Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Glorious coming of our lord

Zechariah 13:1-9
“This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, 'They are my people,' and they will say, 'The LORD is our God.'” – Zechariah 13:2

The focus of today's scripture is on the "Glorious Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." In Zechariah 12, we witness the world's nations united in their attack against Israel, and God's miraculous deliverance of His people. When the people of Judah and Jerusalem see Jesus, there will be a great period of grief for this pierced only Son, Who is God Himself, and chapter 13 begins in the same time period, with the phrase "In that day..." This chapter should not have been divided from the previous one because it is a continuation of it. 

A Fountain for Sin and Impurity is mentioned in verse one. It signifies that when the time when Jesus returns to earth to protect the Jews and judge the nations, a fountain of sin and impurity will be opened for the Jews. The Bible twice describes God as being the "Fountain of Living Water" (Jer. 2:13; 17:13). He is the living God, and He is the only one who can cleanse us of our sins and wash them away. They will be cleansed of their sin and filth because they called out to Jesus for salvation. Idolatry, false prophets, and the "unclean spirit" will all endure in Israel and the rest of the world until Christ's rule begins on earth. These Idols, unclean spirits, and prophets will be cast out at Christ's glorious return.
People will not perish from poisonous snakes, but they will perish if they prophesy. That's right - since prophecy will be done away with, any word of prophecy spoken will be clearly wrong. And anyone who makes a false prophecy will be killed by their parents. According to Verse 2, there will be no more prophets in the country speaking the Word of God since God Himself will be speaking His Word. Who will then be able to see and prophesy? Jesus. Jesus' prophesy and vision will bring those who claim to be prophets to disgrace. However, Jesus would say, "I'm not a prophet, but I am a farmer. The Word in men's hearts is the seed I'm putting on the land. So, when I prophesy, I'm not looking for attention for myself; instead, I'm planting the Word in people's hearts." It was the sin of Adam that brought about man's separation from God. Christ, by being born of a virgin, sowing the seed of the Word, and dying in our place, restored the relationship.
Zech 13: 6 If someone asks, 'What are these wounds on your body?' they will answer, 'The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.' We know that Jesus did not acquire those wounds in His friends' homes. However, He was wounded with those wounds in the house of His friends. Remember that His friends did not trust Him when He rose from the grave. With those wounds, he was injured in the residence of His pals. Now Coming to Verse 7, Jesus would be stricken, and the sheep would be scattered. This happened in the night Judas Iscariot betrayed Him. Before traveling to Gethsemane, Jesus took the eleven apostles to the Mount of Olives after the Last Supper.  Matt. 26:31 Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.' When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples left Him and fled. Yes, the Shepherd was stricken, the sheep were scattered. The last verses speak about the details of the final days. Two-thirds of the Jews will perish, but the remaining one-third will call out to their Messiah and be spared.
 

Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to come in faith to the fountain of Jesus Christ and His shed blood to cleanse our hearts from sin and impurity. Allow us to live our lives daily looking to You, the Good Shepherd, who was willing to die for our sins. Amen.

Thought for the Day
God has mercifully given a fountain for sinners to be washed so that we might all become His holy people at His Glorious coming
                             Hannah Susan Koshy                                           Peroorkada Ebenezer Mar Thoma Church

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