Majoring on the minors – Part 11

Zechariah: “Merry Christmas, with love” 

Thomas D. Kock

As he stared into the mirror, he hated what he saw. Memories of what had happened flooded his mind. It was what he had done. How could he?!? He knew it was wrong. He KNEW it!  

And now? The guilt was horrible!  

A reflection of guilt 

Oh, it hadn’t started out that way. The temptation had sounded so good! It was as if Satan was whispering pleasantly into his ears: “Oh, try it! It will feel great! You’ll be so much happier, so much more fulfilled if you try it.” The “voice” was smooth and enticing.  

Once he did it, the same voice berated him. “You jerk! You knew it was wrong, but you did it anyway! You must be the worst ever! How could you?!?” He heard that voice over and over as he stared into the mirror.  

Maybe that was the voice which was playing in Joshua’s ears. No, this isn’t the Joshua who fought the battle of Jericho. This Joshua was the high priest at the time of Zechariah and Haggai. Zechariah recorded the vision given by the Lord: “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him” (3:1). That’s what Satan does—he accuses. In fact, Satan means “accuser.”  

And he’s really good at it! His ultimate goal is to lead us away from God forever. After he woos us into temptation, he turns around and points his finger at us and says, “You! How could you?!? You horrid, horrible person!”  

In the vision, Zechariah saw Joshua, the high priest “dressed in filthy cloths.” He was guilty. 

A reflection of forgiveness 

We’re thrilled to hear what happens next: “The angel said . . ., ‘Take off his filthy clothes.’ Then he said to Joshua, ‘See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.’ . . . So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by” (3:4,5). In a visual way, God showed the glory of forgiveness by immaculately re-clothing Joshua!   

God has re-clothed you, too. God has taken away your sin. In his eyes, you’re re-clothed in glorious finery! And so when you look into the mirror, you no longer have to cringe because of the sins committed the day/week/year before; God has forgiven them all!  

Oh, but don’t take sin lightly! God is serious about sin. When we sin, we spit in God’s face. Do NOT play with sin!  

But God promises, “See, I have taken away your sin!” Jesus came to this earth to pay for your sins and to win perfection for you. He did it! That gives us the reason to love God and avoid sin.  

So look in that mirror! Do so with joy! See a forgiven person, someone who glows where it matters most—in the eyes of God.  

Merry Christmas, with love!  

Contributing editor Thomas Kock, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin, is a member at Atonement, Milwaukee.

This is the 11th article in a 12-part series on minor prophets.

ZECHARIAH

Lineage:  A prophet, son of Berechiah, grandson of Iddo. A priest named Iddo is named in Nehemiah 12:4. Is he the same Iddo? If so, Zechariah is also a priest.   
Date of writing:  Late October or early November, 520 B.C.–December, 518 B.C. (Haggai is a contemporary.)   
Unique feature:  Amazing oracles with vivid imagery. Quoted often in the New Testament. 
Key verse:  Multiple prophecies of Jesus’ passion: 9:9 (Palm Sunday); 11:12,13 (Judas’ betrayal); 12:10 (Jesus’ crucifixion); 13:7 (the disciples being scattered). 

Author: Thomas Kock
Volume 105, Number 12
Issue: December 2018

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