WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.660 joy to bring God's word to you today. A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're 00:00:05.660 --> 00:00:09.800 glad that you're here and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:14.640 but because we're following Jesus together as one community and as we follow Jesus together 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:20.199 we become convinced there's no one so good that they don't need God's grace and no one so bad 00:00:20.199 --> 00:00:25.320 that they can't have it. So we believe that God has something to say to everyone in his word which 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:31.600 is why we come back week after week and open it up and look what God has to say to us. We are still 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:36.520 in the book of Zechariah as we're coming to our last Sunday in Advent. You remember that Advent 00:00:36.520 --> 00:00:41.539 comes from a Latin word that means to come or to arrive and in the season of Advent we take a 00:00:41.539 --> 00:00:47.240 special focus on Jesus coming and arriving to earth which means that we do two things. We celebrate 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:54.519 that he came in the past. We also look forward and long for his coming in the future and as I've been 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:59.080 telling you this is really what we do in all of the Christian life. We celebrate what God's doing 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:04.859 in the past. We look forward to what he's going to do in the future. We live faithfully now in the 00:01:04.859 --> 00:01:10.960 present in light of both of those things. As we come to the book of Zechariah together I invite you 00:01:10.960 --> 00:01:17.000 to turn with me. We're in chapter 13 now. We left off in verse 1 of chapter 13 last week and now we're 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:23.080 skipping to verse 7 and you'll remember that Zechariah was a prophet who went to the nation of Israel in the 00:01:23.079 --> 00:01:30.299 6th century and he prophesied after the nation of Israel had returned from exile in Babylon and this 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:35.099 is a collection of his prophecies and so just like a collection of sermons would cover a variety of 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:40.959 topics so a collection of prophecies is going to cover a variety of topics. We are in chapters 9 through 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:47.480 13 and the topic in those chapters is the coming or the future kingdom of God and we're looking at the 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:52.600 four passages from Zechariah that are quoted in the New Testament and the passage this week is 00:01:52.600 --> 00:01:57.900 actually quoted by Jesus himself. We've seen a variety of things in Zechariah. Remember in chapter 9 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:03.500 we looked on the fact that Jesus was coming as a king on a donkey which meant that he was a humble king 00:02:03.500 --> 00:02:09.500 and a peaceful king. In Zechariah chapter 11 we look not at Jesus as king but as shepherd and we 00:02:09.500 --> 00:02:15.280 saw that we live in this world filled with bad shepherds and we also live in a world that 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:20.800 filled with people who hate good shepherds and Jesus the rejected shepherd dies for the sake of 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:27.780 his sheep. And then last week we looked on Zechariah chapter 12 and we saw that Jesus does two things. 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:34.120 He changes us and he cleanses us and he's able to do both of those things because of Jesus' death. 00:02:34.819 --> 00:02:40.680 This morning as we turn to chapter 13 we're going to look again at Jesus as our shepherd. Last time 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:45.920 remember in Zechariah chapter 11 we looked at bad shepherds and good shepherds and we talked mostly 00:02:45.920 --> 00:02:50.780 about the fact that Jesus changes the narrative of the shepherd in that he dies for the sheep who 00:02:50.780 --> 00:02:57.920 reject him. And so we focus on that aspect but there's much more that Jesus does as a good shepherd. 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:04.180 He does not just lay down his life for the sheep as good as that is. He's also caring for the sheep. 00:03:04.780 --> 00:03:09.100 And so we're going to take a continued look at this. You could think of this as Jesus the shepherd 00:03:09.099 --> 00:03:15.479 part two on what it is that Jesus does to care for his sheep. What it is he does to protect them. 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:20.379 And remember we're also asking this question during Advent. How can we rejoice? That was the command 00:03:20.379 --> 00:03:26.199 we saw in chapter 9. How can the Advent season be something not that passes over us, that washes over 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:32.340 us, that we're numb to because we've seen it so many times, but something that's fresh to us over and over 00:03:32.340 --> 00:03:39.019 again. Something that gives us joy and new life. And so it's with that that we turn now to read God's word 00:03:39.020 --> 00:03:44.420 again. I invite you to turn with me in your worship guide or near the end or on your phone or in your 00:03:44.420 --> 00:03:51.300 Bible. Regardless of where you turn, remember that this is God's word. And God tells us that his word is 00:03:51.300 --> 00:03:58.640 a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. In other words, he has not left us to stumble alone in the 00:03:58.640 --> 00:04:04.080 dark, but instead he's given us his word to show us the way to go. And so that's why we read now starting 00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:12.360 at verse 7. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me, declares 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:20.280 the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. I will turn my hand against 00:04:20.280 --> 00:04:27.819 the little ones. Verse 8. In the whole land, declares the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, 00:04:27.819 --> 00:04:35.199 and one-third shall be left alive. And I will put this third into the fire and refine them as one 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:42.879 refines silver and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name and I will answer them. 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:53.279 I will say, they are my people and they will say, the Lord is my God. I invite you to pray with me 00:04:53.279 --> 00:05:00.379 as we come to this portion of God's word. Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you are a 00:05:00.379 --> 00:05:05.099 faithful and good shepherd. And we thank you that one of the ways you shepherd us is by your word. 00:05:05.179 --> 00:05:10.179 And so we ask that you would do that this morning, that you would use your word in a powerful way 00:05:10.179 --> 00:05:14.959 among us here in this room and for those who are joining us over the live stream, that you would 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:21.139 soften our hearts, that you would clear our minds, that you would unstop our ears and open our eyes, 00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:26.899 that we would be able to see and hear and believe and know and understand everything that is written 00:05:26.899 --> 00:05:32.959 about you in your word. We thank you that we have communion with you and we could ask these things, 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:37.699 not because we have earned them, but because we ask them in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:05:37.699 --> 00:05:37.819 Amen. 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:49.899 I know that some of you are military historians of sorts, and you'll know that it's only recently 00:05:49.899 --> 00:05:56.180 military history that we've had snipers. It's a recent development in part, you know, recently. 00:05:56.500 --> 00:06:01.019 Guns have not been around that long, but even after guns came in, they weren't necessarily accurate 00:06:01.019 --> 00:06:05.279 enough to be able to do what people can do today. But if you're aware, you know that sort of the 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:10.759 beginning of modern snipers could be traced back to the Revolutionary War. Now, you could argue 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:14.119 about this with me if you want. I'm happy for you to do that. I'm happy for you even to win. 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:21.500 Could go back, and this was because the American troops had a strategy that was new and very 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:27.579 frustrating to the British, and that was that they would choose officers, pick them out, and shoot them 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:31.739 before they would shoot other people. They would make them special targets, and this was very 00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:35.420 frustrating because it was understood this was not what you were supposed to do. If there was anyone 00:06:35.420 --> 00:06:40.560 that you did not shoot among your enemies, it was the officers. This was understood as this rule of war 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:47.759 that they were not to be touched. Americans didn't care. They did what they wanted. It turned out to be 00:06:47.759 --> 00:06:52.699 an effective strategy because, of course, if you strike the officers, what happens? You lose your leader. 00:06:52.699 --> 00:06:59.319 You lose the one commanding and leading. If you're a Star Wars fan, you know this as well. Episode three, 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:05.420 revenge of the Sith. What is the Sith's revenge? Well, Anakin goes to the Jedi temple, right, and he 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:14.139 takes out the Jedi's. What happens afterwards? Fall of the Republic. What Anakin knows and what the 00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:20.819 revolutionary soldiers knew is also what we're told in this passage, verse seven, strike the shepherd 00:07:20.819 --> 00:07:28.980 and the sheep will be scattered. Strike the Jedi, the Republic falls. Strike the officers, the British 00:07:28.980 --> 00:07:36.000 fall. Here, strike the shepherd of God's people and his sheep will be scattered. I will turn my hand 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:41.640 against the little ones. Now, there's a principle here, and we don't have to work very hard to figure 00:07:41.640 --> 00:07:45.800 out what this means. Now, sometimes when it comes to prophecies, we have to do a little bit of digging 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:50.319 to understand what exactly is being said. The reason we don't have to work hard on this one is Jesus 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:56.700 himself makes it very clear for us. Twice we're told in the Gospels, Matthew chapter 26, verse 31, 00:07:56.699 --> 00:08:04.159 Mark chapter 14, verse 27. Jesus interprets this for us, and he interprets it about himself. He is the 00:08:04.159 --> 00:08:12.360 shepherd that is struck. His disciples who run away are the sheep who are scattered. And so Jesus applies 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:18.500 it to his death, the scattering of his disciples. We're continuing here to see a repetition of what we've 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:23.360 already seen in the previous chapters of Zechariah. Just like a good preacher, Zechariah is going to say the 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:29.319 same thing over and over again. So Jesus' death, the shepherd, same thing we saw in chapter 9, right? 00:08:29.379 --> 00:08:35.399 The humble king, part of the way he's humble is that he dies for his sheep. Zechariah 11, the shepherd, 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.440 why is he a good shepherd? Why is he a better shepherd than we deserve? He dies for his sheep. 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:44.519 Zechariah chapter 12, what does it mean that he's the one who's pierced? It means that he's died 00:08:44.519 --> 00:08:51.639 for his sheep. And so we have here a review of everything we've seen before. We have something 00:08:51.639 --> 00:08:56.360 new, however, that has not been highlighted previously. Remember, I skipped the beginning 00:08:56.360 --> 00:09:01.299 of chapter 7 here. I jumped to the end. The beginning is this, awake, O sword, against my shepherd, 00:09:01.980 --> 00:09:07.860 against the man who stands next to me, declares the Lord of hosts. In other words, God is the one who 00:09:07.860 --> 00:09:12.960 declares that his shepherd needs to be struck. And this isn't just any shepherd. Here it's my shepherd, 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:17.920 the one who stands next to me. The idea here is that this is someone who's with God, equal to God. 00:09:18.259 --> 00:09:24.120 This isn't just any shepherd. It is God's close, intimate companion that he chooses to strike down. 00:09:24.580 --> 00:09:28.879 And of course, we know as Christians in the New Testament even clearer what's going on here, 00:09:28.920 --> 00:09:33.980 because we know that Jesus himself is God. And so that helps us understand why he's referred to 00:09:33.980 --> 00:09:39.200 as my shepherd, the one who stands next to him. And so the new piece here added to the shepherd from 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:49.600 chapter 11 is that this was God's idea. It was God's plan and his purpose that his shepherd, 00:09:49.780 --> 00:09:54.800 his son Jesus, would be struck down. In fact, this is what we're told in the book of Acts. Peter, 00:09:54.980 --> 00:09:59.259 we've met Peter before, is preaching in Acts chapter 2, and he says this, 00:09:59.259 --> 00:10:06.899 This Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. You crucified and 00:10:06.899 --> 00:10:15.580 killed by the hands of lawless men. Jesus' death, God's plan and foreknowledge, also the sin of men. 00:10:16.600 --> 00:10:24.379 The point is this. Once again, Jesus dies for people who don't deserve them, deserve his death, 00:10:24.379 --> 00:10:31.899 and give them what they don't deserve. Jesus dies for people who don't deserve him, 00:10:32.139 --> 00:10:36.259 for these rebellious sheep. Remember, he's the rejected shepherd from Zechariah chapter 11, 00:10:37.439 --> 00:10:44.519 gives them what they don't deserve. However, the good shepherd does not just die for his sheep, 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:49.919 and that's where we dig into this passage this morning. He also cares for his sheep. 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:57.620 And so as we move from verse 7, we see two things, one in verse 8 and 9, and then one in verse 9 alone. 00:10:58.339 --> 00:11:06.199 The good shepherd here, he's going to refine his sheep, verses 8 and 9. He's going to refine his sheep. 00:11:06.299 --> 00:11:12.000 He's also going to be with his sheep. He's going to answer his sheep, verse 9. And so first, 00:11:12.079 --> 00:11:18.319 the good shepherd is going to refine his sheep. We see this here. There's going to be a group that's 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:22.700 going to be cut off. Verse 8, in the whole land declares the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and 00:11:22.700 --> 00:11:27.640 perish, and one-third shall be left alive. So there's going to be a portion of the sheep 00:11:27.640 --> 00:11:35.340 who are going to fall away. We've talked about this concept in the past, about the remnant, 00:11:35.440 --> 00:11:40.700 about suffering, and what happens in it. And we know, remember we talked about this in Philippians 00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:46.259 chapter 1, if you were here in the fall of 18. Near the end of chapter 1, in verses 27 and 30, 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:51.900 I gave you the rain jacket illustration. I told you it's not till the storm comes that you know 00:11:51.900 --> 00:11:57.580 what's real and what's fake. We also talked about this idea in the book of 1 Peter that suffering 00:11:57.580 --> 00:12:02.700 confirms our faith. If we make it through suffering, it reveals, yes, we are truly Christians. 00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:07.160 There's this idea throughout the Old Testament of the remnant, which is a way of referring to the 00:12:07.159 --> 00:12:12.819 people who remain faithful to God, even in the midst of persecution. This is similar to what we're 00:12:12.819 --> 00:12:17.559 seeing here in verse 8. There is going to come this suffering, right? The sheep are going to scatter. 00:12:18.439 --> 00:12:23.039 This is going to reveal that there are some who appear to belong to God, but actually do not. 00:12:24.059 --> 00:12:29.279 You can think about it this way. If we suddenly, in a minute, were to experience tremendous persecution 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:33.240 in the United States, and Christians were being thrown in jail, and churches were being shut down. 00:12:33.799 --> 00:12:36.659 That's not happening, by the way. I'm just using this as an illustration. 00:12:37.159 --> 00:12:41.439 Immediately, there would be some people who would decide, you know what? Actually, 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:44.579 I really liked going to church, but I'm actually not really a Christian. 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:49.939 And then there would be some who would remain faithful, right? And would stand strong in the 00:12:49.939 --> 00:12:55.139 midst of persecution. That's the concept of the remnant. The remnant are those who stand strong 00:12:55.139 --> 00:13:01.879 in the face of persecution. Suffering always reveals what is genuine and what is fake. And so we see 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:06.860 that same concept here. There's going to be this suffering, and then verse 8, it's going to result, 00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:12.879 two-thirds being cut off and perish, and one-third being left alive. What's going to happen, however, 00:13:12.980 --> 00:13:19.440 to this one-third that's left alive? Well, God is going to refine them. Verse 9, 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:25.960 I will put this third into the fire and refine them as one refined silver, and test them as gold is tested. 00:13:26.420 --> 00:13:31.980 In other words, God is going to use the process of suffering to purify these people, to remove 00:13:31.980 --> 00:13:37.280 sin, to sanctify them, to strengthen and to grow their faith. We could think about, by the way, 00:13:37.340 --> 00:13:42.360 the disciples. We see this. Jesus is applying this passage to them directly, them being scattered 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:47.840 after his death. Well, what do we see? Judas. Turns out Judas is not part of the remnant. 00:13:48.820 --> 00:13:58.399 Judas falls away. Others are refined. Peter also falls away, not permanently. Remember, Peter falls 00:13:58.399 --> 00:14:03.440 away because he doesn't like the idea of a suffering Savior. We see that in places like Mark chapter 8, 00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:07.560 where he rebukes Jesus for saying that he's going to suffer. Then, if you've been with us, 00:14:07.559 --> 00:14:13.779 you know when we get to 1 Peter and 2 Peter, what is Peter doing? He's talking about the fact that 00:14:13.779 --> 00:14:18.919 Jesus is a suffering Savior. He's talking about the fact that the Christian life is one of suffering. 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:28.159 God used this scattering specifically in Peter's life to refine him. He used it to build him and grow 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:33.139 him. And so there's a narrow application here. We see for the disciples, there's also a broad application 00:14:33.139 --> 00:14:39.279 for us. God uses suffering in the lives of his people to grow and build them. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:48.299 That is one of the ways he is a good and faithful shepherd. He does not just die for his sheep. 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:52.139 He also works with them. He improves them. 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:58.960 You know, if you're in the military, and this is especially true in the army, if there's an infraction, 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:03.720 you might say especially by someone of a lower rank, sometimes you're given an option. Okay, 00:15:03.820 --> 00:15:11.259 you have broken this rule. Do you want a smoking, or do you want paperwork? You can choose. Do you 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:15.900 want to do lunges for multiple hours in the afternoon in the hot sun, or do you want me to just fill out 00:15:15.900 --> 00:15:23.900 some paperwork? Well, which is the good option? And who receives those options? If you offer someone 00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:28.539 the chance to avoid paperwork and for something to never go on your record, what are you saying? 00:15:28.959 --> 00:15:34.439 You're saying, I believe you might have a future. It might actually be possible to save you. 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:41.379 If you receive enough discipline, you might actually turn into a good soldier. What does it mean if you 00:15:41.379 --> 00:15:47.240 don't offer them a chance for that? What if you just do paperwork? You're starting the process of 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:56.680 getting rid of them. The same is true of God's discipline of his people. He is using it to give 00:15:56.680 --> 00:16:03.940 them a future and a hope. He is using it because he hasn't given up on them. He did not give up on 00:16:03.940 --> 00:16:09.200 Peter, right? Peter experienced great discipline. Jesus looked him in the eye when the rooster crowed. 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:16.759 God used it to refine him and use him as one of the greatest instruments in his church. 00:16:18.540 --> 00:16:21.660 Proverbs chapter 3, remember we looked at this summer, tells us this, 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:25.960 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, 00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:31.220 for the Lord reproves him who he loves as a father of the son in whom he delights. 00:16:32.700 --> 00:16:36.780 And so we can look, that passage, of course, is talking about Jesus giving people suffering 00:16:36.779 --> 00:16:40.899 because of their sin. This passage is even broader than that. It's Jesus using suffering 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:46.139 in a variety of ways, not just suffering for our sin, but suffering in general as a faithful 00:16:46.139 --> 00:16:52.699 and good shepherd to refine and build and grow his people. And so the point is this, Jesus is our 00:16:52.699 --> 00:17:00.959 shepherd. He uses our Advent suffering to care for us. And by our Advent suffering, what I mean is this, 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:04.839 remember Advent is about the fact that we are in between two comings. 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:12.199 After Jesus' first coming, before his second, he has not come again, we still suffer in this world. 00:17:13.439 --> 00:17:17.459 Our hope in the midst of that is God is using that for good. 00:17:19.899 --> 00:17:26.079 He is using it for good because we are his sheep and that is what a faithful shepherd does. 00:17:26.199 --> 00:17:29.519 As we celebrate his first coming, we have tremendous hope, 00:17:29.519 --> 00:17:32.900 no matter what is happening in our world. 00:17:35.099 --> 00:17:40.039 We have a good and loving father. We can look to him no matter what happens. 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:45.160 Now, 2020, right? People love to talk about the fact that it's coming to an end. 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:48.119 There's great hope for 2021. 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:50.799 I'm not a prophet. 00:17:50.799 --> 00:17:56.159 I can't tell you exactly why everything in 2020 happened. 00:17:58.159 --> 00:17:59.440 Can't interpret it for you. 00:18:00.159 --> 00:18:01.379 Can't give you the specifics. 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:03.899 There are plenty of people who claim to be able to do that. 00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:07.180 They're pretty close to the category of false teachers. 00:18:08.220 --> 00:18:10.000 What I can tell you is this. 00:18:10.159 --> 00:18:12.579 God is using our suffering to refine us. 00:18:12.579 --> 00:18:17.879 Because that's always what the faithful shepherd does in suffering. 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:20.259 I can also tell you this. 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:26.699 If 2021 is not better than 2020, but is in fact worse, 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:29.019 we're going to be okay. 00:18:31.699 --> 00:18:37.159 We are going to be okay because our hope is not ultimately in a vaccine. 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:40.399 Our hope is not ultimately in political leaders. 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:45.840 Our hope is in our faithful and good shepherd who cares for us no matter what, 00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:49.400 who is able to use what is bad for something that's good. 00:18:50.680 --> 00:18:53.920 In the lives of his people and his children. 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:58.660 I got a notice on my phone this morning while I was finishing preparing for this morning 00:18:58.660 --> 00:19:01.620 about the new strain of the coronavirus. 00:19:01.980 --> 00:19:03.720 Now, it's not in the U.S. as far as we know, 00:19:03.800 --> 00:19:05.500 but apparently it's in London primarily. 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:10.700 It is 70% more contagious than the current strain of the coronavirus. 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:18.700 And as God's people, we can claim Psalm 112, speaking of the righteous man, 00:19:19.140 --> 00:19:20.759 he is not afraid of bad news. 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:24.599 His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:27.980 Because he is the shepherd. 00:19:27.980 --> 00:19:34.599 Remember I told you when we looked at Zechariah chapter 11 about John chapter 10, verse 11, 00:19:34.700 --> 00:19:35.299 where Jesus says, 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:36.220 I am the good shepherd. 00:19:36.339 --> 00:19:37.819 I lay down my life for the sheep. 00:19:38.120 --> 00:19:40.980 That's not the only thing Jesus says about being a good shepherd. 00:19:41.099 --> 00:19:42.660 He also says a few verses earlier, 00:19:43.120 --> 00:19:44.920 I am the door of the sheep. 00:19:45.880 --> 00:19:51.299 The image of the door is of a shepherd who would lay his body over the entrance to the sheep pen. 00:19:51.299 --> 00:19:57.440 Nothing comes in and gets access to the sheep without stepping over the shepherd. 00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:02.079 The same is true of our Father God. 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:08.779 Nothing touches us without him knowing. 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:13.079 By the way, if you want to dig deeper into this, 00:20:13.139 --> 00:20:14.039 we don't have time this morning, 00:20:14.139 --> 00:20:18.000 but I mentioned some things from Psalm 31 during our congregational prayer. 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:23.839 Psalm 31 is a great place to go to look at what it means to love God and to take refuge in him. 00:20:23.900 --> 00:20:25.539 If you want to take a deep dive into that, 00:20:26.339 --> 00:20:29.599 spend some time in that psalm. 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:33.119 Taking refuge in him, though, is what we see next. 00:20:33.259 --> 00:20:35.400 God does not just refine his people. 00:20:36.339 --> 00:20:37.380 He's also with them. 00:20:37.480 --> 00:20:38.539 He answers them. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:40.480 That's what we see here in verse 9. 00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:42.640 We've seen already the beginning part of it. 00:20:42.680 --> 00:20:43.980 He's refining them like silver. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:45.480 Then we hear this. 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:48.539 They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. 00:20:48.660 --> 00:20:53.480 I will say, they are my people, and they will say, the Lord is my God. 00:20:53.900 --> 00:20:55.660 Now, if you're an Old Testament Israelite, 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:00.519 you would have immediately recognized these words as familiar words from throughout the Old Testament 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:03.019 because when God talks about his covenant with his people, 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:05.599 it's summarized up in something like this. 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:07.380 I will be your God. 00:21:08.160 --> 00:21:09.220 You will be my people. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:11.579 And I will dwell with you forever. 00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:13.140 I will be your God. 00:21:13.799 --> 00:21:14.819 You will be my people. 00:21:14.819 --> 00:21:16.279 I will dwell with you forever. 00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:17.519 And it's repeated over and over. 00:21:17.639 --> 00:21:21.639 We see it in places like Leviticus chapter 26, Exodus chapter 29. 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:28.179 It's repeated four times each in some form in both Jeremiah and also in Ezekiel. 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:31.639 God says it over and over. 00:21:31.740 --> 00:21:33.119 And so these people would have recognized this. 00:21:33.639 --> 00:21:39.200 This is a repetition of the covenant language that God has a special relationship with his people, 00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:42.539 that he's made promises to them, and that he's going to dwell with them. 00:21:42.539 --> 00:21:44.940 This is the image of the tabernacle in the Old Testament. 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:49.460 Remember, the people of Israel would live around the tabernacle, which was in the middle, 00:21:49.559 --> 00:21:52.960 and it was representing the fact that God lived in the presence of his people. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:56.440 He was with them personally, geographically. 00:21:56.440 --> 00:22:03.360 And so they would have known these phrases here are telling them that the covenant is going to be renewed. 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:08.180 God is going to be faithful to the promises he has made to them. 00:22:08.580 --> 00:22:11.180 This is marriage language here, covenant language. 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:15.259 There's an intimacy that God is promising his people in these verses. 00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:19.099 His refining of them has an end and a purpose, 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:25.059 that what Jesus shows us at his advent, his first advent, will be finally and fully and forever true, 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:28.180 that he will actually physically be with his people. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.059 That is the promise that is given of this good shepherd. 00:22:33.220 --> 00:22:37.680 Of course, if he's a faithful shepherd, he'll be with his people. 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:42.519 By the way, while I'm talking about psalms, if you look at Psalm 47, 00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:47.700 that's a psalm that's rejoicing in how wonderful it is to have God as our king, 00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:50.920 to have the one who's ruling over us. 00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:54.380 And so for us, the application is this. 00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:56.220 We've been talking about communion with God. 00:22:56.320 --> 00:22:56.920 What does it tell us? 00:22:56.960 --> 00:23:01.779 The first thing here, they will call upon my name and I will answer them. 00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:06.639 Because of Jesus' first coming and his second coming, 00:23:06.720 --> 00:23:08.779 because he is the faithful and good shepherd, 00:23:08.940 --> 00:23:11.899 we are able to call on him and know he will answer. 00:23:12.940 --> 00:23:16.000 That's what we're doing this morning as we sing songs to him. 00:23:16.379 --> 00:23:20.180 That's what we did when we prayed and what we'll do when we'll pray again. 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:24.359 God is accessible to his people all the time. 00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:27.619 He is always with us. 00:23:27.619 --> 00:23:30.519 Just like last week, we are looking at basic things. 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:34.539 We are looking at the gospel, simple, full, and free. 00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:38.740 It is tempting for us to take it for granted, but it is something miraculous. 00:23:39.079 --> 00:23:43.180 We are able to call on God, speak to him whenever we want, 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:45.299 knowing that he will hear us. 00:23:46.619 --> 00:23:50.019 We also know that his promise is that he'll be with us. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:56.240 Now, we saw that in part in Jesus' first coming. 00:23:57.019 --> 00:23:59.480 Jesus was literally with us as a man. 00:23:59.480 --> 00:24:02.440 Jesus literally was born as a baby in a manger. 00:24:03.500 --> 00:24:07.319 But remember, Jesus tells his disciples in John, 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:11.000 the Gospel of John, that it's going to be better when he leaves 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:12.779 because the Holy Spirit will be with them, 00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:17.539 highlighting the fact that Jesus was only in one place at one time 00:24:17.539 --> 00:24:18.579 during his earthly ministry. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:22.680 There were limitations to the way he was with his people. 00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:30.360 We will have God with us even more fully and finally at his second coming. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:35.480 Now, I told you that these words are repeated over and over in the Old Testament. 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:37.740 You will be my people. 00:24:37.940 --> 00:24:38.799 I will be your God. 00:24:38.860 --> 00:24:39.840 I will dwell with you forever. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:45.459 They are given for the last time in the most final statement, 00:24:45.939 --> 00:24:47.839 the most comprehensive statement, 00:24:48.059 --> 00:24:51.899 not in the Old Testament, but in the very last book of the New Testament, 00:24:52.679 --> 00:24:54.659 almost the last chapter. 00:24:55.699 --> 00:24:58.459 Some of you will study it in the Women's Bible Study next year. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:00.559 It's in Revelation chapter 21. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:03.740 And this explains for us what it is going to be like 00:25:03.740 --> 00:25:06.000 for God to be present with his people. 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:08.259 It gives us a full picture. 00:25:08.399 --> 00:25:10.240 This is verses 3 and 4. 00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:13.919 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 00:25:14.179 --> 00:25:16.720 Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:19.859 He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, 00:25:19.980 --> 00:25:22.359 and God himself will be with them as their God. 00:25:23.419 --> 00:25:24.460 Repetition of the covenant. 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:26.679 Verse 4. 00:25:26.679 --> 00:25:30.339 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:32.480 and death shall be no more. 00:25:33.279 --> 00:25:36.519 Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, 00:25:36.659 --> 00:25:39.299 for the former things have passed away. 00:25:40.019 --> 00:25:42.960 What does it mean for God to be our shepherd? 00:25:43.079 --> 00:25:45.700 Not just that he lays down his life, but we know, 00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:47.740 not just that he's refining us, 00:25:47.819 --> 00:25:50.159 but also that one day, because he's our shepherd, 00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:53.279 he himself will be with us as our God. 00:25:53.399 --> 00:25:55.639 He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. 00:25:55.639 --> 00:25:56.799 That's what the shepherd does. 00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:58.359 Death shall be no more. 00:25:58.460 --> 00:25:59.579 The shepherd has conquered it. 00:25:59.579 --> 00:26:01.019 Neither shall there be mourning. 00:26:01.139 --> 00:26:02.679 The shepherd is with us when we don't need to, 00:26:02.779 --> 00:26:04.599 nor crying, nor pain anymore, 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:06.000 for because of the shepherd, 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:08.099 the former things have passed away. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:11.659 Brothers and sisters, 00:26:11.919 --> 00:26:15.639 God will be with us even more fully and finally 00:26:15.639 --> 00:26:16.500 at his second coming. 00:26:16.980 --> 00:26:20.240 Imagine how much of the holidays you look forward to 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:22.480 someone being present physically, right? 00:26:22.939 --> 00:26:24.859 And there's benefits they bring with them. 00:26:24.919 --> 00:26:26.759 If it's grandparents coming into town, 00:26:26.759 --> 00:26:28.879 most likely they're bringing some presents. 00:26:29.819 --> 00:26:32.779 Most likely they're bringing things they can only give you 00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:33.720 if they're there in person. 00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:36.799 Now this is true in reverse as well. 00:26:37.059 --> 00:26:40.200 If you're older, you know sometimes if your son or daughter 00:26:40.200 --> 00:26:42.140 comes to visit you, what are they going to do? 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:44.619 They might fix that thing around the house 00:26:44.619 --> 00:26:46.660 that you've been waiting for someone to help you with. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:48.680 There is a real benefit, 00:26:48.819 --> 00:26:51.019 a blessing to someone's physical presence 00:26:51.019 --> 00:26:52.460 there in time and space. 00:26:52.460 --> 00:26:54.340 The same is true of God. 00:26:55.460 --> 00:26:58.539 We look forward to him being on the earth, 00:26:58.660 --> 00:27:00.400 returning in his second coming, 00:27:00.840 --> 00:27:02.380 knowing that he will be present 00:27:02.380 --> 00:27:04.400 and our blessings will be even greater 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:07.380 than what we can see and experience and imagine now. 00:27:08.660 --> 00:27:10.440 He is our great shepherd. 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:13.000 He is refining us for a future 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:16.440 in which we will be with him. 00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:20.460 That is the promise of Revelation chapter 21. 00:27:20.660 --> 00:27:22.440 That's the fulfillment that we understand 00:27:23.100 --> 00:27:24.860 that the people who originally received 00:27:24.860 --> 00:27:27.180 Zachariah's prophecy did not know 00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:29.100 as well as we do today. 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:32.559 And so it is good news, 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:33.640 not just in the future, 00:27:33.820 --> 00:27:37.140 but now that Jesus is our faithful shepherd. 00:27:37.340 --> 00:27:40.299 He does not just die for us. 00:27:40.360 --> 00:27:41.759 He doesn't just lay down his life. 00:27:42.360 --> 00:27:44.200 He gives us life, 00:27:44.200 --> 00:27:47.420 and he does it as he makes us look 00:27:47.420 --> 00:27:48.779 more and more like himself, 00:27:48.980 --> 00:27:52.940 and he does it as he comes with his presence, 00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:55.400 that he is our God, 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:57.220 and we are his people. 00:27:59.319 --> 00:28:01.200 I begin by telling you about 00:28:01.200 --> 00:28:03.559 the striking down of shepherds. 00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:05.340 Of course, the shepherds 00:28:05.340 --> 00:28:08.440 are not the only targets on the battlefield. 00:28:09.819 --> 00:28:11.980 If you're aware, you know the Geneva Convention 00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:14.120 talks about legitimate military targets. 00:28:14.740 --> 00:28:16.019 If someone's not a combatant, 00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:17.960 they're not a legitimate target. 00:28:18.440 --> 00:28:20.240 So we try to avoid civilians, right? 00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:23.220 One of the things that people try to avoid 00:28:23.220 --> 00:28:24.960 on the battlefield, supposedly, 00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:26.620 is shooting medics. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:28.620 And so there's a reason, 00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:31.660 often during various battlefields, 00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:33.620 medics will wear this cross 00:28:33.620 --> 00:28:35.319 with a white background, right? 00:28:35.339 --> 00:28:36.299 It's to mark them out 00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:37.620 as someone not to be shot. 00:28:37.619 --> 00:28:39.299 However, 00:28:40.179 --> 00:28:41.099 more and more, 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:42.759 medics are not wearing those things 00:28:42.759 --> 00:28:45.139 because rather than protecting them, 00:28:46.179 --> 00:28:46.879 there are combatants 00:28:46.879 --> 00:28:48.659 who don't respect the Geneva Convention. 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:50.719 This is especially true 00:28:50.719 --> 00:28:51.639 over in the Middle East. 00:28:51.739 --> 00:28:52.919 We found that there are insurgents 00:28:52.919 --> 00:28:54.259 who will target our medics, 00:28:54.719 --> 00:28:56.299 and so they begin to go undercover 00:28:56.299 --> 00:28:57.739 because their goal is not 00:28:57.739 --> 00:28:59.319 to be struck down, right? 00:28:59.359 --> 00:29:01.099 Their goal is to be able to stay alive 00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:02.539 so that they can heal 00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:04.159 the people that are with them. 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.820 What we are told in this passage 00:29:07.820 --> 00:29:09.500 is that Jesus is our shepherd 00:29:09.500 --> 00:29:10.660 who is struck down, 00:29:10.940 --> 00:29:12.279 not as an accident, 00:29:13.120 --> 00:29:14.600 but on purpose. 00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:18.420 That's what we see in verse 7. 00:29:18.860 --> 00:29:19.240 Remember, 00:29:20.540 --> 00:29:22.900 God calls on the sword 00:29:22.900 --> 00:29:23.980 to strike his shepherd 00:29:23.980 --> 00:29:25.800 rather than being a shepherd 00:29:25.800 --> 00:29:27.700 who must avoid death 00:29:27.700 --> 00:29:29.779 to be able to protect us. 00:29:30.820 --> 00:29:32.220 God is our shepherd. 00:29:32.220 --> 00:29:33.460 Jesus is our shepherd 00:29:33.460 --> 00:29:34.640 who was struck down 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:35.960 in order to protect us. 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:37.600 Rather than avoiding death, 00:29:37.740 --> 00:29:39.440 he runs to it. 00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:41.120 He marks himself out 00:29:41.120 --> 00:29:43.460 so that he could lay himself down 00:29:43.460 --> 00:29:44.259 for us. 00:29:44.460 --> 00:29:44.799 That, 00:29:45.180 --> 00:29:46.759 rather than staying alive, 00:29:47.759 --> 00:29:49.100 is how he brings us healing. 00:29:49.259 --> 00:29:50.420 That is how he's able 00:29:50.420 --> 00:29:52.120 to refine us 00:29:52.120 --> 00:29:54.100 and to be with us. 00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:55.579 Jesus is the shepherd 00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:57.920 struck down for his sheep 00:29:57.920 --> 00:29:59.420 so that he can do 00:29:59.420 --> 00:30:00.519 what we see here 00:30:00.519 --> 00:30:01.519 in verses 8 and 9, 00:30:01.519 --> 00:30:02.980 so that he can make them 00:30:02.980 --> 00:30:05.079 to be pure like gold 00:30:05.079 --> 00:30:08.160 and he can dwell with them. 00:30:08.579 --> 00:30:09.599 He would be their God 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:11.299 and they would be his people. 00:30:11.980 --> 00:30:13.279 And so that's why we rejoice 00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:14.460 at Advent, 00:30:14.579 --> 00:30:15.339 knowing that Jesus 00:30:15.339 --> 00:30:17.259 is our good and great shepherd. 00:30:17.940 --> 00:30:18.680 And so I invite you 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:19.299 to pray with me. 00:30:21.059 --> 00:30:22.099 Our Father in heaven, 00:30:22.220 --> 00:30:23.220 we thank you 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:24.740 that you are 00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:25.740 a faithful shepherd, 00:30:25.819 --> 00:30:26.879 not just in laying down 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:27.440 your life, 00:30:27.940 --> 00:30:30.660 not just in removing from us 00:30:30.660 --> 00:30:32.240 the curse of death, 00:30:32.300 --> 00:30:33.900 but also in giving us life, 00:30:34.180 --> 00:30:35.140 giving us a future 00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:36.720 and a hope with you. 00:30:36.800 --> 00:30:38.000 We ask that you would make 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.340 these things 00:30:39.340 --> 00:30:41.300 be true of us, 00:30:41.340 --> 00:30:42.020 that we would rejoice 00:30:42.020 --> 00:30:43.180 about them in our hearts. 00:30:44.220 --> 00:30:44.780 And Father, 00:30:44.840 --> 00:30:45.680 we ask for those 00:30:45.680 --> 00:30:46.740 who do not know you, 00:30:47.420 --> 00:30:49.240 who are not your sheep, 00:30:49.320 --> 00:30:50.160 that you would call them 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:50.720 to yourself 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:51.700 and you would move them 00:30:51.700 --> 00:30:52.820 to repentance 00:30:52.819 --> 00:30:53.639 and faith, 00:30:54.000 --> 00:30:54.859 that they would fully 00:30:54.859 --> 00:30:56.039 and finally call you 00:30:56.039 --> 00:30:57.099 their shepherd 00:30:57.099 --> 00:30:57.799 and that they would 00:30:57.799 --> 00:30:59.119 be your sheep. 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:00.000 Father, 00:31:00.059 --> 00:31:00.619 we thank you 00:31:00.619 --> 00:31:01.419 that we don't have 00:31:01.419 --> 00:31:02.220 to earn these things, 00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:03.099 but we ask them 00:31:03.099 --> 00:31:04.720 in Jesus' name 00:31:04.720 --> 00:31:05.679 because he is the one 00:31:05.679 --> 00:31:06.480 who gives us communion 00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:07.000 with you. 00:31:07.439 --> 00:31:07.679 Amen.