The portion we study today involves the striking of the Good Shepherd, who is the same person as the Messiah and King we have seen in the book of Zechariah. When this Shepherd is struck, His sheep will be scattered, a verse given clearer focus in portions of the New Testament that we will view today.
We have been treated to a look at several facets of the King's character through the visions of the prophet Zechariah. We saw Him riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, the animal a king rides when he comes in peace, so we know this King brings an offer of friendship with Him. We found Him portrayed as both King and High Priest, the eventual political and spiritual leader of the world, when the high priest Joshua symbolically stood in for Him and wore both the turban of a priest and the crown of a king. This means He will be able not only to bring us closer to God, but that His government will be run according to the righteous laws of God. He was represented as the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for the flock and gives particular care to those who have been oppressed. This is a Man who sounds like He has every attribute we could possibly want in a political and spiritual leader. We would expect the world to bow down and swear its allegiance to Him, yet today we find Him "punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted". (Isaiah 53:4b)
The Lord, in the person of God the Father, is speaking today's prophecy. "'Awake, sword, against My shepherd, against the one who is close to Me!' declares the Lord Almighty." (Zechariah 13:7a) This is an instance where I prefer the wording of the KJV, "Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow". Calling the shepherd "My fellow" is a more accurate translation of the original text. Many characters of the Bible were close to the Lord. Enoch and Noah had such wonderful relationships with the Lord that they were said to have "walked with God". Abraham was known as the "friend of God". But to call someone a "fellow" of God implies much more than a relationship built on faith; it implies equality. "Fellow" in this context is defined as someone's "companion, counterpart, duplicate, equal, image, look-alike, partner, peer, or twin". Who could God possibly call His equal, His look-alike, His peer? This can be none other than God the Son who is "the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being". (Hebrews 1:3)
Why would the Lord order a sword to come against His righteous and holy Son? Why do we find the Son punished by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted? Because it's our punishment that fell on Him! He endured the stripes that were meant for our backs. He wore the crown of shame that should have been placed on our sinful heads. The wages of sin are death, and we had fully earned those wages, but God the Son stepped up to pay our ransom. He offered Himself in our place, suffering a separation from the Father that He had never before experienced, so that we need never be separated from the Father.
Our text continues, "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones." (Zechariah 13:7b) During the Last Supper, before Jesus and the disciples went out to the Garden of Gethsemane where He would be arrested, He applied Zechariah 13:7 to Himself, "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.'" Later that same night the prophecy was fulfilled when the chief priests and elders sent a band of soldiers to seize Jesus in the garden. He said, "'But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.' Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled." (Matthew 26:56) When they saw their Shepherd stricken, the disciples scattered just as Zechariah foretold.
It's not only the small flock of the disciples that would be scattered after the Good Shepherd was stricken. The Christians would soon be scattered due to religious persecution, but this led to the gospel going out to the world. The Jews would soon be scattered by the Romans following a failed uprising against Roman rule. After slaughtering over 1.1 million Jews during the fall of Jerusalem, the Romans took nearly 100,000 Jews into slavery, causing them to be scattered among the territories held by Rome and eventually causing their scattering throughout the world. "'In the whole land,' declares the Lord, 'two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.'" (Zechariah 13:8-9a) This verse foretells the dispersion of the Jewish people in the centuries since the Shepherd was struck. It may also apply to the "time of trouble for Jacob" foretold in Jeremiah 30:7. This corresponds to the Great Tribulation foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24:21 and described in detail by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation, after which a believing remnant (that came to faith during the end times) will remain and will call on the name of their King and Shepherd and High Priest: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of this faithful remnant the Lord says, "'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.'" (Zechariah 13:9b) During this past week the Lord made several promises that were going to be fulfilled "on that day". In the Bible, "on that day" has to to with the end times and with the eternal Messianic kingdom. Israel will experience her complete regathering and restoration "on that day". Israel will be gathered together, along with the believing Gentiles, as one nation literally under God. The Shepherd who was stricken for the sins of mankind will watch over His flock forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment