Christ our Humble Shepherd and Exalted King is Victorious

Jeff Price

1 Peter 5: 6-11
INTRODUCTION
September 11 was a defining moment in our lives. It was a day marked by tragedy, pain and
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suffering. A midst the tragedy of that day though were stories of heroism. Retired Marine Sgt. Jason
Thomas was with his family in Long Island when he heard what was happening in New York that day.
"Someone needed help. It didn't matter who,” he said. After putting his Marine uniform back on, he
quickly drove to Manhattan to help. Sgt. Thomas ended up saving the lives of two Port Authority
Police officers that day performing his search and rescue mission, but no one knew his name. Not until
5 years later when Oliver Stone made the movie “World Trade Center” did anyone learn his true
identity. There was an article written recounting his story. “For almost five years, Sgt. Thomas had
decided to keep a very low profile about his heroic role that terrible day; partly because of modesty,
and partly because of the emotional toll it took on him. But after family members saw the commercial,
they told Sgt. Thomas he should get in touch with the movie producers. So he did.”
That is the story of a humble man. One of my favorite books is Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I’m
partial to philosophy, and as a former atheist myself, like Lewis, I think it speaks volumes about the
philosophical journey to faith. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis defined a humble man this way, “Do
not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’
nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he
is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who
took a real interest in what you said to him…He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be
thinking about himself at all.”
Do you think that Peter knew what it was to be humble? He certainly knew what it was to experience
pain and suffering, having denied his Lord 3 times, seeing him beat, hung upon a cross and die. So too
did the hearers of his epistle experience pain and suffering, as they were dispersed and exiled across the
land. They knew the power of Rome and would soon know the brutal hand of attempted extinction by
her emperors. They knew what it was to be suffering servants and what it was to be brought low. In
fact, they were living in the aftermath of a defining moment. In the shadow of the cross, it was as
though they were living on September 12 – trying to make sense of it all. Peter knew their hearts
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because their hearts were his and they were now his sheep to shepherd.
Now turn with me as we read 1 Peter 5: 6 – 11. This passage comes on the heels of Peter exhorting the
elders among God’s covenantal family to be the servant leaders of Jesus Christ and then he turns to
whole family exhorting them all to be humble subjects of their servant leaders. He continues
addressing the family of God, as he draws his letter to a close.
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Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may
exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be
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watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced
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by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God
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of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm,
strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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(1Pe 5:5-11 ESV)

BE BROUGHT LOW
Throughout this letter, Peter has called the people of the dispersion to maintain a humble posture as
aliens, as servants, as wives and husbands and as sufferers. Here at the end he has not wavered from
that message calling the people of God to once again taste humility.
Have you ever been given a demotion at work, and told that it is for the good of the company? That is
a tough pill to swallow, and not one that is easy to obey without a fight. How would you handle the
news that your company is struggling, and they need you to do the lowly work of an apprentice? Or
maybe they are in financial trouble and rather than cut jobs, they have asked you to take a cut in pay.
You may be dealing with that reality right now. It takes a true act of humility to obey that request, and
do the best job you can. The man or woman who obeys that knows what it is to be brought low.
That is not in our nature though. The human heart also knows it’s good to be king, as we seek
autonomy and our own pride. But look what happens when your pride and idols get in the way, and
you become like David, who though he was a man after God’s own heart fell into deep sin because of
the lusts in his heart to the point of having blood on his hands. We know how difficult humility can be
and we know how easy it is for pride to consume us. There is another form of humility though, and
that is false humility – the self-deprecating cries of being a loser, or not being good enough, which can
even be disguised as humor. Chandler on Friends excelled as this kind of humor, but all he really
revealed were his own insecurities and false humility. That is not true humility that is not being
brought low that is being paralyzed by fear. But don’t you think that is a familiar feeling for a lot of
us? I know it can be for me.
Peter wrote, “Allow yourselves to be humbled under the mighty hand of God.” Jesus Christ knows the
reality of this statement, he lived it, he defined it. Christ clothed himself in human flesh, suffered, died
and was buried – not for himself, not so that he could be king, not so that he could tell a great story. He
did this for his adopted sons and daughters – he did this for you and for me. Christ was brought low.
He surrendered it all, opened himself up to pain, ridicule, judgment, and humiliation.
Jesus was brought low and here too, so are those that have suffered in his name. They too are brought
low, humbled, under the mighty and faithful hand of God. But we are not brought low, so that we
could experience the false humility of thinking less of ourselves. We are brought low, so that we
would think of ourselves less. Like Christ, we are to surrender it all: all our cares, all our concerns, all
our worries in this world and cast them upon the faithful and mighty Lord because he cares as the
Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. He is the chief Shepherd who tends and protects his flock
willingly laying his life down for you. We are to be brought low – to be humbled, as Christ is
humbled.
NOT TO BE DEVOURED
However, we are not brought low to be devoured. Verse 8 begins, “Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Sgt Thomas
arrived in New York City, just in time to see, feel, hear and taste the mighty towers fall. As the roaring
sound of steel, concrete and metal fell to the ground he had a decision to make. Would he leave with
everyone else or would he stay, stand firm and enter the city of sorrows?
Just the day before, on September 10 , we thought that no one could touch us here at home, that no one
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could infiltrate the safety of our borders. We awoke on September 11 to a different reality than that.
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Our security had been threatened.

It is easy to grow complacent isn’t it? I’m not going to offer any political commentary on foreign
policy here, but let us also recognize that we do have enemies. Wanting to be liked by others is a
powerful motivator and can blind us to those enemies. Peter’s words of warning here resonate in my
heart and I pray you can hear them too.
Smooth talking lawyer, John Milton, played by Al Pacino in the movie “The Devil’s Advocate” has a
lot of great lines. He is the established, big shot owner of a law firm in New York City who has
recruited a hot shot lawyer from the south played by Keanu Reeves. They are the polar opposites of
Sgt. Thomas and other hero’s of September 11 . But Milton, offers up this great perspective on
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humanity.
“You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire; you build egos
the size of cathedrals; fiber-optically connect the world to every eager impulse; grease even the dullest
dreams with these dollar-green, gold-plated fantasies, until every human becomes an aspiring emperor,
becomes his own God... and where can you go from there?” Remember, it’s good to be king. Right?
How about its good to be God? Sounds like a familiar tale from the Garden of Eden, where Adam and
Eve were tempted by the serpent with the promise of being like God. And that is a temptation that we
all succumb to one way or another.
Thankfully we are not left alone to fight this cunning Devil’s Advocate or even to Satan himself. Jesus
Christ faced these same temptations, in both body – with the pains of hunger after 40 days of fasting,
and pride – being offered the world to rule from atop Jerusalem. And again, in the Garden of
Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for strength and faith to obey the will of his father that he would stand firm.
In both instances, he was ministered to by angels from heaven as a sign that he was not left alone in his
suffering. Also, in the garden in Jesus’ triumph we also see the failures of the disciples to “be sober-
minded; be watchful” as they slept in their sorrow. Something Peter no doubt remembered.
Peter now reminds us, not to be overcome with sorrow, or to be brought so low that we can be
swallowed up by the temptations of Satan. It is easy to grow tired and become weary, especially when
we are brought low. But we are not left alone to resist the devil ourselves. We have the brotherhood of
other believers who are suffering in the name of Christ. I can very easily, due to my own pride, avoid
reaching out to others in my suffering. I either reason that I can handle it on my own, or think they
have nothing to offer in the way of comfort. As those who bear the name of Christ, we are to lean on
one another, love one another and grow in our strength to resist temptations by and through the
community of Christ. As the Spirit of Christ dwells in our hearts, strengthening us, deepening our faith
and understanding of Christ, so too is that same Spirit at work in the Church around the world. Their
trials are our trials and their triumphs are ours as well. By the power of Christ, we are called to stand
firm in our faith, that though we are brought low, we are not to be devoured.
BUT TO BE strengthened IN CHRIST
By the power of Christ, we are called to stand firm in our faith, that though we are brought low, we are
not to be devoured but are to be strengthened in, by and through Jesus Christ.
Are you a part of the family of God? If so, you have an amazing promise of God’s faithfulness laid out
before you here. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you
to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” It is God
who humbles you towards obedience; it is Jesus Christ who conquered death, sin and Satan by
redeeming man through his death upon the cross, and it is the power of his Spirit who ministers to you
even now in your suffering. As the angels descended upon Christ during his trials and temptations, so
too does the Spirit of Christ reign in your heart ministering to your brokenness, strengthening your faith
and granting you grace upon grace.
If you are wondering if God loves you, or if you have a place in his family then hear God’s word now.
“The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm,
strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Experience God’s
grace, care and love for you by surrendering your life to him, casting your anxieties upon him, and
trusting in his faithfulness. For he is king and reigns even now at the right hand of God the Father.
God’s word testifies to you now that he desires to see you reconciled to him, and that he will build his
kingdom on the cornerstone of faith in Jesus Christ that is planted firmly and steadfastly in the heart of
those who believe in the name Christ.
Christ our Humble Shepherd and Exalted King is Victorious
You have been brought low not to be devoured, but to be strengthened in Jesus Christ. Be humbled
and surrender your life to him, as he surrendered his life for you. Hear his steadfast word whispering to
your heart that he will stand firm with you, and not to waver as the lion roars. Be exalted and lifted up
in Christ’s victory over the sin in your heart as he reigns over it.
For Jesus Christ, our humble shepherd who cares for us, who has served us, who has sought us out to
die for us is not only the humiliated servant. He is also the exalted king who reigns over life, who has
conquered death, sin and Satan. He is victorious, high and mighty and he is our salvation.
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