「『主は我らの救い』と呼ばれる正義の若枝」十一月第三主日礼拝 宣教 2025年11月16日
エレミヤ書 Jeremiah 33章10〜18節 牧師 河野信一郎
Good morning. While mornings and evenings have grown quite chilly, I am thankful to be able to offer worship to God together with all of you this morning. Among our church family, there are those who have been injured and those who have been discharged from the hospital. Let us pray for God’s healing and restoration.
This morning, after worship, we will offer a prayer of blessing for the children’s health and growth. We thank the Lord for the children He has given to our church. The church where my father first served had a kindergarten, and he was its principal. Ever since then, I always thought I wanted to be a kindergarten principal someday, but God called me not to be a principal, but to be a pastor. When I was young, I sometimes thought there might be a chance to become the principal of a church-affiliated kindergarten. But before I knew it, I had reached this age. So, while I cannot become a principal and play with the children, I believe it is good to increase the number of children in the church.
In Japanese Christian churches, it is said we are living in an era where children’s voices are fading away. While it is true that the birthrate is declining, children certainly exist around us. What is required of us is how we can share Jesus with the children in our community and how we can share God’s love. This also relates to the challenge of how to share the gospel with the elderly in our aging society. Let us not focus on the scarcity of children, but first continue praying, “Lord, please let us bless the children in our community.” As I shared in the children’s message, when we pray and ask God, He will give.
Now, the series on the Book of Jeremiah that began in September has only a few more sessions left, including this morning’s message. This morning, I would like to speak primarily on verses 10 through 18 of chapter 33, focusing on the theme: “The Lord God will give us a Savior and King, like a young shoot, even from the ruins.” Even if our hearts are in a state of desolation, devoid of joy, gratitude, or hope for life, I want us to hear God’s faithfulness: that He has compassion on us and gives us a Savior—no, He has already given Him to us.
I’d like to touch on a bit of history. From 598 to 597 BC, the southern kingdom of Judah was besieged by the Babylonian Empire. The capital, Jerusalem, fell, and the king, along with many powerful figures, priests, and skilled craftsmen, were taken captive to Babylon. Though the number was great, the Babylonian forces did not touch the city of Jerusalem or its temple. Similarly, about 150 years before this exile, when the Northern Kingdom of Israel lost its war against the Assyrian Empire and its people were taken captive, Jerusalem and the temple miraculously remained untouched.
Therefore, for 150 years, the Jewish people held an unshakable conviction—a belief, if you will, in the immortality of Jerusalem and the Temple. They were absolutely certain that Jerusalem and the Temple would be safe, that no matter what happened, God would protect them. However, ten years after the first exile, in 587 BCE, during the second exile—though on a smaller scale—Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed by the Babylonian army. Jerusalem was reduced to a scorched earth, a desolate ruin. This meant the royal line of David ended here, and the priestly ministry ceased. Jerusalem no longer had a “king” or a “priest.” For the Jewish people, this marked the beginning of tragedy.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke God’s words plainly and directly: because of the sins the people of Israel and Judah had continually committed, the nation would be destroyed by God’s judgment. For this reason, he angered the king and was imprisoned. It was truly an unjust treatment. At that time, there was also a prophet named Hananiah. He prophesied words of hope, saying that even if there were a Babylonian captivity, the suffering would end in two years. But he was a false prophet, and even after two years, the day of liberation did not come. Instead, the Jewish people lived as captives in Babylon for seventy years. During that time, Jerusalem lay in ruins, a lawless wasteland, a city where God was absent.
The utter destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was an unbearable suffering and sorrow for the Jewish people. Yet it was not unjust; it was the consequence of their persistent sin against God. We too encounter various injustices in our daily lives. Yet, most of these problems stem from our own human sin. Amidst this, what the Jews consistently failed to do—what we have failed to do—is to stubbornly refuse to acknowledge God’s existence, to refuse to repent and reflect, and to refuse to return to God.
Yet in chapter 33, verse 3, God says to us, who are struggling and suffering in our sin, “Call to me.” Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promises: “If you call to me for help, I will surely answer you. I will tell you great and hidden things you do not know. I will not only tell you these things, but I will also perform great and mighty deeds—deeds of salvation.”
Reading 33:5, we find God’s words recorded: “for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil.” These are very harsh words. Yet God is not a God of wrath, but a God of love and mercy, a God of patience and compassion.
Therefore, reading verses 6 through 8: “But behold, I will bring healing and restoration to this city, and I will heal them and abundantly show them true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild them as in days of old. I will cleanse them from all the guilt they have incurred and forgive all their sins and acts of disobedience.” This is the promise of salvation declared. Great grace and peace from God are given to those who believe this promise and praise God.
This morning we read from verses 10 through 13 of chapter 33 in the Bible. “Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: “‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’ For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord. “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.”
Because of the seriousness of the sins committed by Judah and Israel, a seventy-year period of captivity was imposed. This was necessary for each person to repent of their sins against God, return to Him, and call upon Him, thereby forming a people who obey God and His word. However, the restoration of the hearts of the people of Israel, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and the healing, restoration, and salvation of our own hearts as we live today—none of these are accomplished by human effort, but by the mighty power of our loving God.
The same holds true for children’s growth. It is not only through parents’ love, patience, wisdom, and effort, nor solely through our prayers and watchful care, but by God’s abundant love that children are granted growth day by day. The responsibility of adults is to accompany children as they run, remembering them in prayer daily for their growth—a growth entrusted to us by God.
Verses 14–16: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’“ God says, ”Behold, I will fulfill the gracious promise.“ Who is this ”righteous Branch“ promised by God? Who is this one who will ”rule this land with justice and righteousness”?
Look at verses 17 and 18. ” For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever. “ But who exactly is this ”king to rule over Israel“ and these ”priests who offer sacrifices to God” that have been absent since the fall of Judah and the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple?
He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God sent by God. This One is the Savior who is called “the Lord our salvation” and is praised. Through the love, righteousness, and justice of this Jesus Christ, our hearts are healed and restored. He brings governance, restoration, and prosperity to our troubled, unjust society, nation, and world. Christmas is the joyful celebration of this Savior’s birth, and Easter is the thanksgiving for the completion of salvation. All is the work of God’s love. We give thanks to God.