September 13th~Giver of Life

Zechariah 9:1-14:21

We finished the prophecies of Zechariah, which can be difficult, at times, to understand. To summarize, Zechariah’s messages mostly emphasize the events of the end times, the second coming of Christ, and His earthly kingdom. “The Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord — His name alone will be worshiped” (14:9).

However, because these prophecies are about the second coming of Christ, it is easy to overlook the prophecies of His first coming. For example, Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry” was pictured. “Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you! He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey, even on a donkey’s colt” (9:9; Matthew 21:1-11).

The problem is not that the people missed Jesus when He came to Jerusalem that day, but rather they misunderstood what He was there to do. The prophecy continued, “I will remove the battle chariots from Israel and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and I will destroy all the weapons used in battle. Your king will bring peace to the nations. His realm will stretch from sea to sea...” (v.10). When Jesus did not set up His earthly kingdom, the people mistook Him as an ordinary prophet and, thus, discarded Him.

Here is another prophecy of Jesus hidden in Zechariah’s messages, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, the man who is My partner, says the Lord Almighty. Strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered and I will turn against the lambs...” (13:7). Pictured here is the crucifixion of Jesus and the dispersion of His followers, even the persecution of the Church. “I will bring them through the fire and make them pure, just as gold and silver are refined and purified by fire...” (v.9).

Daily Reflection

In the midst of these prophecies, one little verse grabbed my attention (12:1). “This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the spirit within humans...” Those who hold to a material world (atheists, humanists, naturalists), meaning that everything is made of “star stuff” or tangible materials have trouble explaining the reality of man’s sense of internal qualities — his personality, his feelings, his fears, his passions, his ideas, his memories, or his conscience or intuitive sense of morality.

These immaterial characteristics cannot be explained with material elements. That is because they were placed within us by God, our immaterial Maker. Though the Lord created our body with dust, that dust could not give us life. Thus, God “breathed into it the breath of life and it became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Though we are trapped in a fleshly body, we are spiritual beings, like God. We were made in His image, having immaterial qualities like Him. Upon death, our spirit returns to the One who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).

In the meantime, because of the Fall, our spirit has been corrupted. Paul described it as “dead because of our trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13). However, because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we, His followers, are made alive again in Him. Just as the Lord breathed life into Adam, Jesus breathed life into His disciples, by giving them the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). Now, our spirits have been made new (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 4:13).

God is the “Giver of Life,” both at concep- tion and at salvation. You have been made and re-made in His image. Though you were dead, He has given you new life. Thank God for the spirit, His Spirit, that lives within you!

BiAY.org | Day 256 — 109 Days to Go