Christ the King: The Righteous Shepherd and Hope

Devotional

Day 1: God rebukes false shepherds and promises a righteous King.

When leaders destroy and scatter, God does not abandon His flock; He personally gathers a remnant, appoints faithful shepherds, removes fear, and ensures not one is missing, culminating in the promise of a righteous Branch from David who will rule with wisdom and justice—ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Let this assure you today: whatever confusion, harm, or neglect you have endured, the Lord sees, intervenes, and restores with true pastoral care and stable peace. Trust the One who rescues and reorders what human leadership breaks, and ask Him to shepherd you into safety, wholeness, and hope. [39:31]

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (NIV)
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD.
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.
“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.
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.
“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.
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 Righteous Savior.”

Reflection: Name one “shepherd” (influence, feed, channel, habit) that stirs fear or confusion; will you fast from it for the next seven days and replace it with 10 unhurried minutes meditating on Jeremiah 23:1–6 each morning?

Day 2: Jesus, David’s salvation brings mercy, forgiveness, and guiding peace.

Zechariah’s song announces that God has visited His people in Jesus to redeem them, giving a horn of salvation from David’s line that brings mercy to the undeserving, forgiveness of sins, light in our darkness, and guidance into the path of peace; this is the concrete hope believers carry into every fear and failure. Today, receive His tender mercy where you feel most ashamed or stuck, and let His rising light direct your next faithful step toward peace with God and others. [50:26]

Luke 1:68-79 (NIV)
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Reflection: Who will you show a concrete act of mercy to today (a handwritten note, meal, or debt forgiveness), and when—exactly—will you do it?

Day 3: God’s shepherding provides rest, provision, and freedom from fear.

The Lord’s shepherding heart is not stingy or harsh; He leads to green pastures and quiet waters, restores weary souls, guides along right paths for His name’s sake, and makes fear recede even in the darkest valley because His presence and protection are near. As you embrace His care, expect Him to meet real needs, reorient your pace, and steady your heart with attentive, personal leadership. Let His provision, not your pressure, set today’s tempo. [38:29]

Psalm 23 (NIV)
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, 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 overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Reflection: Where and when will you schedule a 15-minute “green pastures” pause today, and what simple phrase from Psalm 23 (e.g., “I lack nothing”) will you breathe in prayer during that time?

Day 4: God seeks every lost one; none will be missing.

God’s heart is not content with ninety-nine safe while one wanders; the Good Shepherd goes after the lost until He finds them, lifts them up with joy, and calls the community to celebrate their return—his promise stands that none will be missing. Join His pursuit by noticing who is absent, praying their name, and taking a courageous step toward them; heaven’s joy is tied to rescue. [38:57]

Luke 15:3-7 (NIV)
Then Jesus told them this parable:
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety‑nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Reflection: Name one person who has drifted from church or faith; will you contact them within 24 hours to invite them to coffee and prayer this week?

Day 5: Praying for God’s kingdom shapes hopeful, obedient living.

The Lord’s Prayer trains disciples to live under a true King—hallowing God’s name, seeking His kingdom and will on earth, trusting Him for daily provision, practicing generous forgiveness, and asking for deliverance—so that hope is not passive but embodied in obedient, dependent lives. Pray it slowly, line by line, and let its order reshape your priorities and decisions today. [31:13]

Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Reflection: What decision are you facing today, and will you pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly—pausing after each line—then write one sentence about what “your will be done” looks like for that decision before you act?

Sermon Summary

Today we stood at a hinge in time—Christ the King Sunday—the bridge between one Christian year and the next. We began by confessing the Nicene Creed, remembering who God is and who we are, then prayed for grateful hearts as we head into a week of thanksgiving. From there, we turned to the story that steadies our vision: when leadership fails and the flock is scattered, God does not abandon His people.

Jeremiah 23 names failed shepherds—leaders who destroy and scatter. God’s response is not resignation but restoration. He promises to gather a remnant, appoint faithful shepherds, remove fear, and ensure none are missing. Then comes the heart of hope: “The days are coming” when God will raise up a Righteous Branch from David—a king who rules with wisdom and justice, whose very name is “The Lord our Righteous Savior.” Even the tragic irony of Zedekiah—whose name meant “Yahweh is righteousness” while his reign collapsed—serves to highlight the kind of kingship God intends to give: one that heals what is broken and brings people safely home.

We heard that promise echoed in Luke 1 through Zechariah’s first words after months of silence: the Benedictus. He names what the coming King brings—redemption, forgiveness of sins, the tender mercy of God, light for those in darkness, and guidance into the path of peace. John will prepare the way, but Jesus is the horn of salvation and the long-promised Branch.

As we approach Advent, I urged us to slow down and let our expectations be formed by the true King. The season isn’t a countdown to a spending spree; it’s an invitation to receive the gift already given—Christ with us—and to watch for the King who will come again to set all things right. So I asked: What kind of King are we expecting? Our answer will shape how we live. If we expect a ruler who wields power for power’s sake, we may settle for control. But if we expect the Shepherd-King who lays down His life for the sheep, our lives will bend toward trust, repentance, generosity, and hope. Jesus has come. Jesus is coming. Let’s prepare Him room.

Key Takeaways

1. Bad shepherds destroy; God restores. God names the damage of failed leadership—destruction and scattering—but He does more than critique. He promises to gather, to raise faithful shepherds, to remove fear, and to lose none. Hope is not naïve; it’s tethered to God’s determined action to make His people whole. [36:48]
2. The Righteous Branch brings just rule. God answers broken kingship with a better King—the Righteous Branch from David—who rules with wisdom, justice, and mercy. This isn’t a cosmetic change; it’s a new heart at the center of the nation’s life. Where human power bends inward, this King reigns to save, restore, and secure. [40:09]
3. Salvation sung in the Benedictus. Zechariah’s song names what we most need: redemption, forgiveness, mercy, light, and guidance into peace. Salvation is not escape from the world but God’s healing life within it, turning fear into holiness and darkness into dawn. The risen sun from heaven is Jesus, and He still dawns on weary hearts. [50:26]
4. Expectation shapes our Advent obedience. We live toward what we expect. If we expect convenience, we will hurry; if we expect the King, we will prepare. Advent trains our desires—to wait, to listen, to repent, and to hope—so that when Christ comes, He finds room and reign in us. [53:51]
5. Await the Shepherd who makes whole. The King we await is a Shepherd who knows every name and loses none. He comes with forgiveness in His hands and peace in His wake, and He will return to set all things right. Let that future pull you into faithful courage today. [54:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:42] - Online welcome and announcements
[10:33] - Opening prayer and creed
[19:52] - Stewardship and offering
[29:13] - Thanksgiving prayer and Word
[31:13] - The Lord’s Prayer
[32:52] - Exodus, Exile, and leadership
[33:48] - Jeremiah 23: Woe to shepherds
[37:57] - God’s promise: remnant and care
[39:31] - The coming Righteous Branch
[41:29] - Zedekiah’s failure and God’s hope
[45:20] - Zechariah’s Benedictus begins
[50:26] - Salvation’s gifts: light and peace
[51:27] - Christ the King and Advent
[53:51] - What kind of King we expect

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (ESV) — 1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the LORD. 3 Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the LORD. 5 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’” Luke 1:68-79 (ESV) 68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, 70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71 that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, 74 to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

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