Sermon Tone Analysis

Stories and metaphors about shepherds crop up all the way through the Bible - and in the Jeremiah reading we’ve just heard we’ve got quite a few references.

So… when you think of shepherds what comes to mind?

(OPEN QUESTION)

In Israel’s traditions ‘the shepherd’ was a metaphor for a King (which is quite a brave thing, given the lowly status of shepherds!), and then slightly later was also applied to God - even spoken about by God himself.

These shepherd references crop up all the way from Genesis to Revelation - and here in Jeremiah we have God describing himself as the chief shepherd, who has appointed shepherds under him - and these shepherds have failed in their duty of care.

So God will step in and gather his sheep - his people - back together - and start the system again.

Jesus, who in all likelihood never shepherded an actual physical sheep, takes on these metaphors for himself.

For example in John 10:11 we have beautiful passage

Just as God appointed shepherds to care for his flock in Jeremiah, Jesus does the same after his resurrection.

Later in Simon Peter’s life he writes (well, possibly writes….

It’s a slightly contentious issue) - he writes in a letter that we now call 1 Peter:

So the tradition of appointed shepherds continues - with a clarity of how the shepherds should act and treat the people they care for.

Bouncing back to the Jeremiah reading: the leaders that God had appointed had failed, so the new plan for restoration begins.

There is so much in these two verses!

There is a metaphor of a shoot sprouting out of a pruned stump - which is also an ancient metaphor to announce a new king.

Do you remember what the new king was to be called?

Yahweh Tsidqenu [tsid-KAY-nu] - the Lord is our righteousness.

We even have a mini role description for this new king.

He will:

deal wisely

execute justice righteousness

see that Judah is saved and Israel will live in safety

In essence the new king will embody God’s own promise, covenant faithfulness, justice and loyalty.

Enter King Jesus

Right at the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry, just after he had been baptised, tempted by the enemy in the wilderness, and heard that John had been arrested he announced:

And then just a few verses later, after he had called the first of his disciples he:

Jesus spoke and taught about the kingdom of God more than any other subject.

It’s a bit hard to see, but this image shows the 50 top subjects that Jesus is recorded as speaking about.

The long red outer circle represents the Kingdom of God - the next circle in is about God as Father, orange is Faith, and green is money.

12 of the parables alone describe what the Kingdom of God is like.

The kingdom of God is like….. (list a few)

In the prayer that Jesus taught us, what we call the Lord’s Prayer, he tells us we should be praying for the kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

It’s pretty clear that our identity as citizens of God’s Kingdom is paramount.

So let’s look at the example our King, King Jesus, gave us.

Would you please stand for the Gospel reading.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke, chapter 23, beginning at verse 33.

This is the Gospel of Christ

Praise to Christ, the Word.

Please be seated.

Here is the King Jesus who embodies the justice, the loyalty, the salvation of God: praying for those who nail him to the cross, mocked as a false king, taunted as though he were a mere sham, an impostor.

Here he is, fulfilling God’s promise to bring in his kingdom of justice and mercy, rescuing those who turn to him and his kingdom only when all other hope is exhausted.

Jesus’ last words to another human being before his death and resurrection were words of forgiveness - completely aligned with the ministry of his short life.

Jesus had spent his life teaching about the kingdom of God, preaching liberation to the captives, and healing those who were sick and lame.

Jesus’ miracles and teachings had so confounded the status quo of the elders, priests, and politicians that he was deemed a threat to their religion and their way of life.

Jesus had challenged the unjust treatment of women, preached the need for patience with children, and accused the Pharisees and Sadducees of lacking good faith.

His ministry had been controversial, powerful, and world altering, to the point that those whom he threatened condemned him to death by crucifixion.

Jesus spent his entire ministry teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God.

One of Jesus’ last forgiving acts on earth was to proclaim that a repentant sinner would be with him that day in heaven.

Thanks be to God.