Zechariah 3: The Warrior Who Cleanses, Claims, and Commissions Us

December 7

Meditation

Reflect on these words about the incarnation of the Lord Jesus:

Sin, our nature demanded to be healed; fallen, to be raised up; dead, to rise again. We had lost the possession of the good; it was necessary for it to be given back to us. Closed in the darkness, it was necessary to bring us the light; captives, we awaited a Savior; prisoners, help; slaves, a liberator. Are these things minor or insignificant? Did they not move God to descend to human nature and visit it, since humanity was in so miserable and unhappy a state? Gregory of Nyssa

Call to Worship

Hear God call you to worship through his word:

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) Ephesians 4:8–10

Adoration

Say or sing the words of this Advent hymn:

Savior of the nations, come,

virgin’s Son, make here thy home!

Marvel now, O heaven and earth,

that the Lord chose such a birth.

Not of flesh and blood the Son,

offspring of the Holy One;

born of Mary ever blest,

God in flesh is manifest.

Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child

of the Virgin undefiled!

Though by all the world disowned,

still to be in heaven enthroned.

From the Father forth he came

and returneth to the same,

captive leading death and hell,

high the song of triumph swell!

Thou, the Father’s only Son,

hast over sin the victory won.

Boundless shall thy kingdom be;

when shall we its glories see?

Praise to God the Father sing.

Praise to God the Son, our King.

Praise to God the Spirit be

ever and eternally. Ambrose

Reading of the Law

Hear God’s law as his will for your life:

Our Lord Jesus said,

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3–10

Confession of Sin

Confess your sins to God:

Lord God, eternal and Almighty Father, we confess and acknowledge without pretense before your holy Majesty, that we are poor sinners, conceived and born in iniquity and corruption; prone to do what is evil, incapable of any good; and that in our depravity, we endlessly transgress your holy commandments. And so, in your just judgment, we deserve ruin and damnation. But Lord, we are displeased with ourselves for having offended you, and we condemn ourselves and our vices with true repentance, longing for your grace to relieve our distress. May you, therefore, have mercy upon us, most gentle and merciful God and Father, in the name of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And as you blot out our vices and blemishes, extend and increase the graces of your Holy Spirit to us day by day, so that as we acknowledge our unrighteousness with all our heart, we might feel the sorrow that gives birth to true penitence, which as we mortify our sins may produce fruits of righteousness and innocence pleasing to you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. John Calvin

Assurance of Pardon

Receive these words of comfort from God, from Ephesians 1:3–7:

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:8–12

Athanasian Creed, Part 1

Confess what you believe about the Christian faith:

Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic faith. Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally. Now this is the catholic faith:

that we worship one God in Trinity and the Trinity in unity, neither confounding their persons nor dividing the essence.

For the person of the Father is a distinct person,

the person of the Son is another,

and that of the Holy Spirit still another.

But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son and such is the Holy Spirit.

The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, the Holy Spirit is uncreated.

The Father is immeasurable, the Son is immeasurable, the Holy Spirit is immeasurable.

The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is eternal.

And yet there are not three eternal beings; there is but one eternal being.

So too there are not three uncreated or immeasurable beings; there is but one uncreated and immeasurable being.

Similarly, the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty.

Yet there are not three almighty beings; there is but one almighty being.

Thus, the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.

Yet there are not three gods; there is but one God.

Thus, the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord.

Yet there are not three lords; there is but one Lord.

Just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually as both God and Lord,

so catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or lords.

Praise

Say or sing this praise to God:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him all creatures here below;

Praise him above you heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. Doxology

Catechism

Receive this instruction from the Heidelberg Catechism:

Q. 31. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”?

A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief prophet and teacher who fully reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our deliverance; our only high priest who has delivered us by the one sacrifice of his body, and who continually intercedes for us before the Father; and our eternal king who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and who guards us and keeps us in the deliverance he has won for us.

Prayer for Illumination

As you read his word, ask God to enlighten your mind and heart:

Lord, you know what distracted hearts we have, O give us self-recollection; you know what hard, dead hearts we have, O touch and awaken us! You know how we yet resist your Word and our lower nature is reluctant to bow to your scepter; therefore, O Lord, show forth your power; send your Spirit on high to work among us, to make our hearts submissive, and ourselves capable of living in true union with you, our salvation, and of yielding totally to your grace. Amen.

Gerhard Tersteegen

Scripture Reading

Read this portion of God’s word: Zechariah 3:1–10

1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

2 And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”

3 Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.

4 And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”

5 And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.

6 And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua,

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.

9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day.

10 In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.””

Preaching of the Gospel

A Courtroom in Heaven

Every Soldier knows what it feels like to stand before authority. I know in my time, I’ve had to stand on the carpet before a Brigade Sergeant Major, wearing a rank that, by a mixup of memos, regulations, and missing promotion orders, I should not have been wearing. I’ve served as a bailiff for a Court Martial, interacted with Police, MPs (Military Police), Security Forces, and CID (Criminal Investigation Directorate). There is a weight that comes with being inspected, evaluated, judged, with the sword over your head as though everything is on the line. At risk are your time, money, and peace. For many, Soldiers included, there is a fear that if the truth ever came fully to light of how we’ve fallen short, didn’t meet expectations, or lied, we would be found wanting.

And this is where Advent begins. Not with lights or trees or music—but with honesty. With the truth that we need rescue. With the longing for Someone who can stand beside us in that courtroom.

Zechariah 3 gives us a glimpse into a courtroom. This courtroom is far more terrifying than any court or court martials. It is a courtroom in heaven. Joshua the high priest stands before the Angel of the LORD, representing Israel. Let there be no doubt: He is guilty, exposed, unclean. His clothes are filthy, reeking of excrement. And Satan is standing at his right, his right-hand-man, one might say, doing what he does best: accusing, condemning, reminding Joshua of every failure, every stain, every sin.

This vision comes to God’s people after the Babylonian exile. The temple is being rebuilt, the people are back in the land, but the question still hangs over them: how can a sinful, still-unclean people live in fellowship with a holy God? In that question we hear the very heartbeat of Advent—a longing for God to come and make right what we cannot fix.

Zechariah’s eight night visions answer that question from different angles, and here in chapter 3 we stand at the heart of the book: the issue is not just walls and temple stones, but guilt and atonement, priesthood and access to God.

In this stark picture, there is beauty. It’s not to be found in Joshua, or Israel, or any effort of man. The beauty, the gospel, of this vision is found in a God who refuses to let the accuser have the last word. This text tears down the idol of the self, of success and striving, self-improvement, religious performance, moral effort. It is about a Warrior-King who silences the accuser with words—and Advent tells us this Warrior-King is coming.

Words that brought the universe into being. Words that sustain each breath. Words that said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM.” Words that remove the stain of sin, clothe in righteousness, and commission for His service.

This is a gospel passage in the heart of the Old Testament. It speaks directly to you, who carry burdens of guilt, sin, or crippling memories of things done or left undone. It points us to Christ: our Advocate, our Defender, our High Priest, and our King, who fights for us when we cannot fight for ourselves.

This is Advent hope: The One who defends Joshua is the One who came in Bethlehem and the One who is coming again in glory.

The Accuser Speaks, But God Rules

Joshua stands “before the angel of the LORD,” a figure who often speaks and acts as God Himself. Satan (“the accuser”) stands at Joshua’s right hand “to accuse him.” The scene is simple: Israel’s sin is real. Joshua’s garments are filthy. The accusations are true, and the accused need only await judgment.

Every one of us has stood where Joshua stands, and some still do—not physically, but spiritually. Many carry the wounds of harsh words spoken in anger against the ones you love and care for, failures in your marriage as your wandering eye takes you into a depth of sin you’ve never thought possible, compromises in character, and violations of the trust of others. Bitterness. Hidden addictions. Gambling. Porn. Shameful habits, unresolved guilt from deployment or home life. You do not need Satan to invent accusations; your conscience provides all the material necessary to know that you stand before God not only accused, but guilty of everything, and so much worse.

Advent forces us to acknowledge this reality: We are not okay. We cannot save ourselves. We need rescue. We need a Champion who can silence the accuser.

But before Satan can even begin formal charges, God Himself erupts into the courtroom:

“The LORD rebuke you!”

And He says it twice.

Why? Because His choice, His election, is stronger than Satan’s accusation. God’s electing grace precedes and outruns every accusation. Satan may present true charges, but he cannot overturn God’s sovereign decision to set His love on His people. It is God’s verdict, not the enemy’s voice, that defines the destiny of His church.

Joshua is “a brand plucked from the fire.” Israel deserved destruction. Joshua was contaminated. But God had plucked them, rescued them, saved them. Not because they were worthy, or, indeed, for any reason that man could foist upon God to justify his own salvation, but because He is merciful.

And this is the Advent message: The world sits in darkness, guilty and helpless— but God Himself comes to our defense.

Our salvation is grounded in God’s sovereign grace. The accusations are true, but the verdict belongs to God. Satan has evidence, but God has chosen His people.

Many of us need this truth more than we know. Your failures are not final. Your sins do not determine your identity. The accuser speaks, but God rules.

The Sinner Stands Filthy, But God Cleanses Completely

Joshua is clothed with garments, described by the Hebrew word meaning filth associated with human waste. Excrement. Feces. This is the high priest, the holiest man in Israel, in the holiest place, before the holy God. And he is covered in shame.

This is not a small stain, either. This is total, utter corruption. This is what sin really looks like.

And Advent tells us the same truth— that the world, left to itself, is not clean, not pure, not whole.

And yet, notice what God does not say. He does not say “try harder,” “pick yourself up,” “do better next time,” or “fix yourself first.” God does not “help those who help themselves.” Instead, God gives a command to the heavenly attendants:

“Remove the filthy garments from him.”

And then God interprets the act:

“I have taken away your guilt from you.”

This is unilateral, undeserved grace. Joshua doesn’t cleanse himself; God cleanses him. Joshua doesn’t dress himself; God clothes him. Joshua offers no defense, yet God becomes his Defender.

Advent exists because God had to come and do for us what we could never do for ourselves.

Then comes the beautiful moment Zechariah himself blurts out:

“Put a clean turban on his head!”

The high priestly turban from Exodus, which bore the inscription “Holy to the LORD” is in view here. God not only forgives. He restores—dignity, honor, purity, office. He makes Joshua forgiven, cleansed, and commissioned.

If you are weighed down by guilt, shame, sin that nags at the core of who Christ has called you to be, here is the hope: God does not just erase your sins. He robes you in righteousness. God restores your future.

And Advent tells us how He did it: Christ came in human flesh to take our filth upon Himself, and to clothe us with His righteousness.

Joshua’s change of clothes is a picture of that great exchange.

The Priest Is Cleansed, Then Commissioned

Forgiveness is just the beginning.

The angel of the LORD issues a solemn charge: “If you will walk in my ways… then you shall govern my house… and I will grant you access…”

Cleansing leads to calling. Grace leads to obedience. Justification leads to sanctification.

Joshua is restored to serve. This is God’s pattern for His people: He saves us from our sins. He empowers us to walk in His ways. He entrusts us with His work. He gives us access to His presence.

Many of you today believe God can forgive you. Indeed, to repent and believe has some sense of understanding that no matter what you have done, or the blackness of your ledger, God can and has forgiven you in Christ. But many similarly doubt that God can use them. Zechariah 3 says otherwise. There is no sin too great for God to forgive, and no person too damaged for God to call. God does not call the equipped; He equips the called.

Advent is the season the Church says: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” Not by earning His love— but by receiving His grace and walking in His strength.

The Priesthood Points To the Coming Branch

After cleansing and commissioning Joshua, God lifts his eyes to the future:

“I am bringing my servant, the Branch.”

This is Advent language. This is the promise of the Messiah. This is the hope of Israel and the hope of the Church.

This is a title for the Messiah, the Davidic King. Joshua and the priests are “men of a sign.” Their ministry points forward to a High Priest and King to come. Zechariah is pointing forward to a priest-king who combines the offices of priest and Davidic ruler in one person.

When God promises to “remove the guilt of this land in a single day,” He is anticipating a once-for-all act of atonement, not the yearly cycle of sacrifices in Leviticus. In the New Testament, that “single day” is identified with the cross of Christ (cf. Heb 9–10), when the true High Priest offered Himself as the final sacrifice.

Advent looks forward to this day. Christmas is the dawn of the day that would culminate at the cross.

But before God speaks of that single day, He gives Joshua a sign: “the stone that I have set before Joshua… upon a single stone are seven eyes” (v. 9).

In Scripture, seven symbolizes fullness or perfection. Eyes symbolize sight, watchfulness, knowledge.

This “stone with seven eyes” is a picture of God’s perfect oversight of His redemptive plan. Nothing escapes His sight. No sin is hidden. No injustice unobserved.

God Himself engraves the stone, marking it for sacred purpose.

In Advent we remember this: The birth of Christ was no accident. The cross was no improvisation. Redemption rests on a foundation God Himself laid and watched over.

Then comes the climactic promise in verse 9:

“I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day.”

Not annually. Not repeatedly. Once. For all.

The New Testament tells us when that day came: Good Friday. The cross. The resurrection.

He is the Priest who offers the sacrifice. He is the Sacrifice offered. He is the King who reigns forever. He is the Advocate who silences the accuser.

And after that great day of atonement, verse 10 describes the result: peace, fellowship, security—everyone under their vine and fig tree. On that day, war, fear, and shame will be no more.

Advent points ahead to this final peace. The first coming of Christ guarantees His second. Bethlehem guarantees the New Creation.

Conclusion: The Gospel for Soldiers

Zechariah 3 is the story of every believer who walks through guilt, grief, moral injury, and exhaustion.

You stand accused. But Christ silences the accuser.

You stand filthy. But Christ removes your guilt.

You stand ashamed. But Christ clothes you in righteousness.

You stand discouraged. But Christ commissions you to serve.

You stand in a broken world. But Christ will bring a day of peace.

Zechariah 3 calls us to stop listening to the accusations of that liar Satan, and start listening to the voice of Christ, the One who has paid for us with a price.

If you are battling memories, regrets, hidden failures, feeling unworthy, overwhelmed by responsibility, carrying burdens unseen, fighting battles that no one knows about, God’s word to you is the same as His word to Joshua:

“I have taken away your guilt.” “I will clothe you.” “I will give you access.” “I am bringing my Servant, the Branch.”

This is Advent hope. Christ has already removed your filthy garments. Stop carrying the guilt. Walk in the new garments of His grace.

In Christ Jesus, the accuser is silenced, the shame is removed, and the sinner is made a priest and servant of the King.

If this is not you—if you don’t know Christ—hear the gospel once again:

Jesus is the Branch. He has come. He is coming again. Repent and believe, that your filthy garments would be stripped away and you would be clothed with the righteousness befitting a son or daughter of God.

Amen.

Praise

Say this praise to God:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited, and redeemed his people;

and has raised up a mighty salvation for us, in the house of his servant David;

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began;

that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us;

to perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

to perform the oath which he swore to our forefather Abraham, that he would give us;

that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear;

in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

to give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of their sins,

through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Dayspring from on high has visited us;

to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Prayer of Intercession

As you make your requests to God, pray this prayer:

Grant Lord, we ask you, that we may learn to have our hopes and fears, our joys and sorrows, all grounded on your holy Word, that we may learn to love what you love, and to hate that which you hate. Amen. William Wilberforce

Lord’s Prayer

Pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name;

your kingdom come;

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom, and the power,

and the glory, forever. Amen.

Benediction

Receive by faith this blessing from God:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

2 Corinthians 13:14

Postlude

In closing, say or sing this praise to God:

God’s Name for ever shall endure,

last like the sun it shall;

Men shall be blessed in Him, and blessed

all nations shall Him call.

Now blessèd be the Lord, our God,

the God of Israel,

For He alone does wondrous works,

in glory that excel.

And blessèd be His glorious Name

to all eternity;

The whole earth let His glory fill.

Amen, so let it be. Based on Psalm 72:17–19