Our Shepherd Savior

Zechariah 13:1-9 

1 "In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

2 "It shall be in that day," says the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. 3 It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, 'You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

4 "And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. 5 But he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.' 6 And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.'

The Shepherd Savior

7 "Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,"
Says the LORD of hosts.

"Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;

Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.

8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,"
Says the LORD,
"That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one-third shall be left in it:

9 I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.

They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, 'This is My people';
And each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"

This prophetic message of Zechariah begins with God cutting off the false worship of idols and presumptuous prophets speaking in their own name and contrary to the word of God before passing judgment on them.  This leads to their putting the Savior to death by nailing Him to a cursed tree which was the cross (Galatians 3:13).  Those who were of God’s chosen people who should have been His friends would themselves deliver Him to the Romans to be killed.  This humble carpenter from Bethlehem spoke truth, not lies, and He fulfilled the promised prophecies as opposed to these betrayers and idolaters.  This Messianic prophecy tells us of the true Shepherd and Savior of our souls, Jesus the Christ, of the human lineage of David the shepherd and of God his Father and Lord.  The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) willingly allowed the sword of condemnation to fall upon Him on the cross where He was pierced in hands, feet, and side that He would take on our condemnation for sin and rise to give proof of life again to us as well.  The sheep were scattered that dark day on Golgotha (Mark 14:27) when He was struck down but His resurrection gathered His remnant from them to refine through persecution and the discipline of sanctification in following the Shepherd (1 Peter 2:25) of their souls.  The refining purifies like taking slag off heated precious metals and tests its faithfulness as they call on His name by faith to trust His every word and follow Him.  These say truly, 'The LORD is my God.'  He then truly declares, ‘This is My people’ in response.  Jesus Christ is our promised Shepherd-Savior!  He opened the fountain of eternal life for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all whom He calls from every corner of the world for our sin and uncleanness to be covered in saving forgiveness and grace!  Amen.