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And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you own a crown? Maybe you have a plastic crown in your dress-up box. Maybe you’ve worn a paper crown from a birthday party or got one at a fast-food restaurant. But you probably don’t have a real royal crown made of gold and covered in sparkling jewels. Those are for kings and queens, right?

But in the Bible, God promises to give a crown—not just to royalty—but to everyone who follows Jesus and stays faithful to him. Is God talking about a real crown of gold? Not really. Instead, the “crown” means the amazing gift of heaven. It’s God’s way of saying, “Well done!” to everyone who trusted in Jesus.

God gives a special promise to people who take care of other Christians, especially pastors. In the Bible, Jesus is called the Chief Shepherd, and he gives special jobs to pastors—who are like under-shepherds—to take care of his people, who are like sheep. A pastor’s job is to help people hear about Jesus, trust in him, and grow in their faith.

Being a pastor isn’t always easy. It means teaching, praying, visiting, comforting, and helping people stay close to Jesus. But when pastors do this faithfully, Jesus promises to give them “the crown of glory that will never fade away.” That’s a forever reward in heaven!

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He loves us, rescues us from sin, gave up his life for us, and leads us safely home to heaven. Through our pastors, we get to see just a little picture of that love every day. Isn’t it great that even shepherds get a crown?

Dear Jesus, our Good Shepherd, thank you for loving us and guiding us. Thank you for giving us pastors who teach us your Word and care for our souls. Help us to be thankful for them and to show them love and respect. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above

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