Sheep of His Flock, Jewels of His Crown

UV 3355/10000 Sheep of His Flock, Jewels of His Crown
And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
Zechariah 9 v 16

It is instructive to note that while Jesus is the Lamb of God, we who follow Him are called sheep. It is the extreme or absolute humility of Christ that He who is Mighty God took reduced Himself to be the Lamb, helpless, vulnerable, gentle, humble. As we learn and emulate His humility and gentleness, trusting all to God, we become His sheep. Followers of Christ are referred to in this uni-verse as a flock of his people. We are also referred to as the precious stones embedded in the crown of the Lord. We are lifted up by Him as His bejeweled scepter in His kingdom. As we are His flock, we should be obedient like sheep, listening to His voice, being content with what He feeds our souls. He is not fattening us for the slaughter but to live forever, to be fruitful, yielding good fruit for His glory, by His grace. We are people who are entranced by His incredible beauty and goodness. The best stones in a land are reserved to adorn the crown of the king or ruler of the land. Likewise, He beautifies our lives so that we resemble the precious stones that adorn a crown.

The two metaphors used in the uni-verse tell us how if we listen to His voice, abide by His word, we will grow spiritually and holistically. When we do that, the Lord turns us into rulers in His kingdom. When we proclaim His word and teach others too to keep His word, He keeps an eternal crown of life for each of us. Just as there is a huge variety of
Precious stones like diamonds, rubies, sapphire, emerald, ruby, beryl and so on, we fall into different categories based on our faith and walk with God. He examines us every day to see if we have any flaws and takes steps to correct these. Precious stones of every kind are rare and limited in supply. So also faithful followers of Jesus are smaller in number than those who follow their own lights. Like precious stones shine best not in the darkness but when the sun’s light penetrates through every crystal in the precious stones. Precious stones are not meant for ordinary use but for royalty. We are ordinary people with an extraordinary calling. Just as precious stones are owned and guarded by someone carefully from theft, Jesus owns us and guards us. Just as precious stones give joy to the owner and to every viewer, we give joy to the Lord and to those we witness and serve.

The sword and the shield and battle attire of a king on the battlefield are adorned with jewels. Likewise, we are not meant only for show but to be an “ensign” or the distinguishing standards of the King. The King wears us on His armour. He lifts us up to be a sign unto all. He glorifies His name through us. Like precious stones do not get corroded but endure with all their qualities, we need to endure till the end.