Zechariah
"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.” Zechariah 13:7
Zechariah’s final prophecy begins with the familiar “on that day”–the day of God’s revealing of his promised salvation in connection with the coming of the Messiah-King Jesus and his work of redemption and everlasting life.
500 years later, the Holy Spirit reveals the fulfillment in Matthew 26. Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane when the temple guards came with swords and clubs to arrest him and take him to Annas and Caiaphas to be killed. The Holy Spirit tells us, “Then Jesus said to them, “This night you all will fall away on account of me, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” In the face of this mob, the disciples turned tail and ran. As the events of Good Friday unfolded, they hid out of fear for their own lives. Jesus would go to the cross alone.
Sometimes as the enemies of Jesus and the society we live in overwhelm us, we scatter and hide. We are assured as we look to the cross that no one will pluck us out of Jesus’ hand and that he will gather his flock and give us everlasting life. Zechariah closes chapter 13, “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.' "
So with Zechariah we look beyond the manger, the cross and the empty tomb to the day when Jesus will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords and take us home with him.
Jesus, shepherd of the sheep, Who Your Father's flock does keep,
Safe we wake and safe we sleep, Guarded still by You.
By Your blood our souls were bought, By Your life salvation wrought;
By Your light our feet are taught, Lord, to follow You.
Worship Supplement 783:1,3