The Shepherd and the Sword


The Wednesday Word

The Shepherd and the Sword
by D.G. Miles McKee

“Awake O sword, against My Shepherd,
and against the Man that is My Fellow"
-ZECHARIAH 13:7 [KJV]

The Lord Jesus came here to be the effective, substitute for sinners. As such, it pleased the Father to bruise Him. The decree went out from Yahweh Himself, "Smite the Shepherd." That´s why we also read, "He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (ROMANS 8:32).

Although Jesus went to the cross, He was under no compulsion to do so. No man took His life, He laid it down voluntarily (JOHN 10:18). The Father decreed that the Shepherd would die and Jesus willingly fulfilled those wishes. Men, it seems, were the unwitting accomplices in carrying out the great, eternal purposes of redeeming grace.

But why did Jesus die? Is there anyone reading this who can answer? Is there a prophet or a son of a prophet who can shed some light on this matter? But wait, who is that long bearded man coming towards us. It is a seer. It´s Isaiah!

Let´s ask Isaiah. "Isaiah, we need some help here…why did Jesus, our Shepherd, die? "…and Isaiah without hesitation answers, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him ... The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Thanks Isaiah! That shed much light on this question for us (see ISAIAH ch. 53).

When Jesus died, He accepted the just penalty of His people's sins. The sword was turned against the Shepherd. He died for our iniquities. He bore our sins. Who then can condemn us?

"Complete atonement Thou hast made,
And to the utmost farthing paid
Whate'er Thy people owed;
Nor can Thy wrath on me take place,
If sheltered in Thy righteousness,
And sprinkled with Thy blood.”

"For my discharge Thou hast procured,
And freely in my room endured
The whole of Wrath Divine:
Payment God cannot twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety's hand,
And then again at mine”?
-Augustus Toplady

Who then, is he that condemns? No one is qualified to do so. Christ has been convicted and punished in our place. This is the excellent ground of our assurance. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us (GALATIANS 3:13). Being redeemed, we are delivered from condemnation (ROMANS 8:1). The Father does not condemn those whom He, by the Spirit, has brought into Christ Jesus.

Another reason why none of the redeemed can be condemned is that Christ, not only died but is risen again. His resurrection proves that He has forever exhausted the entire penalty due to the sins of believers. He was raised again because He had secured our justification.

Bishop Pearson (1877 A.D.) well said,

"By His death, we know that He suffered for sin,
By His resurrection, we are assured that the sins for which He suffered were not His own.
Had no man been a sinner, He would not have died;
Had He been a sinner, He would not have risen again."

Because Christ is at the place of cosmic authority, no one can condemn us. He has entered heaven as the forerunner of His people (HEBREWS 6:20). He is the advance guard, and we will follow.

Eternity with Jesus! ...Just the thought of this is heaven. It´s no wonder the Hymn writer wrote;
“How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer´s ear
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds
And drives away His fears.”

Right now, this very moment, Christ Jesus is representing us. We cannot, therefore, be condemned. We are dear to Him, He is our Priest and Advocate. He is the Shepherd who was smitten with the sword. He appears for us and intends to bring us to where He lives. There is no condemnation for us. We are eternally secure.

And that´s the Gospel Truth!



Audio Gospel Sermons and Contact Information:



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more