all nations shall serve Him…
His Name shall endure forever;
His Name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
all nations shall call Him blessed” (Ps. 72.11, 17).
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him
and given Him the Name which is above every Name,
that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of those in heaven,
and of those on earth,
and of those under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2.9-11).
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom spread from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
From north to south the princes meet
To pay their homage at His feet;
While western empires own their Lord,
And savage tribes attend His word.
To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His Name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.
People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His Name.
(Isaac Watts, 1719)
“And all this precisely as the prophets of the Old Testament had again and again foretold.”
This is Jesus—The King most worthy to be praised—in His suffering and in His majestic reign.
Reflection
1. What does the suffering of Jesus suggest for our own lives as His followers?
2. How can we as believers help one another bear up under suffering?
3. Whom is God calling you to shepherd in Jesus’ Name today?
Christ upon the cross, is gracious like Christ upon the throne. Though he was in the greatest struggle and agony, yet he had pity for a poor penitent. By this act of grace we are to understand that Jesus Christ died to open the kingdom of heaven to all penitent, obedient believers Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Mark Luke 23.32-43
Pray Psalm 23.1-4, 6.
Exalt Jesus as our Shepherd and King. Rejoice in the forgiveness of sins, the promise of everlasting life, and the hope of glory in His Presence forever. Commit your day, and all the details of it, to following your Shepherd and serving your King.
Sing Psalm 23.1-4, 6.
(The Gift of Love: Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire)
Because the LORD my Shepherd is I shall not want, for I am His!
He makes me lie in pastures green, He leads by waters cool, serene.
My soul He quickens and will bless; He leads in paths of righteousness.
Though I may walk in death’s dark vale, I shall not fear—He will not fail!
Goodness and mercy, full and free, shall ever after follow me,
and in the house of God, my LORD, shall I abide forevermore!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. In our twice-weekly Crosfigell column we have begun a new series on Brendan, called “The Navigator.” Why was he called that? Join us and find out. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, enters the home stretch now by leading us to pray for our church’s impact. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
