The One Pierced Zechariah chapters 12-14 reveal several things that could have happened had Israel been faithful to God. First, the Lord would have brought total victory over the powers of evil and the hostile nations that had tried to oppose His plan of salvation (Zech. 12:1-9). Although Jerusalem was to be God’s instrument toward this triumph, the victory itself would have come from the Lord’s intervention. In the end, the enemy would have been utterly defeated and destroyed. Zechariah 12:10 marks the transition of the movement from physical deliverance, from what would have happened had Israel been faithful, to spiritual deliverance of God’s faithful people. Following the victory, God’s people would embrace their Lord. God’s Spirit of grace and supplication would be poured on the leaders and the people. This convicting work of the Spirit would result in far-reaching repentance and spiritual revival, something that our church itself is seeking. As God pours out His Spirit, His people look upon the One whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as one mourns the death of an only son. The original Hebrew word for “pierced” always describes some type of physical violence, usually resulting in death (Num. 25:8, 1 Sam. 31:4). The poignancy of people’s grief is heightened by the realization that their own sins caused Jesus Christ’s death. Read Zechariah 12:10. How did the apostle John connect this passage with Christ’s crucifixion and His second coming? See John 19:37, Rev. 1:7. Interestingly enough, one traditional Jewish interpretation holds that this verse points to the experience of the Messiah. They are, of course, right: it is talking about Jesus and His death on the cross (compare with Isaiah 53). “The scenes of Calvary call for the deepest emotion. Upon this subject you will be excusable if you manifest enthusiasm. That Christ, so excellent, so innocent, should suffer such a painful death, bearing the weight of the sins of the world, our thoughts and imaginations can never fully comprehend.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 2, p. 213. How can you grow in your appreciation of what His death means to you and what it offers you?
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:50:48 +0000
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