You can turn in your Bibles to the prophet Zechariah. We find ourselves in Zechariah chapter 3, a familiar passage of scripture in our church, one that illustrates the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Westminster Shorter Catechism, I think, accurately summarizing biblical teaching, asks the question, what is justification? The answer, justification is an act of God's free grace wherein he pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.

It's a most wonderful doctrine. It's a most wonderful truth. And as I said, it's illustrated here beautifully in the prophet Zechariah. So I'll read Zechariah chapter three in its entirety.

So beginning in verse one. Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him saying, take away the filthy garments from him. And to him, he said, see, I have removed your iniquity from you and I will clothe you with rich robes. And I said, let them put a clean turban on his head.

So they put a clean turban on his head and they put the clothes on him. And the angel of the Lord stood by. Then the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua saying, thus says the Lord of hosts, if you will walk in my ways and if you will keep my command, then you shall also judge my house and likewise have charge of my courts. I will give you places to walk among those who stand here.

Here, oh Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign. For behold, I am bringing forth my servant, the branch. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

In that day, says the Lord of hosts, everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for the glorious doctrine of justification by faith alone. We know that this is the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation. We know that this ultimately is the truth upon which our souls rely. We bless you and we thank you for that glorious exchange, that our sin is imputed to the Savior and punished in Him, and His righteousness is imputed to us and received by faith alone.

We give glory and praise and honor unto you, that you have satisfied all requirements, that law, justice, everything has been satisfied under the gospel of our blessed Savior. We thank you and rejoice in your loving kindness and pray for the ministry of the Holy Spirit to guide us now, encourage our hearts and cause us to reflect upon our blessed Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done on our behalf. Do forgive us again for all sin and transgression and we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Well,

Introduction

Zechariah, along with Haggai and Malachi, are what is called post-exilic prophets. So these men prophesied after the exile in Babylon. Remember that as a result of their covenant unfaithfulness, Israel was conquered by, first, the Assyrians in 722 BC, and then by Babylon, and under Nebuchadnezzar, in about 586-587. At that point, they spent about 70 years in that captivity, and then under a decree by Cyrus, the king of Persia, they were free to return to their land.

So the books of Nehemiah and Ezra deal with that, as well as these post-exilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Malachi comes a bit later than Haggai and Zechariah, but they were contemporaries. Basically, after that exile, you had the first return of exiles in about 538, 536. And then the people immediately began to restore their center of worship.

They built an altar, according to Ezra 3, and they began construction on the temple, according to Ezra 3. After, or rather, this halted for 16 years, due to external opposition. Again, you can see this in the book of Ezra. There were people in that land that were not into the Jews rebuilding their temple.

And so after 16 years, Haggai and Zechariah preached in about 520 BC and temple construction started again. It was completed in about four years in about 516 BC. And again, that is in Ezra. Now the second return of the exiles took place under Ezra and Nehemiah.

Zechariah himself is mentioned in Ezra 5, Ezra 6 and again in Nehemiah 12 in connection with Haggad. And basically these men preached to encourage the returning exiles to build the temple, to build the house of God, to restore religious worship, and to get back on track. Remember, they lost that. They forfeit it because of their unfaithfulness.

So Haggai and Zechariah come along and say, be faithful, look unto the Lord, be what God has called you to be. Now with reference to Zechariah, he received eight night visions. And if the commentators are to be trusted, They can pinpoint the particular day. In February, February 15th and 519, he received these eight night visions.

The one we're looking at is the fourth and it has to do with cleansing from sin. That's the specific emphasis. You see that later in the Prophet Zechariah. We'll visit that as we move through this material.

So the fourth vision concerns cleansing from sin, and as a result, it would encourage the people to continue building the temple. Remember, the temple was the place where the Israelites met with their God. They didn't meet with their God without sacrifice. They needed to bring a bloody sacrifice to the Lord for atonement.

Now, all of this was prefigurement. All of this was foreshadowing. All of this was typical, pointing forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So that's the historical context.

Overview of Zechariah 3

When we drop down specifically to chapter 3, there's two things we ought to appreciate in the passage. First, the legal controversy in verses 1 to 7, and then secondly, the prophetic announcement in verses 8 to 10. Again, it's a night vision. He sees this in his, whether he's on his bed or what the specific reference is.

He sees this and it communicates to him the message from God that he would communicate to the exiles. So

The Legal Controversy (vv. 1–7)

let's look first at the legal controversy. We'll spend the bulk of our time here in verses 1 to 7. And there's five things I want to look at. First, the accusation of the devil.

Secondly, the response of the Lord in verse 2. Third, the appearance of the high priest in verse 3. Fourth, the glorious exchange in verses 4 and 5. And then following, or fifthly, the blessing of the Lord in verses 6 and 7a.

So first of all, notice the accusation. This is a legal controversy. There is a problem. And that's how the passage starts off.

Notice in verse 1. Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuked you, Satan. So we see immediately that something is going on that transcends just Joshua the high priest.

Joshua the high priest is a public person. He is a representative. This isn't Joshua the son of Nun who led the conquest in Canaan, but this is Joshua the high priest. And Joshua the high priest in this exilic community functioned in a manner of prominence.

Remember, they didn't have a king. Having returned after the exile, they didn't have a monarchy. They had a governor, and they would have the high priest. And they would be the prominent ones in terms of the covenant community.

So it's not Joshua and his individual sin that's in view. It's Israel's sin. It's the covenant community's sin. It's the covenant community's breach of that covenant that God had made with them.

And with reference to the high priest, we know this because of Leviticus chapter 16. In Leviticus chapter 16, what does the high priest do on the Day of Atonement? With reference to that first goat, he sacrifices it, pours the blood upon the mercy seat. With reference to the second, he lays his hands upon the head of that scapegoat and he confesses to God the transgression of Israel. and then he drives that goat out into the wilderness.

The picture is one of expiation or the removal of guilt. In other words, what Israel witnessed in that day of atonement was not only cleansing from the effect of sin, but also the removal of sin and its effects. And so Joshua, or rather the high priest in Leviticus 16, wasn't functioning simply for himself, he was functioning on behalf of the covenant community. As well, notice the reference to Jerusalem in verse 2, as chosen.

Not just Joshua, this transcends him. It's not an individual sinner thing, it is rather the covenant community thing. As well, notice the brand plucked from the fire in verse 2. Jerusalem's restoration after exile.

And then the removal of the iniquity from that land according to verse 9. So Joshua, the high priest, is functioning here as a public representative. He is functioning on behalf of the nation. And so what we have here is this legal controversy between the devil and these people.

The devil, or the word Satan, means accuser, and that is precisely what he does here. In Job chapter 1, we see that nature of the devil, or that function of the devil, to accuse righteous Job before our holy God. You see it in Revelation chapter 12. The devil is referred to as the accuser of the brethren.

So we have the parties here. We have God, who is sitting upon the throne. The angel of the Lord is the Lord. And then we have the devil appear before him in order to bring a charge against Israel.

In order to bring a charge against the covenant community. So it is a legal situation. John Gill describes the business of Satan this way. It was here to accuse, to bring charges, to plead for condemnation, and endeavor to get that sentence of it passed against Joshua.

For he was at his right hand. to be an adversary to him as his name Satan signifies, being an enemy to mankind in general, and especially to the people of God, and more especially to persons in sacred public offices. So look back again at verse 1. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. Brethren, I think this is what Paul is dealing with in Romans chapter 8, verses 31 to 35.

Who will bring a charge against God's elect? It is Christ who has died. In other words, when that accusation comes from the devil, you're not as good as you should be. You're not as good as you ought to be.

You're hypocritical. Take it to the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. The devil's right in the sense that we're never perfect. Our obedience to God is not entire.

It's not exact. It's not perpetual. We fall in many ways. But he's always there at our heels trying to show us that we are a fake, to show us that we are a hypocrite.

But with reference to the gospel of our salvation, we go back to the Savior, we go back to the Lord, we go back to the gospel. That is our strength, that is our hope, that is our comfort. So he is there to accuse.

The Response of the Lord

Now notice, secondly, the response of the Lord. The devil is in his position to bring this charge against God's elect. But before he can even open his mouth, the Lord God Most High rebukes him. Notice in verse 2, And the Lord said to Satan, The Lord rebuke you, Satan.

The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? So it's the Lord's initiative before the devil can open his mouth, before the devil can sort of list all of the sins of the covenant community. You think God doesn't know that?

You think God is caught off guard? God needs the devil to tell him when the people of God are not walking as they ought to be? The Lord knows this, and the Lord rebukes him, and the Lord reproves him. Even before we see verse 3, the appearance of the high priest.

Verse 3 indicates that the devil is kind of right. The high priest is filthy. The high priest is wretched. The high priest is despicable.

And again, it's not just Joshua the high priest. It's the entirety of the covenant community. But even before we see that, even before the appearance of the accused, the Lord has already undertaken by way of his own initiative to silence the mouth of the devil. The Lord rebuke you.

And notice how the Lord answers this particular charge. He doesn't say, well, they try really hard. They're doing the best they can. It's tough to be a creature in a world filled with temptation.

It's tough to be an Israelite in the land of Canaan. It's tough to be an Israelite when you're surrounded by idolaters. It's tough to be the kind of person that fears the Lord and walks in service to God when you're surrounded by a bunch of wicked people. That's not how God silences the devil.

God silences the devil based on his sovereign grace and based upon his justifying them through faith in Jesus Christ. Notice what he says in verse 2. The Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, Satan. In other words, be quiet, shut your mouth, you have nothing to say, I don't want to hear it.

In other words, the Lord rebuke you. He says, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you. Brethren, where does our comfort lie? Does it lie in our careful walk before the Lord?

No, I'm not minimizing the necessity of a careful walk before the Lord. I'm not minimizing the necessity of letting our conduct be worthy of the Gospel. I'm not minimizing that reality, but where does the foundation of our comfort lie? It lies in Ephesians 1.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, in the heavenly places in Christ. And then it goes on to say, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. Wherein do we have comfort? Wherein do we have assurance?

Wherein do we have that ability to face the temptation and the onslaught, the accusation of the devil? It's in God's sovereign grace. It's in the fact that He chose. It's in the fact that the Lord is carrying out His purpose.

It's in the fact that the Lord, according to verses 4 and 5, cleanses sinners from all their filth and and clothes them with the righteousness of another. So the Lord's reasons for the rebuke of the devil is the sovereignty of God in election. Thomas McCombsky says the accuser has no right to expect God to destroy the nation on account of its sin. His accusation is futile because God has already revealed his will for the people by delivering them from the captivity.

If he had wished to let them perish for their sin, the Lord would have left them in Babylon. But by snatching them from the flames of exile, he revealed that his grace, notice this, was even greater than their sin. And that is precisely the emphasis of the prophet in this fourth night vision that he received in February of 519. It is still an abiding principle.

It is still an abiding piece of comfort. It is still an abiding piece of encouragement for the people of God. It's not our hold on Christ, it is rather God's hold on us. It is not our choice for Jesus, but God's choice of us from before the foundation of the world.

So it's the sovereignty of God in election, and it's the justifying grace of God in salvation that we'll see later in verses 4 and 5. So you've got the accusation of the devil, the response of the Lord.

The Appearance of the High Priest

Now notice the appearance of the high priest. As I said, the devil, I don't want to say he's right in the sense that, you know, sort of vindicate what he's doing, but he has an accusation. Joshua the high priest is filthy. Notice what we see there in verse three.

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel. Now, when you put on a shirt in the morning or a pair of trousers in the morning, you might see a spot on them. You might say, well, I can't wear that shirt.

I've got a business meeting, and they'll think I'm a barbarian if I've got a big blotch on my shirt. That's kind of how we think of this filthiness. The high priest is there, and he's a bit disheveled. He's a little bit off.

He's not as fit and prepared as he ought to be with reference to an appearance before the sovereign God of heaven and earth. That's not what the filthiness refers to. Filthiness, in this particular statement, refers to what we find in other passages of Scripture. Filthiness is used of feces and vomit and all those sorts of things that we don't like to consider as sort of dignified people on a Sunday night at church.

The reference to filth, it does not mean less than glorious. It does not mean unkempt or disheveled in appearance. The root connotes more than merely soiled, for its related nouns refer to human feces, and they are used in conjunction with vomit. So Deuteronomy 23, 13, and 14, Ezekiel 4, 12 for the feces, and then the vomit in Isaiah 28, 8.

I don't say this to make you sick. I say this to make you sick over the fact that this man was, in fact, a sinner. This man represented a sinful people. So when the devil is there to accuse the brethren, God rebukes him even before this evidence is on display, even before we see it.

Now, when it comes to the high priest, their regalia, their clothing was glorious. Ezekiel chapter 28 goes into detail as to what they wore. And it was to show the prominence of their office. It was to show, as well, the glory of God most high.

And so we expect to see the high priest in all of his beauty, but what we're met with is the high priest representing the people in all of his filth, in all of his waywardness, in all of his unfaithfulness, and in all of his sin. So as I said, there is a degree to which the devil has an accusation against the people of God at this particular point. And

The Glorious Exchange

that brings us, fourthly, to consider the glorious exchange. This is language utilized by Martin Luther relative to the gospel, the idea that our sin is imputed to the Savior and His righteousness is imputed to us. 2 Corinthians 5.21 makes this altogether clear. It says that God the Father made Him, God the Son, Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Now, Christ wasn't transformed into a sinner.

Christ never engaged in the act of lawlessness, but rather it's a legal thing. It is a forensic thing. It is the fact that God the Father heaps up our sin upon God the Son and punishes Him in our stead, punishes Him in our place. He satisfies divine justice, which gets at the heart of the word atonement.

And that is precisely what Jesus does. And as I said, this passage illustrates that in a beautiful manner. Notice, now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Lord. We see this glorious exchange in verses 4 and 5.

Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, He needs to try a little bit harder. He needs to get a little bit better. He needs to engage in self-atonement. He needs to make sure that his faithfulness is such as to mitigate the effects of it.

That's not what God does. God in the gospel doesn't call you to fix your life. God in the gospel doesn't call you to repair your backsliding. God in the gospel doesn't say, once you, you know, sort of meet me halfway, then I'll meet you with the rest of salvation.

That's not God in the gospel. That's man in his perverted gospel, when he thinks that man has the ability, some intrinsic ability, to reach on up to God and to actually access Him. That's not what we find here. Then he answered and spoke to those who stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him.

That's the first aspect of justification. That's the forgiveness of sins. Take away the sin. That's the language the Baptist applies to the Lord Jesus Christ in John 1.29.

Behold the Lamb of God who does what? He takes away the sin of the world. The reality is that we can't take it away. We can't mitigate its effects.

We can't make it go out to the cornfield. It is only God who is able to deal with the sin of man. That's why the gospel is absolutely crucial. That's why the gospel and its preaching is absolutely crucial.

We live in a sin-cursed world. We live with a lot of people hell-bound. And the way of salvation, the way of escape, is the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. His life, His death, His resurrection.

All those who look to Him in faith will have everlasting life. So that first aspect of justification is answered here. Take away the filthy garments from Him. And to Him He said, See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.

That's the second aspect of justification. It's an act of God's free grace wherein He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. So you see that we're cleansed in the blood of the Lord Jesus. and were clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus. And that is precisely how God deals with Joshua, the high priest, or the covenant community of Israel in this fourth night vision.

Now, if this wouldn't encourage them to build the temple, if this wouldn't encourage them to seek after that ongoing representation of atonement in the Levitical system, I don't know what would. This is God responding to the accusation of the devil with the glorious grace of salvation. He removes the filthy garments and he places on him this robe of righteousness. I will clothe you with rich robes.

Refuting the New Perspective on Paul

Now, for those of you who've been around for some time, you'll know that there's a departure from the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone called the new perspective on Paul. There's also one called the federal vision. It seems to have waned a bit in the last several years. It's still there though, so I wouldn't go out looking for it to imbibe it or to embrace it.

But the new perspective on Paul arose in academic circles and made much of the Second Temple and said, you know, the Jews got in by grace, but they stayed in by their faithfulness. In fact, one proponent of the new perspective on Paul is named N.T. Wright, and he mocks the concept of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. He just thinks that that is so far off.

Calvin and Luther missed it by a mile. What they said was only in response to the Pope. It had nothing to do with the Bible. But he's wrong.

Look at the language. Remember, this is the courtroom. This is a legal controversy. This is a pronouncement by the judge to take off the filthy garments and to put on righteous garments, to put on glorious garments.

One man, I think his last name is pronounced Duguid, it's spelled D-U-G-U-I-D, I think it's pronounced Duguid, makes this observation relative to N.T. Wright. He says, this clearly, this scene, this transaction, this glorious exchange, the filthy garments are stripped from him and then these rich robes are placed upon him. He says this clearly disproves Wright's statement that, quote, if we use the language of the law court, it makes no sense whatever to say that the judge imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys, or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or defendant.

Righteousness is not an object, a substance, or a gas that can be passed across the courtroom. That's right. That's not right. That's N-T right.

Right with a W. That's do-good telling us what right says. He mocks the concept of the imputed righteousness of Jesus. You know who else does that?

The Roman Catholic Church. They don't have an imputed righteousness of Jesus. They have an infused righteousness of Jesus so that justification necessarily involves sanctification for the acceptance with God. That's bad theology.

So a new perspective, federal vision, are basically cousin to Roman Catholic theology. Now, Duguid goes on to comment on Wright's statement. He says, here in Zechariah, precisely in a courtroom setting, we have the defendant's defilement removed at the order of the judge and replaced by an alien righteousness. If that is not forensic imputation, then I do not know what would qualify as such.

The Exchange in the New Testament

Turn to the book of Romans just to see this fleshed out in the pages of the New Testament. Romans chapter 5. Paul's federal theology, Paul's comment on or commentary on the two Adams, Adam the first and Adam the last. Adam in the garden and Jesus Christ, that last Adam who fulfills all that was given to him by the Father.

Notice in Romans 5.19, therefore, As through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous. Now, made there is not transformative. It's not, you're going to get better, you're going to be holier, you're going to be gooder at living the life that you're supposed to live.

No, it's forensic language. It's a legal situation. It's imputed righteousness. It's constituted as righteous.

It's not made transformed-wise, but it's made legally. It's made forensically. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Notice what Paul says, specifically at verse 30.

But of him, you are in Christ Jesus. Again, you're not in him because of you. But of God, you are in Christ Jesus. Not of you, you're in Christ Jesus.

He's not stressing the good free will of his audience. He's not stressing their choice. He's not stressing their wisdom. He's stressing what God does in Zechariah chapter three, verse two.

He's stressing sovereign election, sovereign grace. Verse 30, but of him, you are in Christ Jesus. who became for us wisdom from God. I think that dash and and could be better translated as that. So we might read it this way, who became for us wisdom from God, that or that is rather righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

Christ is our righteousness, right? It's not the fact that we just have to, you know, do everything that God has commanded in order to be accepted in His sight. Again, in sanctification, we have to do everything God commands. But that's not the basis upon which we enter into heaven.

Christ is our righteousness. I already cited 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21. It bears repetition because it's such a powerful statement concerning this glorious exchange. 2 Corinthians 5.21, For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Galatians chapter 2.

Typically not a passage persons go to for the imputation of the active obedience of Christ, but a passage that I think certainly stands the test relative to this transaction. Notice in Galatians 2.21, I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. That's Paul's point. We need a righteousness in order to stand in the presence of God.

If it comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. So what's the implication? It doesn't come through the law because we're sinners. It comes as a result of Christ's death on our behalf.

So when Christ lives, he dies, and he's raised again, we get the benefits in terms of forgiveness and an imputed righteousness by which we can stand in the presence of God. And then one final New Testament passage, look at Philippians chapter 3. Philippians chapter 3 the Apostle Paul is basically boasting here in terms of a man who if possible could have earned his way to heaven That's his point. He's trying to show the folly of what's called Judaizing Judaizing is when certain men would come to the churches of Christ and say it's good for you to believe the gospel But you also must obey Moses in order to be accepted by God And so the Apostle Paul basically says in verse 3 beware of dogs.

He's not talking about canines. He's talking about Judaizers That's hard language, isn't it? The Lord Jesus uses that language as well. Don't cast your pearls before swine.

Don't cast these things before dogs. Do you think he's actually cautioning you from going near pigs and going near dogs? The same passage, Matthew 7, where Jesus says, judge not, lest you be judged, tells the people of God not to throw things before pigs and dogs. So whatever judge not, lest you be judged means, it doesn't mean what the modern proponents tell us.

You can never make a statement about somebody's sin. You can never, ever say that somebody's wrong. You can never, ever denounce anybody's act. Of course you can!

You must absolutely, positively do so. He's talking about a judgment that's not based on God's law. He's talking about a judgment that is hypocritical. He's talking about a judgment that we oftentimes fall prey to because we're self-righteous and we're Pharisaic.

But with reference to this casting things before dogs and swine, the Lord Jesus uses that language of men. And Paul does the same thing here in verse 2. Beware of dogs. Anybody that would try to pervert the gospel of free and sovereign grace is a dog.

He is a bad man. Notice, beware of evil workers. Beware of the mutilation. What was the Judaizer seeking?

First and foremost, he was seeking foreskins. I don't mean to be crass. I don't mean to be carnal. But that's precisely it.

He wanted persons to be circumcised. That's the point in Galatians. The Apostle Paul condemns that mindset. Again, ethnically or culturally, if you choose that path, that's between you and your God.

But religiously, if you think getting circumcised is going to commend you to God, you don't understand the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. So that's Paul's point here. These are the mutilation. What they're trying to engage in by way of getting you circumcised is just essentially mutilation. you know, distorts the body.

It doesn't commend you to God. Now notice he goes on, for we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Now here it is in verses 4 and following. He's essentially saying that if anybody could have ever thought they would have earned their way to heaven, Paul was your God.

This is Paul's religious resume. This is Paul before that Damascus Road experience. This is Paul as Pharisee trying to earn his way into heaven. And that's what he says in verse 4, though I also might have confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning law, a Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. In other words, he checks all the religious boxes. If ever there was an Israelite in the covenant community that could have earned his way into the favor of God, Paul's your man.

But he uses this as a foil to describe that what he thought was good wasn't good enough. It wasn't perfect, and that's God's demand. Notice in verse 7, But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ.

Now notice the language of the glorious exchange, "...and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." It seems like anti-right is anti-wrong when it comes to this whole idea of the imputed righteousness of our blessed Savior. And when we go back to the prophet Zechariah, you see it there very loudly and very clearly. See, I have removed your iniquity from you. and I will clothe you with rich robes." In Zechariah 3, 5, I think this is Zechariah the prophet. And I said, let them put a clean turban on his head.

So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him, and the angel of the Lord stood by. Why the turban? To complete the priest's robes, to complete the priest's appearance, to complete all that is necessary for the priesthood to function appropriately in Old Covenant Israel. And

The Blessing of the Lord (vv. 6–7)

then that brings us, fifthly, with reference to the legal controversy, the blessing of the Lord in verses 6 and 7. Notice, there's this exhortation to faithfulness, but you need to appreciate the order, the theological order, justification and then sanctification. We come to God by His grace, we come in faith to our Lord Jesus Christ, and He justifies us freely by His grace. We are forgiven.

We have that imputed righteousness received by faith alone the moment we believe. That's what's so beautiful and wonderful about justification by faith alone. Everybody's on an equal status. Paul's no more justified than you and I.

Spurgeon's no more justified than you and I. Now, Paul and Spurgeon were probably a lot more sanctified, at least speak for myself, than me. But with reference to justification, it's a one-size-fits-all. In other words, when you believe the gospel of our blessed Savior, you are forgiven of your sins.

You receive the righteousness of Christ, by which you are accepted in the Beloved. And so then, on the heels of that, there is instruction now on how they are to walk. Verse 6, then the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, who's now justified, who's now had the filthy garments removed and the glorious robes applied, and this turban on his head, thus says the Lord of hosts, if you will walk in my ways and if you will keep my command, In other words, sanctification necessarily follows justification. When we come to God by grace, when we come to Christ in faith, we are justified freely.

And on the heels of that, we then live the life of sanctification. Now, that's not perfect. It's not one size fits all. There's growth, there's progress, there's, what's the word, digress, or ingress, or the opposite of progress, movement the other way.

There's the ebb and flow of the Christian life. But with reference to our acceptance with God, it's based on the doing and the dying and the rising of our Lord Jesus. It's based on that glorious exchange. It's based on the fact that our sins are heaped upon the Savior and punished in Him and that divine justice is satisfied and that His righteousness is heaped upon us and received by faith alone.

Again, we live in light of that, we let our conduct be worthy of the gospel, and that's the emphasis relative to this particular statement. So, if you will walk in my ways, and if you will keep my command, notice the blessings that would avail for Israel. Notice, Israel would govern the house of God, or the priesthood. Again, this is typical and prefigurement of New Covenant reality.

So Israel will govern the house of God, then you shall also judge my house. I think we see this in 1 Timothy 3, verse 15. But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the true. The church in this new covenant era is the Israel of God.

That's what Paul says in Galatians 6. That's what Paul says in Romans 2. The Jew is not one who is circumcised outwardly or externally, but rather he's the one circumcised inwardly. By God's grace in the new birth, he's been brought forth out of darkness into marvelous light.

So Israel will govern the house. Israel will have charge of God's courts. Notice that there in verse 7. If you will walk in my ways and if you will keep my command, then you shall also judge my house and likewise have charge of my courts.

I will give you places to walk among these who stand here. This language at the end means communion with God. These who stand here, I think, is a reference to the angels of verse 4. In other words, the blessing upon the justified people of God is life in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is life in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ wherein we have communion with God each and every Lord's Day. We've seen that in Ephesians chapter 2 in two places. 2.18, 2.22. We come to the Father through the Son in the Spirit. You see it in Revelation chapter 1.

Where is Jesus on the Lord's Day? He's in the midst of the lampstands. So this promise to these people, predicated on their justification, is communion with our blessed God. This is why Paul says in Romans 5.1, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God.

This is why the Apostle Paul can say that all these things are but rubbish. All these things are dumb. Now I gain Christ. I have Christ.

I have everything in Him. If you are justified freely by the grace of God, you have God. You have everything. This is another impetus for coming to the church on the Lord's Day.

It's to be where the people of God meet. It's to be where the God of the people meet. It's to be where He dwells in a special way in this new covenant setting. So what justification brings is acceptance with God, but it also brings communion, and blessing, and privilege, and all of the spiritual blessings that Paul highlights throughout the book of Ephesians.

And then

The Prophetic Announcement (vv. 8–10)

notice, lastly, in terms of the chapter, it's all predicated on this branch. Notice this prophetic announcement in verses 8 to 10. There's some difficult stuff here in verses 8 to 10 that I may not be able to answer, but I think the gist of it is simple. All that is said prior, all that is said in verses 1 to 7 is based on this branch.

And you'll notice that in the New King James at least, it capitalizes branch. This is a title of the Messiah. This is a title of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see it utilized in the prophet Isaiah.

You see it utilized in the prophet Jeremiah. It's intriguing because in the prophet Isaiah, Jesus is both the servant of Yahweh and he is the branch. So the branch is the reason for the blessings that are spelled out in verses 1 to 7. It's because of the branch that this legal controversy is resolved.

It's because of the branch that Israel will govern the house of God. Because of the branch that Israel will have communion with God. It's not them, it's not their performance, it's not their do-goodery, it is rather the grace and the power of the Lord God Most High in the provision of His Messiah, here entitled, the branch. So notice in 9, or verse 8, Here, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you.

These would be the other priests, the existing priesthood, which continued after the restoration, functioned as a sign or type of the coming priest, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, this is not the New Testament. This is not the New Covenant. This is still anticipatory.

This is still the time of promise. And so, there is an existing priesthood in this post-exilic community, and this existing priesthood is being encouraged, and helped, and blessed, and benefited by this prophetic announcement. So here, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign. For behold, I am bringing forth my servant, the branch.

The servant of the Lord in Isaiah envisions someone who brings redemption to his people. You see that in the servant songs. He does so through suffering, according to Isaiah 53, which is the fourth and final of the servant songs. in the prophet Isaiah. He accomplishes the will of God in spite of shame, Isaiah 49.7, and humiliation, Isaiah 50 and verse 6.

As I've said, we see that Jeremiah envisions the branch as a king associated with David. In fact, turn back to Jeremiah chapter 23. Jeremiah chapter 23, titles of the Messiah. It's a beautiful and a wonderful thing.

It's a way that we can see the many facets of the glorious work of our blessed Savior, His person and His work. We have that wonderful banner that Mrs. Mars in the Sunday school class made concerning the names of God up in the Sunday school room. The names of God are revelatory.

The names of God show us things about God. They show us His perfections. They describe for us His being. They demonstrate to us His nature.

And see, when the Old Testament assigns these various titles or these various names to the Savior Himself, this is a help to the people of God to appreciate and to admire Him even more. So notice in Jeremiah 23.5, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a branch of righteousness. A king shall reign and prosper. and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely.

Now this is his name by which he will be called the Lord our righteousness." Same emphasis, the imputed righteousness of Jesus received by faith alone. Christ is our righteousness, brethren. Just like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 30. And one other passage with reference to the branches, right there in the prophet Zechariah.

Look at Zechariah chapter six. Zechariah chapter six, specifically at verse 12. Then speak to him saying, thus says the Lord of hosts saying, behold, the man whose name is the branch. From his place he shall branch out and he shall build the temple of the Lord.

Yes, he shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule on his throne. So he shall be a priest on his throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. He's a king priest, just like Psalm 110 tells us.

The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Verse four. He's a priest, according to the order of Melchizedek. Our blessed Savior is all that we need.

Our blessed Savior contains in himself all the blessings of God most high conveyed to his people. All that we see in terms of the justification of Joshua is predicated on the coming of the branch, the son of God, who lived, who died, and who was raised again. And then in verses 9 and 10, again, you have a sort of announcement of blessing. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua.

Probably some sort of a stone that was representative of the building project they were undertaking in terms of the temple. Typically, points to that stone, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon this rock, I will build my church. He is the chief cornerstone.

So again, this passage is riddled with biblical prophecy. This is the rationale for the alleviation of this controversy, or rather the resolution of this controversy. It's all about the branch. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua, upon the stone are seven eyes.

Behold, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts. and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. And then in that day says the Lord of hosts, everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree. That convention under his vine and under his fig tree is used in other places in the Old Testament to speak of peace, to speak of peace. But when it says in verse nine at the end, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day, Zechariah has something else to say about that in chapter 13.

You can look at chapter 13, we're almost done. Chapter 13, specifically at verse one. In that day, a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. God promises the removal of sin.

God promises the institution of peace. God promises and Christ fulfills. That's what Zechariah 3 is all about.

Application

So just a few thoughts before we transition into the supper. First, with reference to the assault of the adversary. If you've not read Romans 8, 31 to 35 recently, read it. Paul is dealing with accusations against God's elect.

When the devil, and it's hard, I think, right? What's just me in terms of remaining corruption and my own guilty conscience? And what is the devil that's right there nipping at my heels trying to tell me just how bad I am? It's kind of hard at times to figure that out.

But whether it's me and guilty conscience or the devil nipping at my heels, what's the resolution? The resolution isn't my performance. The resolution isn't that I did devotions this morning. The resolution isn't, I went to church last Sunday twice, three times, we prayed for the persecuted church.

The resolution is the gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is a story about Martin Luther. It's retold by Walter Kaiser in his commentary here on Zechariah. He says, one of the most famous ink spots, before we had computers, we had ink pens.

And before we had the ink pens that you could just click, they had these little bottles of ink, and you had to dip the nib of the pen in there, and you wrote. So back at the time of Luther, that's how it was. He didn't have Word. He didn't have Bix.

He had a little pool of ink and his pen with the nib, and he would write. So one of the most famous ink spots in the world is on the wall of Wartburg Castle in Germany. Luther dreamed that Satan appeared to him reading a long scroll with all his many sins from his birth on. As the reading of the list proceeded, Luther's terrors grew until finally he jumped up and cried, it is all true, Satan, and many more sins I have committed in my life, which are known to God only.

But right at the bottom of your list, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from all sin. He grasped the inkwell on his table and threw it at the devil. So that's why there was an ink spot there on the wall. He had some other intriguing ways of repelling the attacks and the assaults of the devil.

I'll leave that to your further investigation. Not altogether savory for a mixed crowd on a Sunday night. Secondly, we have the power of the gospel. And that fellow, Ian Duguid, I don't know that he has a commentary on Zechariah, but he has an article in a book on justification.

And he cites this passage. And he expounds and deals with this passage. It's very, very good. I think it's called Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry.

It's a multi-author book edited by, I think, R. Scott Clark, Westminster Seminary guys. And there are several articles. Very, very helpful on justification.

But he makes the observation that every privilege assigned to Joshua is matched by a move in the opposite direction by Christ. Every privilege assigned to Joshua is matched by a move in the opposite direction by Christ. First, Joshua was clothed in filthy garments. Christ is the righteous and the holy one.

Joshua was clothed in rich robes. The sin of the elect was imputed to Christ. Joshua received a clean turban. Christ received a crown of thorns.

Joshua is declared not guilty by God. Christ is delivered up by lawless hands and crucified as a criminal. Joshua is promised access to God. Christ cries out, why have you forsaken me?

It's a lot of gospel in Zechariah chapter three. I think it illustrates again what Luther calls the glorious exchange, and I'm not sure this is the specific place where he refers to it as the glorious exchange, but this is what Luther said. The rich, noble, pious bridegroom Christ takes this poor, despised, wicked little whore in marriage, redeems her of all her evil, and adorns her with all his goods. We are filthy, we are undone, we are disgusting before the sovereign God of heaven and earth, rightly. subject to the accusations of the devil himself.

But our blessed Savior went in our stead to the cross, satisfied divine justice, was raised again the third day, so that all who look to Him in faith will not only receive the forgiveness of sins, but they will receive the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. As we eat this bread and as we drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord's death and every blessing attendant upon that death vis-a-vis the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Well, let us pray.

Closing Prayer

Our gracious God and Holy Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this wonderful passage, this fourth night vision of the Prophet Zechariah. We see how it does so well illustrate this doctrine of justification. We see it so clearly taught in the New Testament and in the Old Testament as well.

For Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. We know this is not new. We know this is your way. This is the way you have chosen to deal with miserable sinners.

And we thank you and we praise you. And God, when we are under accusation, when we are under that guilty conscience, may we fly to that fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness, and may we invoke the glory of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray in his most blessed name. Amen.

Well, you can turn with me now to the book of Matthew.

Scripture References

• Ezra 3; 5; 6
• Nehemiah 12
• Job 1
• Psalm 110; 110:4
• Isaiah 28:8; 49:7; 50:6; 53
• Jeremiah 23; 23:5
• Ezekiel 4:12; 28
• Zechariah 3; 3:2; 3:3; 3:4-5; 3:5; 3:6-7; 3:9; 6:12; 13; 13:1
• Deuteronomy 23:13-14
• Leviticus 16
• Matthew 7
• John 1:29
• Romans 2; 5:1; 5:19; 8:31-35
• 1 Corinthians 1; 1:30
• 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Galatians 2:21; 6
• Ephesians 1; 2:18; 2:22
• Philippians 3; 3:2; 3:3; 3:4; 3:7
• 1 Timothy 3:15
• Revelation 1; 12