THE MESSAGE OF ZECHARIAH Number 35 - CHRIST OUR SACRIFICE

THE MESSAGE OF ZECHARIAH
Number 35
CHRIST OUR SACRIFICE
Zechariah 13:7-9

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THESE verses complete the prophecy concerning the Messiah which was begun in verses 10-14 of chapter 12 but focuses on the nature and result of Christ's death for us. Having said this I have not found it easy to determine exactly the interpretation of references made here, and in the end I have come to the conclusion that verses 8 and 9 speak of the church of God in its visible form. This body is a very mixed body and has been at all times in history. Today we see the visible church represented by the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Church, and the various other denominations in England. Throughout the world there are many different representations of the visible church. What is true about the visible church is that it is not a pure church but consists of many members in all its ranks, from the clergy and ministers down to the least of its members, who are not truly children of God. These two verses speak of this fact and what God will do about it. This seems to me to be the meaning which is embodied in the reference to the whole land in verse 8. The land here must refer to Palestine and so must point to the whole nation of Israel, and I see the land here as figurative of the Church. Just as the Israelites were always a mixed body, with so many Israelites living far from God, so this is an image of the visible church in all ages. To understand this will save us from much of the troubles which have afflicted the history of the church. Satan comes in to show Christians this fact represented in their own branch of the church, and then seeks to make them become rash in the way they handle this fact. They seek a pure church, and so make divisions, and this is exactly what Satan is seeking to produce. What is taught so clearly here is that God is the one who does the dividing. Jesus himself in the Parable of the wheat and the weeds tells us that the church will always be a mixed body right up to the time when he returns. Then the separation will finally take place.

THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST.

Verse 7 seems to me to refer exclusively to Christ. He is the shepherd referred to here. Only a particular shepherd is mentioned, so I believe the reference can not be to ministers and prophets in the church, but to the chief prophet, even Jesus Christ.

The sword is a reference to the sword of justice. It has the sense which is given to it by Paul in Romans 13:4 where the sword is spoken of as the authority to execute the justice of God against sin. It is the sword of execution. God, the Lord Almighty, speaks and commands his sword of justice to awake, that is to become active and do its work to execute justice against sin. This speaks of God executing justice against all sin and rebellion and fully satisfying his holiness in the execution of his Law against sin.

This sword is directed against the shepherd. This is one particular shepherd, and we are particular told in the prophecy that this shepherd is one close to me, that is to God. The Hebrew word can be translated in different ways, but always has the meaning of a near kinsmen, or of the same flesh or family. Only Christ can possibly fit such a description. Jesus is the Son of God. He came from God. He became incarnate, taking upon himself human nature. He came as a shepherd for his people, and Jesus himself tells us that he came to give his life a ransom for his people. In John 10 Jesus speaks of himself being the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep.

This prophecy is declaring that God would execute his justice against the sin of his people upon the shepherd. It tells us that the sword of justice was to awake, and full justice against the sin of the redeemed would be executed upon the shepherd, even Jesus Christ our Saviour.

This is exactly what we are taught throughout the bible. Christ came to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of his people. He came as the Lamb without blemish, that is without sin, to vicariously, that is in the place of, bear the just desert due to us who have committed the sins. The Bible bears testimony to the fact that the cross was this judicial sacrifice where God laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all.

Christ is portrayed as the shepherd who came to seek and to save the lost sheep, to give his life for their salvation, and be their shepherd to bring them to eternity.

The second part of verse 7 prophetically points us to the cross and exactly what took place there. The sheep were represented in the disciples, and later in the new church formed by the preaching of the apostles, and when Christ was crucified, they were scattered, and when the justice of God fell on the apostate Israel, the church of God was scattered and fled to Pella, and so escaped the devastation. This prophecy is particularly referred to and interpreted by Christ in Matthew 26:31, and he makes it apply particularly to his crucifixion as the shepherd, and the disciples all leaving him in fright, so that he made atonement for our sin alone.

Verse 7 ends with the promise that God will not give up on his true disciples, his true believing people. The meaning is rather of God turning his hand toward the little ones, and not against them.

THE EFFECT OF THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST.

Verses 8 speaks of the effect of the sacrifice of Christ, and Christ's work of salvation. There will be no universal application of the benefits of his death. The death of Christ and our relationship to it is the determining factor as to who are truly the church and who are not. The fact is that the visible church is sorted out by the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ is the means of the salvation of sinners. It is by the cross that we are saved.

When Christ died he was making a propitiatory sacrifice for sin. He was allowing the wrath of God against sin to fall upon himself for the sin of his people. He was giving his life for our salvation, and he was receiving in our place all the wrath against our sin. He did this to save us from that wrath, and deliver us from all condemnation. He was saving us from the punishment for sin, which is death and hell, and he was achieving this by suffering death and hell in our place.

So, only those who have received the gift of faith in Christ as their sacrifice are saved. It is not just faith in Jesus Christ that saves, but rather faith in Jesus Christ as our sacrifice and substitute that brings us salvation. This is the faith that saves because unless our sins meet their just desert, which can only be found in Christ, we can't be saved. The punishment for our sin must fall on us and death and hell is our destiny.

So it is faith in Christ as our shepherd who gave his life to ransom us from our sins that saves, and where this faith does not exist there is no salvation. So within the visible church a dividing takes place. Those who have this precious faith in Christ, in the terms of this prophecy, are the third who are saved. When the great separation comes at the return of Christ, those with this saving faith will remain in the church, but all the rest will be lost. The ones without this faith in Christ as their sin bearer will be struck down and perish.

Jesus speaks of this separation and that it will come about at the harvest - that is at Christ's return - in the parable of the wheat and the tares. Jesus speaks of the Lord of the harvest saying that both the weeds and the wheat must grow until the harvest, and then God will send in his reapers, and the wheat and the weeds will be separated.

This impresses on all members of the visible church the importance of seeing that they have a right faith in Christ, and is a warning to all who reject the substitutionary death of Christ.

THE WORK OF GOD IN HIS TRUE CHURCH.

Verse 9 speaks of the work of Christ in his true believing people. They will be refined so that they will be pure and made fit for fellowship with him in his heavenly glory.

The Christian life is not one of ease and without trouble. Although through faith in Christ we are redeemed, and so accounted righteous in the sight of God; And although we have been raised to new life by spiritual regeneration; We still live in this world and express our new life in fallen and corrupt flesh. Throughout this earthly life from the time we believe we are being made fit for heaven, and constant fellowship with God. This work of sanctification is purifying, and it is like being placed in a furnace to burn out the impurities. This is not a comfortable experience. Sometimes it can be very painful. The Lord allow afflictions, and testings, and persecutions, to afflict the believer, for by this means we are weaned from the world, and we are led to trust and depend on Christ alone. We are taught by this purifying experience that our true joy is found in the Lord, and fellowship with him. We come to see the beauty of Christ, and are led to seek to be conformed to his likeness.

Because we have been translated into the kingdom of heaven we are aliens in this world. Because of this the true disciple of Jesus will be persecuted by the world. Further as those delivered from the kingdom of the world which is under Satan's dominion, we will be subject to Satan's severe attention where he will seek to make our life difficult. Even though can't bring us back into his kingdom, this will not stop Satan from making life as difficult and painful for the Christian as he can.

However the result of this furnace of fire will be wonderful. We will be purified as silver and gold is purified, so that in purity we may become beautiful for our husband Christ. We will know more of the wonder of the love of Jesus. He will own us as his beloved. God will say that they are my people, and we will be able to say, and will know in our hearts, that we belong to the the Lord and are his saved people.

This is the wonder of the assurance of salvation that is worked in our consciousness by this purifying work. It is painful at times, but the joy which it brings is a joy unspeakable and full of glory.

We will have a spirit of prayer within us. Here is the mark of true regeneration. We will call on the name of the Lord, and he will answer us. We will know the blessing of prayer and of the communion with God which it brings. God does answer the prayers of his believing people. This is our joy. We pray and we know that we have come into the presence of our Saviour King. Through the Spirit we shall be lifted up into the heavenlies, and feel that we are loved and belong.

CONCLUSION.

It is a sobering thought that the visible church is so imperfect, but we can also rejoice in the fact that our Saviour Jesus Christ is a wonderful and perfect Saviour. We rejoice in the Lord because he has died for us, and saved us from our sins by his blood. In this precious faith and assurance we can live and witness for our Lord within the church, seeking that he may make each one of us a blessing to others, that they too may be amongst the true remnant of Christ's believing people.