Zechariah 3: 1 - 10 (NIV)

1 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. 2 The LORD said to Satan, 'The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire!'

3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, '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.'

5 Then I said, 'Put a clean turban on his head.' So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.

6 The angel of the LORD gave this charge to Joshua. 7 'This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

8 '"Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.

10 '"In that day each of you will invite your neighbour to sit under your vine and fig-tree," declares the LORD Almighty.' 

This was our reading from our Church service this morning, where we had a guest preacher. I immediately apologise for anyone reading this but I don't know how to make the verse numbers superscript like I can when using Microsoft Word, nor do I know how to make LORD in small caps. I hope it doesn't bother you too much! 

I'm not hugely familiar with the book of Zechariah, but I feel that it's something I may need to study further now that I know that, despite it being an Old Testament book, it is full of Jesus. Before I became a Christian and had a very limited knowledge of the Bible, I thought Jesus only appeared in the New Testament because that's where His birth is documented. It fascinates me that there are hints of Him from so much further back. This passage is a brilliant example of this. 

So, I just wanted to share my learning from this morning. Maybe it will lead to me looking in further depth but maybe not ... 

We started by looking at two questions: What is the Gospel? What is your identity? I learned that in this book, Zechariah receives visions and in this chapter he is an onlooker. There is a court case and Joshua is being judged by Satan as being full of sin. And Satan is right!  The fact that Joshua is clothed in 'filthy garments' shows that he's full of sin. These garments display his inner sinfulness. Goodness! If Joshua is deemed as being sinful, what does that say about me?! It was really useful this morning to be reminded that even if people outside can't see our hearts, God can. I can appear 'good' from the outside, but the truth is in my heart. 

In verse 4, Joshua is given righteousness. His 'filthy garments' are replaced with 'fine garments'. 

Satan sees our lives. He knows the human condition. He was there right at the beginning when Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden. So how will I respond to Satan's accusations? Satan is right. I am full of sin -

- But, my only defence is the righteousness of Christ. I am holy because of Christ. I am right in the eyes of God because of Jesus and what He did for me, despite my sinful nature. 

I learned in verses 8 - 10 that the Branch has to be Jesus. I need to look up the verses I recognise about Him being the true vine and read into this deeper (I've got to remember that I'm documenting my Spiritual Journey here), but it's obvious to me that this is talking about Jesus. 

I trust in Jesus. He gives me meaning and purpose. Jesus defines me. I know what the Gospel is (the Good News about Jesus) and I have been reminded of my identity. I will pray thanks for that most wonderful news.