Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

^“When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.”  Matthew 21:45.  Notice the plurality of the word “parables”, the chief priests and Pharisees also heard other parables which confirmed this same message.  In the prior parable, we read (and they may have heard):  “… but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”  Matthew 21:32.  In the following parable, we read (and they may have heard) the parable of the Marriage Feast with the following description:  “and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.  “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.”  Matthew 22:6-7.

But, in sharp contrast to those unfaithful shepherds (the chief priests and the Pharisees), we have the Good Shepherd, Jesus.  Jesus proclaims:  “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.  “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.  “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”  John 10:11-15.  “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:27-30.

Jesus is also our chief corner stone.  In addition, we have the foundation of the apostles and prophets.  We also have Augustine, Luther, and Calvin and all the other saints throughout history who gave us creeds and other sound doctrine and the examples of their lives to guide us and inspire us.  “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:19-22.