Zechariah 3:1-10: No More Shame

Introduction

Martin Luther’s struggle - Wrestling with guilt and shame.

For us - Some of us feel the shame and guilt of our sin on a regular basis. For others, we ignore our guilt and live like our sin is no big deal.

Good Friday = a day to remember how God deals with our guilt and shame.

You have an accuser who is loud and strong.

Zechariah - Jews back from the exile. In book of Ezra, Zechariah and Haggai encourage people to rebuild the temple. Jews slow to do the work because of opposition.

Exile was a result of the people’s sin. Now they’re back in the land. Would the people be different this time? Would they finally be faithful to God?

Zechariah prophesying in Zechariah 1-8 in a series of visions to encourage the people to finish the work because God would send a Messiah who would come into the temple with glory.

Zechariah 3 = fourth vision - a vision of the high priest Joshua NOT in the temple but in the heavenly court of God.

As new temple built, the work of the high priest would be important because he would represent the people before God. He needs to be a holy man.

In ancient Israel, no day quite as significant as Yom Kippur – Day of Atonement – High priest went into the innermost part of the temple – Holy of Holies – behind a large veil – and offered a sacrifice for his own sins and the sins of his people.

Imagine the Day of Atonement - crowd would have gathered at the temple. This was their day - dependent on the high priest to go into the temple and make the sacrifice for them. The high priest was their advocate, and they cheered him on. They depended on the high priest to do his job right. They depended on the high priest to be a holy man.

Preparation before entering into the holy place (Leviticus 16:5). He would bathe before he put on his holy garments. After his work in the temple, would come out, take off the holy garments and bathe again (Leviticus 16:23-25). The priest doing this holy work had to be clean.

So serious a work - bells on the garment of the priest (Exodus 23:33-35). Israelites convinced that if the high priest made a mistake when making the sacrifice God would strike him dead. If the bells stopped ringing they would know he was dead, and the people would pull his body out. These were serious moments.

Imagine the anticipation on the Day of Atonement - All of Israel anticipating the work of the high priest. Each year, on the Day of Atonement, the people cheer the high priest on. They want him to make the offering on their behalf.

That’s why the imagery in Zechariah 3 is shocking - a vision of the high priest doing his work in the throne room of God, not the temple. In the presence of God, there’s a problem. Joshua not qualified to do the work because his garments are filthy.

The word used to describe Joshua's garment is the same Hebrew word that is used in Deuteronomy 23:13 that refers to human excrement. A reminder of how heinous sin is.

Joshua a picture of all the Jewish people - filthy. They had come out of the exile for a second chance, but they weren’t any different than when they went into the exile. The exile didn’t change them. They still had a sin problem.

Satan in God’s presence accusing Joshua. Imagine, “God, how can you let Joshua in your presence? Look at him. He’s filthy. He’s covered in waste.”

Satan is the great accuser (Revelation 12:10).

You’ve experienced the accusations of Satan and for some of us his accusations have been effective.

We let the voice of the enemy crush us. (I can never be good enough. I try, but I keep failing. How could God love someone like me?)

We let the voice of the enemy harden us. (I give up. What God wants is too much. I’ll just give in to sin. I can’t be what God wants me to be, and I won’t be what God wants me to be.)

Zech. 3 a picture of how we all stand before God: guilty and accused. The voice of the accuser is right. We don’t deserve to stand before God.

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. Isaiah 64:6

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Psalm 14:2-3

No one can stand before God and say, “Look at me, I’m pure!” God will always see you for who you are.

You have an advocate who is louder and stronger.

If Joshua is filthy and cannot stand before God and do his work, then the people have no chance. They are dependent on Joshua to do his priestly work. The priest lets the entire nation down. Every single Jewish person stands condemned.

You’d expect God to rebuke Joshua, but He doesn’t.

vs. 3 = the angel of the Lord. Messenger of God. Preincarnate Christ? Advocating for Joshua - declaring Joshua clean - a picture of justification.

To the heavenly court: “Remove the filthy garments. I take away your iniquity. I will clothe you with pure vestments.”

Joshua and the people get grace! God is going to make Joshua into someone who can serve in His presence.

Vs. 8 – A promise – “I will bring my servant the Branch.” The Branch is Jesus – the branch from the lineage of David. Several times in OT Jesus referred to as the coming branch.

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Isaiah 11:1-4

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5

Vs. 9 – When the Branch comes – “I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.” No longer a need for a high priest – iniquity will be removed. All ritualistic worship unnecessary. Because a better Advocate is coming - whose voice is loud - who from the cross would cry - “It is finished.” An advocate who is strong

Centuries later – another Joshua – staged the Ultimate Day of Atonement – the first Good Friday

One week before His Day of Atonement He began to prepare. He shared a Passover meal with His apostles. The night before His Day of Atonement, He did not sleep. He wrestled in prayer. The Bible says his prayers were so intense that sweat drops of blood poured down His face. And like Joshua the high priest in Zechariah, Jesus' work on the Day of Atonement was done in public. However, no one was cheering Him on. Instead, most everyone he loved betrayed him, abandoned him, or denied him. He was jeered. He was ridiculed. He was mocked. He went to a cross, and on that cross the Father did not encourage Him like the Father encouraged Joshua in Zechariah 3. Instead, the Father forsook Him. Jesus was not given a white garment to wear. He was stripped, beaten, and killed naked on a cross. The only bathing he received was a bathing of human spit. There on the cross, Jesus did not make an atoning sacrifice for sin. He was the atoning sacrifice for sins. He was the sacrificial lamb. He was the only one who could take away sin because He was sinless. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Jesus is a better Advocate than Joshua or any other priest/human. And… Jesus’ voice of grace is louder than Satan’s voice of accusation. From the cross would cry - “It is finished.” Jesus is our advocate who is strong - Joshua - a weak, sinful man who could not stand in the presence of God. Jesus - our advocate who stood for us by taking our sin upon Himself, died the death we deserve, and then rose from the dead victoriously.

We now stand before God not clothed in a garment stained with human excrement – but white and pure – clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

In one day – on the cross – our sins cast far as the east from the west. We were made clean because Christ took all of our filth upon Himself.

We stand guilty before God, but if we place our trust in Christ, repenting of our sins, we are justified. We receive full pardon and are made pure. One work by our great High Priest has eternally saved us.

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:11-12

Lord’s Supper – Our High Priest didn’t make a sacrifice. He was our atoning sacrifice.

Lord’s Supper – Remember with thanksgiving – Reflect – where are you right now in your walk with Christ – Are you living a life of gratitude for His sacrifice – Or, do you live as if the sacrifice of Christ doesn’t matter to you. A time of confession and repentance.