TEXT:
"[10] And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. [11] On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. [12] The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; [13] the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; [14] and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves.
[1] "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness."
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Discuss for a few moments how this passage points ahead to Jesus. How do these verses highlight the divine nature of Jesus?
How should the truth that “conviction of sin is a work of the Spirit” shape our evangelism and prayer life?
Why is conviction of sin a good thing? Despite its goodness, why does it seem at times our hearts despise conviction?
SERMON MANUSCRIPT:
When was the last time you wept? Crying is a common human experience; you see it often in the Bible. Tears aren't shameful.
Why did you weep? If you pulled back the layers, what was the source of your tears? Did you weep because of a trial you found yourself in? Did you cry because of a wound from someone else's offense against you? Did you weep because of guilt from a wound you've given someone else?
When was the last time you wept over your sin? Not when was the last time you've cried over the repercussions of your sins? But when was the last time you've wept over the reality that you've sinned against God?
After studying this passage, I would almost argue that if you've never wept over the reality of your involvement in what led Jesus to the cross, then you've never experienced the cleansing work of the cross. Today's passage reminds us of the wounding power of the cross. Before the blood of Jesus restores us, it wounds us. Before the blood of Jesus cleanses us, it reveals our filth. Conviction comes before cleansing.
Like many verses in Zechariah, today's passage presents obscurity and familiarity. In my interpretation, there are elements to this passage that point ahead to something that has not yet happened. But, there are also elements to this passage that describe something that has happened and something we have personally experienced as believers.
In these verses, we see the LORD pour out his Spirit upon his people, causing those who pierced the LORD to look upon him and mourn their sinful actions. Depending upon who you read or listen to, you'll find these verses connected to different points in history.
Some connect these verses to the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came, Peter preached the gospel, and thousands of Jews believed and were saved. By the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached, "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men." They were cut to the heart and repented from their sins.
Others connect this to a future revival of the nation Israel. In Romans 11, we see Paul describing a partial hardening that has come upon Israel so that the gospel could go forth into the world (the other nations), allowing the Gentiles to be grafted into God's holy nation. It is believed that this "partial hardening" will one day be lifted, allowing all of Israel to see the truth of the gospel, mourn the offense of the cross, and believe/trust in Jesus.
Some connect these verses to Revelation 1:7, which reads, "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen." So, these verses allude to a future encounter at the end of time.
All three views hold a strong biblical argument. Personally, I think I lean toward these verses primarily referencing a future revival that will take place amongst the nation of Israel at the end of time. But, I also think there's more nuance here in that it also describes what's taken place throughout redemptive history following the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in Acts. There's a sense of obscurity and familiarity here in these verses. They're describing something that has happened, is happening, and will happen one day. At the end of the day, these verses paint a clear picture of true repentance and what happens when one humbles himself before the LORD.
Let's dive in.
The first thing we see here is the LORD pouring out a spirit upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Anytime we see the LORD pour out a spirit in the Old Testament, it's always His Spirit being poured out (Ezekiel 39:29 and Joel 2:28-29). So, here the LORD is saying that he will soon pour his Spirit out upon his people. They will be a Spirit-filled people.
Now, look at how his Spirit is described— "a spirit of grace and pleas of mercy." The word "grace" is a relational term. It implies an undeserved favor placed upon one's life. "Please of mercy" implies repentance, regret, or remorse. It's the action of seeking compassion from someone you've offended. So, what we find here is the Holy Spirit graciously brings conviction that leads to relational restoration. God extends grace to those who plead for mercy, leading to a renewed relationship with himself.
Now, why will God's people begin to plead for mercy? What offense will they be mourning?
They will lament the reality that they have pierced the LORD— "When they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him..."
I want us to spend a brief moment unpacking the profound scandal that we find here in this verse. The term pierced here depicts a fatal stabbing, a piercing that leads to death. So, the LORD, through Zechariah, is saying that his people will soon fatally wound God. Because of their hard hearts, they will pierce their Creator. The one who stretched the heavens is the one who will be pierced.
Fast forward to the gospels, particularly the gospel of John, and we see a connection being made between these words in Zechariah and Jesus. After Jesus breathed his last breath on the cross, "one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water… For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: 'They will look on him whom they have pierced.'" So, Zechariah prophesied that the house of David would piece the LORD, and John connected to dots from Zechariah's prophecy to Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus is the LORD who was fatally pierced by the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Do not miss the divine scandal of the cross being alluded to here in Zechariah. It is the one who stretched out the heavens that they nailed to the cross. It is the founder of the earth that they have pierced. It is the one who formed the spirit of man who was crushed by the hands of man.
There's a lie that has circulated throughout history that says Jesus was not God. But let me be clear. You will not find that lie in the Bible. The Bible is unmistakably clear: Jesus is God in flesh. The creator of all things entered into his creation and dwelt among them. The one who holds everything together at this very moment in time willingly marched to the cross to be pierced and crushed by man. The one who Zechariah spoke on behalf of is the one who was hung on the cross for the sins of the world. So, here the LORD is saying that whenever His Spirit is poured out on their land, their eyes will be opened, and they will plead for mercy because they rejected the LORD of all. They will mourn their rejection of the good shepherd. They will lament that instead of crowning him as Lord, they mockingly pierced him as a fool. Their eyes will fill with tears when they truly understand what took place on the cross. They will mourn their heinous actions against the LORD.
The word for mourn here is one of deep pain and grief. It often describes the action that flows from losing a loved one. It's the same word used to describe Abraham's action whenever his wife, Sarah, died (Gen. 23:2)— he mourned and wept. It's the same word used to describe how Israel mourned the death of Samuel (1 Sa. 25:1). It's the same word used to describe Bathsheba's actions whenever her husband, Uriah, passed away 11:26). So, Israel will deeply mourn the death of Jesus.
But they won't mourn the death of Jesus as one mourns the death of a distant relative or even the death of a spouse. We see that they will mourn his death like a parent mourns the death of an only child. They will "weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first born." What profound imagery here. The pain and remorse they will feel from crucifying Jesus will parallel the pain one feels from losing a beloved child.
Not only that, but they will also mourn him like a nation mourns the sacrificial death of a good king— it will be "as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo." It is believed that this refers to the location of King Josiah's death around 609 BC. Josiah was a young but good king who feared the LORD. In 2 Chronicles 35:22-25, we see Josiah get wounded in battle on the plain of Megiddo. He then gets taken back to Jerusalem, where he later dies. After his burial, all of Judah and Jerusalem lamented and mourned his death, which became a tradition in Israel. So, like God's people grieving the end of their good king, they will corporately mourn the death of Jesus, the King of kings.
But they won't just mourn the death of their king corporately; they will mourn him individually and personally. "The land shall mourn, each family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; and all the families that are left, each by itself, and their wives by themselves." On the one hand, we see here all of the royal families mourning their involvement in the crime before them. It is said that "when the royal family mourns, all the citizens mourn with them." But, on a deeper level, this reminds us that no individual is off the hook regarding the offense of the cross. No tear shed will be prompted by another. Each family, each person, will experience tremendous pain over the crucifixion of Jesus. Whether you held the nail or not when he was pierced to the cross, swung the whip or not whenever he was beaten and flogged, or drove the spear into his side, you stand guilty and condemned.
Now, let's internalize this for a moment. As I read the Bible with my son, I seek to remind him that we don't read it with just our minds; we read it with our hearts. As we read and ponder the Scriptures, we ask, "Lord, what are you seeking to tell me? What actions are you calling me to?" So, I want us to ask that question for the remainder of our time. What does this passage have to do with me?
Well, the first thing I want us to see is that conviction of sin is a gift from the LORD and a work of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings to light the magnitude of the cross. When the Spirit is poured out, the scales fall off the eyes of God's people. Under the light of the Holy Spirit, they can see the full scope of their heinous actions. Brothers and sisters, conviction of sin is good. If you desire to walk in righteousness, expect the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin. Conviction may be painful, and it may lead to tears. But, it's on the other side of conviction that we find cleansing. For a match to burn bright, it must first be struck. For a Christian to burn bright, it, too, must first be struck with conviction. Conviction of sin is a gift from the LORD and a work of the Spirit. It is a necessary element of the Christian life.
The second thing I want us to see is that sin is first an offense against God. God's people won't simply mourn because they got caught in sin. They won't simply mourn because they lost their job due to unethical decisions. They will mourn their involvement in the cross. They will mourn the fact that they pierced their LORD.
David, in Psalm 51, demonstrates this well. In this Psalm, we find David mourning his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah.
Here, he says,
"Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight..."
Sin undoubtedly has horizontal implications. Committing adultery with your neighbor's spouse hurts your spouse, your children, their spouse, and their children. Murdering someone hurts not just that person but that person's entire family and friends. Stealing from your neighbor hurts your neighbor. Lying to your family harms your family. Viewing pornography wrecks your spouse. All sin is a direct offense against someone. And all sin against our neighbor requires repentance and restoration.
But sin is not primarily an offense against your neighbor. Sin is, most importantly, a direct offense against God. Against him, him only, have we sinned and done what is evil in his sight. If we don't understand this, we have an unbelievably small view of God. When it comes to the cross, you are not an innocent bystander. It is your sin that Christ was pierced for. Sin is first an offense against God.
Third, I want us to see that conviction should lead to mourning. Those who understand the magnitude of their sin against God will fall on their face before God and weep. Salvation doesn't come to those who are strong; salvation comes to those who are weak. Salvation is extended to the sick, not the healthy. Some of you must understand that God will heal you only whenever you cry out for mercy.
Everyone listen to me. Some of you today need to stop trying harder to fix the mess you're in and fall on your face and weep. Some of you need to face yourself in the mirror, stop blaming others, and say, "You know what? I am the one to blame here. I am guilty. I have sinned against God. God, please forgive me."
Now, here's the beauty of the gospel. Those who mourn the sins that led to the cross will experience the cleansing work of the cross. The cross turns our mourning into laughter, tears into joy.
Look at Zechariah 13:1, "On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness."
So, on the other side of weeping is cleansing. Those who mourn will soon rejoice. Those who are sick will soon be healed. Those who are broken will soon be healed. Those who are humbled will soon be exalted.
Turn over to James 4:6-10.
"[5] Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? [6] But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [8] Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. [9] Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. [10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
The law of gravity states, "What goes up must go down." But the law of the gospel states, "What goes down must go up." Those who mourn their sin against God and look upon Christ in faith will be exalted. Those who weep their sins against God and look upon Christ in faith will be cleansed. God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. So, be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy return to gloom. Humble yourself before the LORD, and he will exalt you.