The readings this week present what appears as a stunning paradox: the King who reigns from a tree, the Shepherd who saves by dying, the Lord of glory crowned with thorns. From Jeremiah’s indictment of faithless shepherds to Paul’s exaltation of Christ’s supremacy to Luke’s account of the crucifixion, we witness the heart of the Gospel: God’s righteous King establishing His kingdom through suffering and death, the Son accomplishing the Father’s eternal plan of redemption.
Shepherds Who Scatter (Jeremiah 23:1–6)
Jeremiah’s prophecy begins with divine fury directed at Israel’s shepherds who are the kings, priests, and leaders who were entrusted with God’s flock. Instead of gathering and protecting, they scattered and destroyed: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” (Jeremiah 23:1).
These were men called to feed God’s people with His Word, to lead them in righteousness, to protect them from danger. Yet they abandoned their charge, pursuing their own gain and leaving the sheep vulnerable to predators. The indictment is total: they have failed in their God-given office.
But the Lord does not leave His people without hope. He promises to raise up a righteous Branch from David’s line, a King who will “reign wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5). This is no ordinary shepherd. This is the Lord Himself, “The Lord is our righteousness”, who will accomplish what no human leader could nor can.
The Cosmic King (Colossians 1:11–20)
Paul’s letter reveals the identity of Jeremiah’s promised Branch. Christ is not merely another shepherd in the line of David; He is the one “by whom all things were created” (Colossians 1:16). Before He came as the suffering servant, He existed as the eternal Word through whom galaxies were formed.
This is the mystery Paul unfolds: the Creator entered His creation, the invisible God became visible, the one who holds all things together submitted to death. And through this death, “making peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20), He reconciles all things to Himself.
Here is the Good Shepherd of whom Jeremiah spoke, but His flock is not merely Israel. It is “all things, whether on earth or in heaven.” The scope of His shepherding extends to the entire cosmos, and the means of His reign is the cross.
The King Enthroned (Luke 23:33–43)
Luke brings us to Golgotha, where the promised King is lifted up, not on David’s throne but on a Roman cross. Above His head hangs the charge: “This is the King of the Jews.” It is meant as mockery, yet it proclaims the truth.
Two criminals hang beside Him. One hurls insults; the other sees what the crowds cannot. In the dying man beside him, he recognizes a King: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).
Christ’s response is immediate: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Here is the righteous Branch of Jeremiah’s prophecy, shepherding His sheep even from the cross. Here is the reconciling Lord of Colossians, making peace by His blood. The thief contributes nothing, no good works, no lifetime of devotion, no restitution for his crimes. He brings only his need, and Christ gives him everything.
When the thief finds himself in paradise, he can offer only one answer to the angels in heaven as to why he is there: “The man on the middle cross said I could come.” Our King, by God Almighty’s mercy and grace, redeems divinely, and that is the only invitation that makes any sinner worthy to be in the presence of the Creator of all. Only God’s Christ has such power and authority.
The Gospel Woven Together
This is how the Good Shepherd saves: not by force or political power, but by laying down His life for the sheep. The King exercises His reign through self-giving love. The Lord of glory accomplishes redemption through suffering and death.
We were scattered by faithless shepherds, alienated by our sin. But God has provided the Shepherd we could never produce, one who seeks us, dies for us, and brings us into His eternal kingdom. Not for our glory, but for His alone.
A Note on “Paradox” and Mystery
Holding to a sola scriptura view, one must distinguish carefully between paradox and mystery. Scripture contains no logical contradictions or paradoxes that would undermine its coherence or clarity. Rather, it reveals mysteries, truths beyond full human comprehension (like the Trinity or the hypostatic union), and divine reversals that confound human wisdom.
A crucified King is not logically contradictory; it’s unexpected. God’s ways overturn our assumptions about power, glory, and salvation. What appears as foolishness to the world is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). The cross doesn’t present us with an unresolvable puzzle but with a profound truth: the King reigns through self-giving love, and this is exactly how God planned it from before the foundation of the world.
Jeremy Miller
Church Elder