minor prophet – Page 2

Zechariah 13:7-9 – The Scattering

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Zechariah’s reference to shepherd here would be again about the messianic shepherd, Jesus. You may recall Jesus’ own words to his disciples in the garden before his arrest. He told them they would be scattered, and they were for a time.

Jesus quotes Zechariah when he is walking with his disciples on the way to the garden. Matthew 26:31 says, “On the way, Jesus told them, ‘Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”

Zechariah 13:1-6 – Cleansed

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Jesus is that fountain, isn’t he? Who else washes our sins away? Jesus told the Samaritan woman he was the source of living water. Jesus’ own words to the crowds in John 7:38 say, “Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

How does it make you feel to be cleansed from your sinfulness?

Zechariah 12:10-14 – Regret or Remorse?

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Recall the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. His side was pierced to make sure he had died. Another prophet also prophesied about it. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.” Zechariah’s reference to our king being pierced speaks to how the people feel about it after the fact.

Zechariah speaks to the mourning the people will feel when they realize they have let their king be killed. The very one they had been waiting for to save them was now dead. Zechariah’s words come long before Jesus was even born, so the people wouldn’t understand what this all means.

Zechariah 12:1-9 – Future Deliverance

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This reading shows us how much God is doing to save and bless his people, not condemn them. Jesus’ own words to Nicodemus ring in my head from John 3:17. “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

Our prophecy in this reading is speaking of how God will deliver Jerusalem and Judah from their foes. The theme is “on that day.” What happens on “that day?” How will we know when “that day” arrives?

Zechariah 11:4-17 – Good Shepherd

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Another shift just happened. The voice and writing style here don’t seem to be the same as Zechariah in the first portion of the book. But this passage has been inspirationally placed exactly where it is. We can trust God for that.

That’s one of those Bible secrets people often never experience. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” The secret is, all Scripture, the whole Bible, is true because it’s inspired by God.