#DailyDevotion Jesus Is The Child & Shepherd Of The LORD
Micah 5 3So He will give Israel up until the time when a mother will have her Child. Then the rest of Israel’s relatives will return to her. 4He will stand as the Shepherd Who rules with the LORD’s power, with the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. They will live securely because His majesty will then reach to the most distant parts of the world.
Israel was without a prophet from the time of the return to Jerusalem until John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were born. Jesus is the Child who is born and John prepared Jesus’ way. Even after the exile of northern Israel, the exile of Judah and the return of Judah, the Israelites were still a stiff-necked people. At the time of Jesus, the LORD, He would make His final appeal to Abraham’s descendants.
The relatives who would return to her are those Israelites throughout the Roman empire and wherever the LORD had driven them to prepare the way for His reign among the nations and the gentiles among them who also would hear the promise, repent and believe. Paul says in Romans 9, “7Not all who are descended from Israel are the real Israel, 8and not all who are descended from Abraham are for that reason his real children. No, “Isaac’s children will be called your descendants.” The LORD has spoken in Isaiah 49, “It is not enough that You’re My Servant to raise the tribes of Jacob and bring back those in Israel who have been preserved – I have also made You a Light for the nations that My salvation might reach to the most distant parts of the world.” So the relatives are those who would believe the promise even as Abraham believed the LORD’s promise and was counted righteous on account of his faith.
The Child, who is Jesus Christ of Nazareth is “the Shepherd who rules with the LORD’s power and with the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.” The LORD says in Ezek. 34, 23“I will raise up one Shepherd over them, My Servant David, Who will feed them. He will feed them and be their Shepherd. 24I the LORD will be their God, and My Servant David will be the Ruler among them. I the LORD say so.” Jesus reveals to us in John 10, “14I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I give My life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep, too, that are not in this fold. I must lead those, too, and they will listen to My voice, and so they will become one flock with one Shepherd.” So Jesus also reveals from the nations He will call men to faith and they too will become children of Abraham, children of the promise.
Jesus came in the name of His God and Father and that name rested on Him, dwelled in Him, and He was one with that name. This name was His from all eternity but in time was revealed to us in His incarnation. In John 14 Jesus says, 12“I tell you the truth, if you believe in Me, you’ll do the works I’m doing, and you’ll do greater works than these, . . . 13and I will do anything you ask in My name in order that the Son may glorify the Father. 14If you ask Me for anything in My name, I’ll do it.” In Acts 4 Peter tells the Sanhedrin, “9if we’re questioned today about helping a crippled man, how he was made well, 10all of you and all the people of Israel should know this man stands healthy before you by the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, Whom you crucified but God raised from the dead.” In Acts 2:38 Peter says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will be given the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ name does this because it is one with the Father.
Merciful God and Father, we thank You for gathering us in the name of Jesus, Your Shepherd to us. Graciously have His name remain on us forever. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.