TEXT:

[9] And the word of the LORD came to me: [10] "Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. [11] Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. [12] And say to him, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. [13] It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."' [14] And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.

[15] "And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. And you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How would you attempt to summarize the main point of this passage?
Why did God tell these men to place the crown on the head of the high priest? What is the significance of this for our lives today?
Read John 19:1-5. Do you see any correlations between our passage in Zechariah and Jesus? What are they? What do these correlations teach us?

SERMON MANUSCRIPT:

The Parazine family does not consist of great farmers. We're a busy family and forgetful people. So we, unfortunately, kill more plants than we grow. Our yard has become widely known by the plant community as the "plant graveyard." Our home is the place where plants often go to breathe their last breath.

But, every once and a while, we will luck out, and out from these dead plants sprouts a little bud, a little branch, a little symbol of life and hope amid despair. And from this branch grows new life.

A little bit of green in the midst of a lot of brown can lead to a lot of fruit. And that's what we'll find true in our passage today. A little humble Messiah is going to sprout up and start a new Kingdom that is far greater than all kingdoms.

As we read the Scriptures, we find a promise pulsing throughout the Old Testament that a branch would come out from Jesse's stump. Jesse was the father of David, the king of Israel. David was a great king, the best king. Yet, in the prophets, there was a promise that one of David's descendants would become a greater king who would reign in perfect justice. This king would be "the Branch," and he would be "beautiful and glorious (Is 4:2)." He will "bring righteousness" to his kingdom, and he will "reign with justice and establish salvation for his people." He will reign as king in perfect wisdom, "executing justice and righteousness in the land." As a good king, he will care for his people. The Spirit of the LORD will “rest upon him,” and “his delight will be in the fear of the LORD.” He will “judge the poor with righteousness and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.” He will strike the world with "the rod of his mouth" and kill the wicked with "the breath of his lips." He will save his people, leading to them “dwelling securely.”

"The Branch" was a title of hope. There was hope that out from the stump of Jesse would grow a branch that would establish a new kingdom. In a world full of injustice and wickedness, there was hope that one would come who would reign in perfect justice and righteousness. So, throughout history, God's people held tightly to the promise that a future king was coming.

Well, in our passage today, that promise is revisited. In these verses, God again directs the focus of his people to the future. Once again, he promises his people that the Branch is coming. And when the Branch comes, he's not just going to "reign with justice and establish salvation for his people." He will also build a new temple, forever establishing a new kingdom of peace. Today we will see that Jesus is the long-awaited King who came to create a new temple (a redeemed people of God from every tribe, tongue, and nation) through his death and resurrection.

So, let's go ahead and dive in.

MAKE A CROWN

The first thing we notice is a shift in writing style. We're no longer looking at visions. There are no longer tiny women in baskets or chariots coming out of bronze mountains. Instead, we're looking at specific commands given to particular people.

In verse 9, the LORD commands Zechariah to gather a group of exiles and take them to the house of Josiah. We don't know much about these guys. But there's speculation over why they're coming. Some think these individuals were a part of a caravan of people moving back to Jerusalem from Babylon. Others believe they're bringing a collection of gold and silver from the exiles still in Babylon to rebuild the temple.

I don't want us to get caught in the weeds of who these guys are or why they're coming to Jerusalem. Instead, I want us to notice what they're responsible for doing once they get to Jerusalem. These exiles were responsible for providing costly resources, not for the temple, but for a crown. Verse 11 says, "Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest."

Now, in this verse, we're presented with a subtle tension that needs to be unpacked. Crowns were a sign of royalty worn by kings. But God's people didn't have a king at this time. They had a Persian-appointed governor, Zerubbabel. Yet, this crown wasn't placed on Zerubbabel's head. It was placed on the head of Joshua, the High Priest. The LORD is putting something that doesn't belong to the high priest on the head of the high priest.

So, what do we do with this? What do we make of a crown being placed upon the head of Joshua, the high priest?

It could be that God is making a political declaration by appointing Joshua as king. It could be that God is saying that Joshua is the Branch. But I don't think that's the case. I believe God is prophetically communicating to his people a deeper truth here.

This is the second time we've seen Joshua appear in the book of Zechariah. Chapter 3 shows Joshua standing before the LORD, clothed in dirty garments, next to Satan. The LORD acts on Joshua's behalf by silencing his accuser and cleansing him, removing his filthy garments and replacing them with clean garments.

This cleansing was symbolic of his sins (and the sins of God's people) being taken away. Their iniquity was removed, and they were clothed with pure and righteous garments.

Following this exchange, the LORD tells Joshua that he and his friends (the other priests) were a sign of his servant, the Branch, that was to come. So, the presence of the Priest was a glorious reminder to God's people that God would indeed send his servant the Branch one day in the future.

So, if Joshua has already been identified as a sign of the branch to come, then he can't be the Branch who has come. God isn't anointing Joshua as king. Instead, he's making a symbolic declaration of what will happen in their future. In placing the crown on the High Priest's head, I believe God's showing us how their future King would simultaneously carry out the work of the Great High Priest. The Branch will be the King of kings and the Great High Priest. The anointed King will also be the anointed Priest. The one who will sit on the throne will be the one who makes the once for all sacrifice for sins. The one who knew no sin will become sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Now, the Hebrew language crown here is plural. So one might think that it's two crowns being made here. But it's more likely that you have a gold and silver crown separately made and woven together to make one single crown. And as this crown is being placed on Joshua's head, the LORD says, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. [13] It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.'"

This is another strange thing to say if we're thinking within their immediate context. In chapter 4, the LORD made it abundantly clear that Zerubbabel would be the one to complete the temple— "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall complete it."

So, God's people are literally building the temple under the supervision of their governor Zerubbabel. As these words are being spoken, bulldozers and excavators are outside the temple. Yet, here we find the LORD promising that the Branch would build the temple of the LORD.

So, we have two options here. Either (1) we have a serious contradiction in this book, or (2) we're talking about two different temples.

If you look down to verse 14, you will see that the crown was to be placed in the temple to serve as a reminder for the priests. I, therefore, think it's safe to conclude that the LORD is speaking of a future temple that the coming King will build. Zerubbabel will complete the temple being built currently, but the Branch will build another temple in the future.

There are a couple of things I want to take note of here.

First, I want us to see that Jesus is the long-anticipated Branch who came to build this new temple of the LORD. And where Zerubbabel was responsible for constructing a temple that consisted of stones, Jesus came to build a temple without stones.

Look at verse 12. As this twisted crown of gold and silver was placed on the high priest's head, the LORD of hosts declared, "Behold the man whose name is the Branch…."

Behold is an attention grabber. It's a declaration of come and see. He's saying, "Come and see the man who will reign in justice and rebuild the temple of the LORD!"

With those words fresh on your mind, turn to John 19.

After Pilate took Jesus out to flog him, the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns together, put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple robe. Mocking him, they declared, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they struck him with their hands.

Pilate then goes to the Jews and says, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him."

It then says that Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and Pilate unknowingly, yet very prophetically declares, "Behold the man!"

This scene is a tragic, beautiful, and climactic moment in redemptive history. As God's people have been anticipating the arrival of the Branch, the Branch is standing before them, and the LORD is saying through Pilate, "Your long anticipated King is here, and you're about to crucify him! You're about to tear down the temple of God. But he will rise again to build the new temple, just like I promised! Out from the stump chopped down will come a branch."

At the cross, we find Zechariah 6 beginning to be fulfilled.

In John 2, after cleansing the temple, Jesus said to the Jews, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Those words were initially confusing. But, after Jesus' death and resurrection, it became clear that Jesus wasn't referring to the temple building they were standing in; he was referring to his body.

You see, if Jesus was God in the flesh, then the dwelling place of God was the body of Jesus. The body of Jesus was the manifestation of God's glory, the temple of God. So, on the cross, the temple of God was destroyed (just like Jesus said it would be). And it's at his resurrection that the temple was rebuilt.

After Jesus rises, he ascends back to heaven. And the Father then sends another helper, the Holy Spirit, who would dwell within his people, making the people of God the temple of God.

So, Jesus was coming to build a new and better temple than the one built by Zerubbabel. This coming temple was a spiritual temple not bound by a particular location. And, as we see in verse 13, when he does, he will "sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Throughout the Old Testament, we see that the office of priest and king were two separate offices that the same person could not fulfill. But, at the cross, we see that there will be peace between these two offices.

There is peace between these offices because Jesus is both. The spotless lamb led to the slaughter is the all-powerful king who will reign forever. He is the one who made the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and he is also the one sitting on his throne in royal honor forever.

Now, it may not seem like a big deal that the Branch is sitting. You may be thinking, "That's what kings do. They sit and rule." But in the old temple, there were no seats because the high priests were constantly standing, making sacrifices daily for sins. Hebrews 10:11 says, "And every Priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting for that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

So, the fact that the branch is sitting is monumental! It reveals to us the reality that our salvation is secure. Jesus can sit because his work is complete. If your faith resides in Jesus, your salvation rests securely in the finished work of the cross. Your sins— past, present, future— have been atoned for. They've been dealt with viciously. You can rest securely in the finished work of the cross. You can confidently submit to him as King, trusting that he's good because he's become the perfect sacrifice for your sins.

In verse 14, we see that the crown placed on Joshua was to remain in the temple as a reminder of the promise found in these verses. Every time the priests lay their eyes on this crown, they would be reminded of the King who was to come. Well, in the same way that they looked to a gold and silver crown to be reminded of God's faithfulness to build a temple in the future, we look to a crown of thorns to be reminded of God's faithfulness to build the temple of the LORD, the redeemed people of God.

The crown of thorns reminds us today that we get to partake in the things God's people longed to experience. The crown of thorns reminds us today that the Branch has come to bring life through his death. The crown of thorns reminds us today that Jesus is seated on the throne; therefore, our salvation is secure. The crown of thorns reminds us today that the one worthy of all worship was beaten, flogged, and crucified so that we might have peace. The crown of thorns is a symbol of hope for us today.

It is the one who wore the crown of thorns that Revelation says we will lay our crowns before one day and declare, "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will, they existed and were created."

Verse 15 then tells us that those far off shall come and help to build the temple of the LORD. So, what's beautiful is that this spiritual temple of God consists of both Jews and non-Jews alike.

We see this demonstrated clearly in Ephesians 2. In Ephesians 2, Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, a predominantly Gentile church.

Here he says, "[11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—[12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world."

Notice all the separation language used here: uncircumcision, separated, alienated, strangers, no hope, without God. So, Paul is saying to the Gentiles (the nations), "Hey, don't forget that you were far off, separated from Christ, aliens, without hope, and without God."

But, then he says, "[13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."

Notice the language change: brought near, peace, made us both one, one new man, reconciled us both, killing the hostility, both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So, now Paul is saying, "Ok, you were once far off, but now you're close because of Jesus. There was once distance between you and God, but now there's nearness. There was once hostility between you and God, but now there's peace. You were once without God, but now you have access to God through the Spirit."

This leads Paul to say, "[19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."

So, God's people (both Jew and Gentile believers) are being joined together to build the temple of God. Together they are the dwelling place of God by the Spirit. God's predetermined plan was to use those who were far off to help build the temple of the LORD. God's plan was to dwell with and in his redeemed people from all over the world.

Zechariah 6:9-15

Harbor Community Church, 126 Mobile St, Mobile, AL 36670