After Zechariah’s series of ten visions were complete, the Lord directed him to collect a gift of silver and gold from the returning exiles from Babylon, to take to the house of the high priest, Joshua.
The Lord’s instruction continued:
11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. 12 Then speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying:
“Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH!
From His place He shall branch out,
And He shall build the temple of the Lord;
13 Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord.
He shall bear the glory,
And shall sit and rule on His throne;
So He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’ Zechariah 6:11-13 (NKJV)
With this prophecy, through the symbolism of Joshua, God is painting a clear picture of the coming Messiah, the Branch, who will come as both King and high priest. This dual role, held previously as separate offices by two people of different callings, will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ returns to earth to rule over the whole world from His throne in Jerusalem.
But before Jesus could return as king, He first needed to come as the atonement for sin. By Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the curse of sin, which separates imperfect, sin-stained people from a holy and pure God, was removed. This new righteousness is achieved through faith in Jesus, the One who died in our place on the cross, and was resurrected from the dead for our new life on the third day. As the apostle Paul would later write:
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV)
And elsewhere, Paul wrote regarding Christ’s resurrection from the dead:
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 (NKJV)
But Messiah Jesus did not come only for the Gentiles. In fact, He came, first and foremost, as king and high priest to His own people, who were called out to be a kingdom of priests through Abraham, and later, Moses. As addressed in this meditation series, the law and the word of the prophets in the Old Testament testify to Jesus’ coming as Messiah. And Zechariah tells us that, one day, they will receive Him.
The prophet Isaiah had also written of the Branch of the Lord, and of the glory He will restore to Judah in the last days. After a final, Satan-led rebellion under Antichrist is defeated by God and His angels, Jesus will begin His eternal reign as King and high priest, from the new Jerusalem. The seven-year Great Tribulation period prior to Christ’s return will be like nothing the world has ever experienced. But God has promised a great victory over the powers of evil, and that His glorious presence will fully comfort and restore His people and creation in its wake.
Isaiah writes:
2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious;
And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing
For those of Israel who have escaped.
3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. Isaiah 4:2-5 (NKJV)
When the very foundations of the earth begin to shake, where can we turn? To Christ, where we have a strong tower to run into and be eternally safe, no matter the intensity of the storm. Jesus has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us.
Just prior to condemning Jesus to be crucified, the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, had this to say:
5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” John 19:5 (NKJV)
Without realizing it, Pilate was quoting Zechariah’s prophecy about the coming Messiah. We are all privileged to be able to seek Jesus in faith today. The Messiah, the Branch, will never turn us away, no matter our past, when we come to Him in humble reverence.
Reflection
Jesus came to earth the first time to humbly bear our sins as a sacrifice on the holy altar of the cross. When He comes the second time, it will be under a very different set of circumstances. He will be returning in overwhelming glory and power to assume His rightful role as King and High Priest over the earth and heaven. He will live in the midst of His kingdom, with all who have chosen to be a part of His kingdom of God, and we are free to experience His grace. GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
Father God, we cannot even imagine the ever-changing wonder of Your glory in Jesus Christ. Your mercies are new every morning, and we never reach the end of your amazing goodness and splendor. We are in awe as You continually reveal Yourself and Your boundless creation to us. Draw us closer to You so that we may be purified by the blood of Christ and in the living water of the Holy Spirit. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed and beautiful day in the Lord today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 