By Not Known

They will look on me,
the one they have pierced,
and they will mourn
(Zech 12:10)

Like the other prophets Zechariah has a message that reflects God’s holiness and
mercy. God’s holiness is seen in his judgements. He is so holy that he will even
judge his own people. God’s mercy is seen in the hope that he gives.

Zechariah speaks of this hope in chapter 12. It is a grand vision of his people’s
future. The passage is emphatic that this is all God’s doing. For example, see the
several times repeated words I will. God’s people will be strong because the Lord
Almighty is their God (v5).

As Christians we understand Zechariah’s words of hope to be fulfilled in the life,
death, resurrection, ascension and return of the Lord Jesus. He is the king who
entered Jerusalem on a donkey (9:9). He is the one about whom the 30 pieces of
silver were paid and discarded (10: 12-13). He is the true shepherd who stands in
sharp contrast to the worthless shepherds of the day (11:15-17).

So far, so good. But the hope that God gives in Jesus comes at a price. Zechariah
puts it dramatically when he speaks of God’s people looking on him whom they
pierced (12: 10). John applies these words to the death of Jesus on the Cross (Jn
19:37). Note what comes next – it’s the mourning and grief of God’s people as we
confront this scene (Zech 10:10).

These are words to strike our hearts (Acts 2:36-37). Our sins pierced God and put
his Son Jesus to death. The Lamb that was slain (Rev 5:6) had his innocence
bloodied by our misdeeds.

Do we get the point? Our hope came at God’s cost.

This should prompt our thanks. It should also prompt our day to day holiness.
Having been bought at a high price, we should honour God in the way we live (1Cor
6:19-20). Before we surrender to sin we should consider what each sin represents.
In our sin we again crucify the Lord (Heb 6:6). The language is metaphorical, for
Jesus only needed to be crucified once. But each sin of ours adds to his ‘piercing’.

Let us thank God for the hope he gives, but mourn our sins that pierced Jesus. Let
us resolve not to pierce him again and again.