JESUS IN THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH
The book of Nehemiah opens with ruin. Jerusalem’s walls lie in heaps, its gates are burned, and the people live exposed—without defense, dignity, or peace. When Nehemiah hears the news, he does not rush to action. He sits down and weeps; he mourns, fasts, and prays (Nehemiah 1:3-4). Before there is rebuilding, there is honest grief.
Nehemiah leaves the comfort of the king’s court to identify with a broken people. Jesus does the same—leaving glory to dwell among us, entering a world fractured by sin and sorrow (John 1:14). Nehemiah does not confess from a distance; he includes himself in the guilt of the nation (Nehemiah 1:6-7). Christ goes further still, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24).
Nehemiah arrives with authority from the king—letters granting protection and provision for the journey (Nehemiah 2:7-8). Jesus comes with authority from the Father, sent to complete the work He was given (John 5:36; Matthew 28:18). Both come not merely to observe ruin, but to restore what has been lost.
The rebuilding unfolds slowly and faithfully. The wall rises piece by piece, family by family, section by section (Nehemiah 3:1-32). Restoration is not dramatic; it is deliberate. Jesus works the same way in the lives of His people—truth upon truth, grace upon grace, until what was broken begins to stand again (Philippians 1:6).
Opposition is immediate. Nehemiah faces mockery, threats, and intimidation (Nehemiah 4:1-3, 7-8). Jesus too is ridiculed, resisted, and rejected (Matthew 27:39-43). Yet Nehemiah presses on, working with one hand and guarding with the other (Nehemiah 4:17). Christ accomplishes redemption through suffering, vigilance, and obedience, setting His face like flint toward the cross (Hebrews 12:2).
When the wall is finished, the victory is unmistakable. Even Israel’s enemies must confess, “This work was done by our God” (Nehemiah 6:16). So it is with salvation. When God restores a life, the glory belongs to Him alone—not to human effort or resolve (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The work concludes with a return to the Word. Ezra reads the Law; the people are convicted, then comforted, and finally filled with joy (Nehemiah 8:1-12). Sorrow gives way to strength. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10)—a joy fulfilled and secured in Christ (John 15:11).
Nehemiah shows us a restorer who loves the people enough to labor for their healing. Jesus is the greater Nehemiah—the One who does not merely rebuild walls of stone, but restores hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
What lies broken, He is able—and willing—to rebuild.
BDD
