Confirming Jesus

Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the Lord Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land,” declares the Lord, “two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. 9 This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
 
DO you recall we’ve mentioned how prophets can quickly move from one time in history to another? Such is Zechariah’s change here. In a phrase, he moves from Jesus’ Second Coming to his first.
   We know, too, the Bible has many forms of language. To understand its literal meaning requires we know the type of language the Holy Spirit employs through the many writers. These verses contain poetic images describing the Father’s authority in the Son’s crucifixion.
   For example, “Awake, O sword.” directly addresses an object. The sword represents any deadly weapon. The sovereign LORD will direct the death of his true Shepherd, the Messiah. He is “the man who is close to me!” This is the Father’s unity of essence with His Shepherd. They are one. The Father affirms the Son’s identity and affirms he will strike the Shepherd. No one else will. This is the Father’s work for your good.
   What occurs when the Shepherd is struck? His sheep scatter: Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ The little ones are Jesus’ followers. Verse 8 then foretells the persecution of the Jews, who become Christians. God always preserves a remnant – here it is one-third – of faithful people in the land. This can refer in general to raising up his church from the Jews, and it can also point to Jerusalem’s destruction in 70 AD. Many Christians in the city survived the onslaught because they heeded Jesus’ words: Mark 13:19-21 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now — and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.
   God protects and blesses the elect. From Genesis to Revelation God assures he will be the God of those who know and obey him. Jesus’ church will arise out of this persecution. God’s eternal Kingdom on earth will come from the final persecution. Paul wrote of this in Romans 11:26-27 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” This is God’s constant promise throughout Scripture. He has begun his salvation over the earth throughout the ages.
 
Hosea 2:23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’”