Read Zechariah 9:11-17
Chapter 9 has been interesting because it seems to jump from theme to theme. With the brief oasis in our last reading that spoke about the king riding on a donkey, we now seem to be back to the promise of the coming kingdom and how God will make things right for his people.
While there are a lot of rich images in this reading, verse 16a was the verse that spoke to me the most today. It reads, “On that day the Lord their God will rescue his people, just as a shepherd rescues his sheep.” Of course, I couldn’t help but see Jesus as that shepherd and remember the story he told about the lost sheep.
In Matthew 18:12-14, Jesus says, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.” I know we’re reading Old Testament prophecy, but I wanted to take a little detour to grab some wisdom from Jesus.
I know the joy I feel when people I know find Jesus again, as if it’s the first time. Jesus uses a great image to help us imagine the party going on in heaven! One of my favorite words in Spanish is “grandioso.” It’s fun to let those syllables flow across my tongue. The word means magnificent. When lost sheep are found and returned to the fold, it’s “grandioso,” particularly when those sheep are really God’s precious children.
God wants his people to know how precious they are to him. Whether they are the returnees from exile, people listening to Jesus teach, or us, all these years later, the message is the same. God wants the best for us.
God’s blessings abound. The reprimand is over. God is ready to rescue us, and his kingdom is coming. There are a lot of people who don’t know the saving grace of Jesus Christ. They don’t know that Jesus told us more about what his kingdom looked like. Yet I still have so many questions.
Questions are good for stretching us and helping us grow. The important thing is to find the right source for answers. Many times, the answers evade us or have not been revealed yet. That’s when our faith and trust kicks in. We don’t want to be like lost sheep, do we? I want to embrace the truth of Scripture and cling to God’s promises, knowing he has already rescued me time and time again.
How do you respond to God’s provision? Do you know any lost sheep who you could introduce to Jesus?
Let’s pray. Thank you, Lord, for this passage of prophecy. At first, I struggled with hearing from you and reflecting on the message you had for me today. How could I have missed the shepherd part. You are my precious shepherd. Thank you for rescuing me from the messes of my life that were keeping me distracted from my love and obedience to you. Forgive me for those times I wander off. Help me to find others who may need to find their way back to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
